DIY solution for clear soles for MAG shoes

[cavx]

Plus the cost would be way less than this.

The elastomer has already been ordered, so we are past the PNR on this project. This stuff is actually made for applications like shoe soles according to the manufacture and one reason I continued down this path - because there was cheaper options. I am sure the "rubber bath mat" approach will work, but will it last?

The pyramid mat is just to form a part of the mold for the elastomer to be poured into. I intend to peel that away as soon as the stuff has cured. What I am concerned about is temperature. We are approaching winter here and the temps have been way lower than the recommended 25 degrees C which will affect the curing time.

 

[cavx]

Today I picked up the clear cold cast elastomer. I'll update with pictures soon.

 

[cavx]

Thank you

Had a play with the size of the mat I will use in the mold. At this time, mostly because of the expense of the CCCE, I might just pour 1 pair first then see about doing a larger mat.

I made a quick template up using this clear plastic that I had taped in place to the shoe. This one seems to look and fit better than my previous attempt. One thing I will probably do however is turn this 90 degrees and make the oval part out of the remainder of each half as I want to ensure that I get the pattern aligned for both pieces even though the front part won't actually be visible whilst I am wearing them.

So the plan is to mount this mat into a large, shallow flat bottomed plastic box (that has a lid to keep dust off) and seal the edges with the hot glue gun.

Anyone know how to work out the volume for this? Mold is going to be 450mm x 270mm x 5mm. I get 0.006 ltr and I don't think that is correct.

 

[Caloss]

Thank you

Had a play with the size of the mat I will use in the mold. At this time, mostly because of the expense of the CCCE, I might just pour 1 pair first then see about doing a larger mat.

I made a quick template up using this clear plastic that I had taped in place to the shoe. This one seems to look and fit better than my previous attempt. One thing I will probably do however is turn this 90 degrees and make the oval part out of the remainder of each half as I want to ensure that I get the pattern aligned for both pieces even though the front part won't actually be visible whilst I am wearing them.

So the plan is to mount this mat into a large, shallow flat bottomed plastic box (that has a lid to keep dust off) and seal the edges with the hot glue gun.

Anyone know how to work out the volume for this? Mold is going to be 450mm x 270mm x 5mm. I get 0.006 ltr and I don't think that is correct.

love to see the results keep up the good work .. almost done with my mag project just finishing off some improvements in charge time and making a flux capasiter charger will show pics in a few days custom mag clear soles with bttf images in bottom soles/ if anybody is looking for a full prof kit of greatness for the nike mag please pm me or feel free to ask questions will post finished pics of wearable flashy hybrid version of the bt4f mags bt4f stands for (back for the future)Im here now ......... D.O.C

 

[Miro]

Anyone know how to work out the volume for this? Mold is going to be 450mm x 270mm x 5mm. I get 0.006 ltr and I don't think that is correct.

Hey!

That's what I got too. But I guess you could just pour water into the mold and measure that?

Miro

 

[cavx]

Hey!

That's what I got too. But I guess you could just pour water into the mold and measure that?

Miro

Hey thanks Miro. The next challenge is converting that to grams, except this stuff is heavier than water...

OK today was the first pour of the clear soles using cold cast clear elastomer.

The kit I bought is a 2 part kit (3 if you count the pigment) consisting of Part A and Part B where where Part B (the hardener) is 80% volume of A.

Originally I was going to use a large plastic box with the lid for the mold. On close inspection, I noticed the centre was convex and this meant that the centre would be thinner than the edges. I had to re-think is.

So I used the bench top with some off cuts of 10mm Persex and hot glue to provide the seal.

Onto the mixing...

I really didn't have a clue how much of this I needed, so decided to mix 100 gram of Part A and 80 gram of Part B. I added the pigment prior to measuring out the parts and believe me, this stuff is strong and I only needed the smallest amount on the end of a plastic fork. The larger can you can see in this shot is a product loan just for the purposes of experimenting with the pigment. I turned my first bit solid blue, but am happy with the colour of the my product.
You pour this like any resin letting it run itself out.

I did this in two lots. On the left is my first mix of 180 grams and as you can see, it is not quite enough to fill the mold. You can see that I added a line or wall of hot glue prior to my first pour.

I made the second batch at about 210 grams and that seems to be good. Even though this stuff is supposed to set within 30min, I was advised not to delaminate for at least 24 hours, so we will all have to wait until tomorrow night to see the results of this.

 

[Jedifyfe]

I would be in for a set of clear soles for sure!

 

[cavx]

I would be in for a set of clear soles for sure!

Well let me de-mold this set and pour some more and if they all work out, I will start a thread in the junk yard.

 

[airair]

yeah, me too.

would you make them as sheets or as already moulded pieces?

since some people have different size shoes like kmags, i think markpoons are all same size so thats probably easier.

 

[cavx]

yeah, me too.

would you make them as sheets or as already moulded pieces?

since some people have different size shoes like kmags, i think markpoons are all same size so thats probably easier.

At this stage, sheets. If this all works out, I might look at laser cut molds that will allow me to make more soles out of the same amount of CCCE. At this stage, I should 8 pairs for the $200 outlay as you get waste from the current method. My size 10s soles require about 3/4 of an A4 sheet per shoe. If I can actually make the molds (over-sized so you can trim it down for your shoes) I might be able to extend the volume to maybe 15 pairs.

OK, so after 30 hours, I checked on the pour. The surface was still sticky and they guy that sells the stuff said that due to the cooler time of year here, the higher humidity (it rained a bit today) that all 2 part resin mixes will be sticky. He suggested placing it in the sun tomorrow.

I was able to peel a section off the mold but the rest seemed to be sticking to the mold. It didn't appear to want to tear but I wasn't prepared to force it either. So I will see how this turns out after I bake it in the sun for a few hours.

I think I will need to add more pigment as the blue was not really visible in the section I could get out of the mold today. I will re-evaluate this tomorrow as well as I would rather clear soles than blue soles if I add too much.

I also re-worked my table this afternoon for more precise leveling. It is now 3 point thread adjustable.

So anyway, probably enough for 7 more goes.

Sorry no images at this time.

 

[Risu]

I learned a long time ago to never, ever cast anything if it's raining or just rained. I've had parts swell up on me Akira style days after casting them because of moisture trapped in the resin.

 

[cavx]

I don't even know where this rain came from. It has been cold for the last few nights and then this morning, it was much warmer and by later this afternoon, rain.

It make sense as these products are hydro-scopic (spelling?).

 

[cavx]

Anyone know how to work out the volume for this? Mold is going to be 450mm x 270mm x 5mm. I get 0.006 ltr and I don't think that is correct.

So far I have made about 400 grams [180 + 220].

Now back to the math: [450 x 270 x 3] / 1000 = 364.5 and that seems about right based on what I have mixed and poured so far.

 

[cavx]

And more rain today, so this project gets shelved again until we get some sun.

 

[MitasTouch]

where did you get those mats and what are they called?

 

[cavx]

where did you get those mats and what are they called?

It is not actually a mat, rather it comes off a roll. It is a type of PVC flooring. I bought mine from Bunnings Warehouse which I guess is the Australian equivalent of Home Depot.

 

[cavx]

OK frustration lead me to contact the manufacture and soon I will have the state rep calling around to see that I am actually using the product properly. He say (on the phone) that weather is a non issue. So I have made a new mold and have it all leveled for when he comes around. I'll update this soon.

 

[cavx]

UPDATE: OK just finished getting a 1 on 1 how to with this product and learned allot from the rep today.

The results of the first pour were not good simply from bad mixing practices. When you mix this stuff, you do have about a 20 min pot life and there should be an exothermic reaction - ie the stuff gets warm. He explained that I didn't mix it long enough and as a result I got moisture entrapped in the mix and why parts look the way they do. Something else he NOT TO DO was scrape the pot when you pour to get that last bit out. He suggested that it is best to mix a small bit more and leave it go off in the pot.

To aid the exo and further reduce bubbles, he used a hot air gun and poured through the air flow. It was interesting to watch as the bubble on surface started popping instantly. There are still tiny bubbles trapped in the mix and the only way to rid this is to use a vacuum chamber which I don't have anymore. I am not concerned about this as no one will be able to see these once the product cures. They are very small. Also, because these are soles, no ones is getting that close anyway.

He also applied a silicone release agent to the mold, so this will make removal much easier. Based on the results of the first pour, I still think the product will release anyway as the part that set did just peeled away. It is the parts that didn't set that have stuck. The release agent is expensive and you don't need much, but it was good to know this stuff will work with fibre glass and other such products as well - so 1KG should last a very long time and many product pours.

Something else I didn't even think about is gluing the mat to the table. Because the exo-reaction, the air under the mat heats and expands and it actually has caused one end of the mat to lift a slight bit. A workable solution is to simply drill a small hole in the centre of the board and the heated air will be able to escape.

He also suggested using the micro wave for about 10 seconds to heat the mix on a cold day like it is today (about 20 degrees C right now) and I also have the product under a heating lamp right now to aid the curing.

I'll give this a few hour and then post a picture. Given the fact that it started raining again, I will most likely leave this until tomorrow before attempting to de-laminate.

 

[Miro]

How much are you planning to ask from these?
Have you thought about doing a proper mold so you get the sharp angle that the real shoes have? I think the real mags sole even gets a little wider at the bottom. Or then it is just the inner sole which gets wider. On a second thought, all the shapes could be due to the inner sole. I don't know.

 

[cavx]

How much are you planning to ask from these?
Have you thought about doing a proper mold so you get the sharp angle that the real shoes have? I think the real mags sole even gets a little wider at the bottom. Or then it is just the inner sole which gets wider. On a second thought, all the shapes could be due to the inner sole. I don't know.

Won't know until I see how many pairs I get for my $200 outlay.

One pair is write off.