Castable Rubber?

[nomuse]

I'm in planning stages on an original prop. I'd love to have checkered grip inserts in black rubber. I'd hand-carve the master, but is there a material I can cast that has the give and look of hard rubber and will stand up to handling?

 

[JFB64]

Try looking on Smooth-On's site. I think they have something although I've never used it.

 

[AndyJ]

Urethane rubbers are probably what you're looking for, may even be what your original is made out of. They are a two-part material and come in all sorts of densities.

 

[cavx]

I'm in planning stages on an original prop. I'd love to have checkered grip inserts in black rubber. I'd hand-carve the master, but is there a material I can cast that has the give and look of hard rubber and will stand up to handling?

Urethane rubbers are probably what you're looking for, may even be what your original is made out of. They are a two-part material and come in all sorts of densities.

They come in a range of shore hardness and they can be pigmented to be any colour you want.

 

[nomuse]

Thanks. I checked Smooth-on now that I had a name to work from. Only downside I can see is the stuff apparently hardens in the can within two weeks of opening it. I wonder if there's a hardware store product that would substitute? But...with the starter kit from Smooth-on being only $25, seems worth it even if you only use it once...

 

[cavx]

Thanks. I checked Smooth-on now that I had a name to work from. Only downside I can see is the stuff apparently hardens in the can within two weeks of opening it. I wonder if there's a hardware store product that would substitute? But...with the starter kit from Smooth-on being only $25, seems worth it even if you only use it once...

It is possible that one part is going to re-act with the moisture in the air.
The stuff I use has a part A and part B which you mix in equal parts by weight. What I noticed is that the part A will harden on its own over time if left exposed to air. During the time I had with my last batch, I must have spilled some on the thread as it was solid and I had a hard time getting the bottle open. Part B seems to remain liquid.

 

[reididtenroc]

Plastidip can do the job : http://www.plastidip.co.uk/

 

[coldfire]

i have put argon from my welder in to paint cans to displace the air and stop the paint from getting a layer of film on top. I wonder if doing that to the part A would stop it from hardening in the container.

 

[ataris121]

plasti dip will take ages to cure. I would reccomend either ECON 60 or ECON 80. Make your master out of a non sulfur clay (monster clay, plastilina, ect). Use body double to make a brush on mold. Plasti-paste to make a mold shell. Lastly, tint with so strong blackand you will have a weapon quiality grip. It will cost you ~$150 but you will have plenty of left overs

 

[TJackFx]

i have put argon from my welder in to paint cans to displace the air and stop the paint from getting a layer of film on top. I wonder if doing that to the part A would stop it from hardening in the container.

smooth on makes a product that does just that - it will extend the life of the products once you open the container. It's called Xtend-It http://www.smooth-on.com/Urethane-Plastic-a/c5_1119_1291/index.html

 

[ataris121]

also, if you seperatly mold and cast your grips, and use the cast grips on a master, you can resin cast with the rubber grips in place and the will be locked in.

 

[Duncanator]

There are air displacement products that you can spray into the can when you seal it to keep it from going bad. The one I use is called "Burp", but there are others with less silly names. you spray it into the can or bottle, then close it up. It pushes out the ambient air and is moisture and oxygen free so the resin doesn't spoil.

 

[nomuse]

Wow, lot of great options. I'll have to look into those no-go-bad cans, too....but I wonder if they go bad after you open them! ^_^