Help with silicon. Is this OK? (Australia)

[fandango]

Hope this is in the appropriate area. I'm really excited to get started casting various sculpts and 3d prints I've made for my projects but am not sure of the best (most affordable) silicone to get.

I'm based in Australia and found this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/282430132072

My current projects are all smallish components but full of detail and I'm presuming I'll make a few mistakes getting started.

Any thoughts on this silicone or recommendations for cheap alternatives in Australia?

 

[cavx]

Hope this is in the appropriate area. I'm really excited to get started casting various sculpts and 3d prints I've made for my projects but am not sure of the best (most affordable) silicone to get.

I'm based in Australia and found this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/282430132072

My current projects are all smallish components but full of detail and I'm presuming I'll make a few mistakes getting started.

Any thoughts on this silicone or recommendations for cheap alternatives in Australia?

In Australia, your go to for molding and casting supplies will be Barnes.

They have many types of silicone.

The most common for the newbie is Pinkysil. This is a quick set, 1 to 1, additive silicone with a shore hardness of about a25. Pot life is about 6min and your demold time is about 20min.

I believe it is a tin based silicone and there are a few things it will react to, like basically anything air curing and of course, sulphur based clays. Avoid at all costs.

I have moved on to one of their platinum based range called vario.
Vario is, as the name suggests, variable. There are two types, vario 40 and vario 15 and the shore hardness of each is the number.

If you want to custom the shore, you can mix the two types and create shore hardness in variable steps from 15 to 40 based on your needs.

This is a 10:1 mix ratio, so you need scales.

The product is normally a slow cure at over 6 hours with a 15min pot life , however there is a fast cure catylist called F-type that will make this stuff cure in just 15min reducing the pot life to about 5min.

Like the shore hardness, that fast cure cat can be mixed with the normal cat to create custom cure times. If you mix 50/50, cure time is about 2.5 hours.

Can you tell I like this stuff?



Sent from my CPH1701 using Tapatalk

 

[fandango]

In Australia, your go to for molding and casting supplies will be Barnes.

They have many types of silicone.

The most common for the newbie is Pinkysil. This is a quick set, 1 to 1, additive silicone with a shore hardness of about a25. Pot life is about 6min and your demold time is about 20min.

I believe it is a tin based silicone and there are a few things it will react to, like basically anything air curing and of course, sulphur based clays. Avoid at all costs.

I have moved on to one of their platinum based range called vario.
Vario is, as the name suggests, variable. There are two types, vario 40 and vario 15 and the shore hardness of each is the number.

If you want to custom the shore, you can mix the two types and create shore hardness in variable steps from 15 to 40 based on your needs.

This is a 10:1 mix ratio, so you need scales.

The product is normally a slow cure at over 6 hours with a 15min pot life , however there is a fast cure catylist called F-type that will make this stuff cure in just 15min reducing the pot life to about 5min.

Like the shore hardness, that fast cure cat can be mixed with the normal cat to create custom cure times. If you mix 50/50, cure time is about 2.5 hours.

Can you tell I like this stuff?



Sent from my CPH1701 using Tapatalk

Awesome! Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it.

I went ahead and ordered some of that stuff yesterday but if all goes well, I'll definitely head to Barnes. I love that place but visits get expensive pretty quick!

Hey, your work look great! I just noticed you're in Brisbane too. If you ever have any projects that you need a hand with, I'm happy to help / watch and learn

 

[yaris]

Barnes is the place to go.

I spent forever trying to get silicon cheaper, but I always end up at Barnes....Pinkysil is great..... always pour in small batches, it goes off like a frog in a sock....

Hey...I live in BrisVegas too... actually Logan City....we should start a club and hang out.....:lol

..some examples of my PinkySil adventures....

 

[fandango]

I just got around to using this condensation silicone. It was horrific to use.

The silicone was far too thick and the catalist was almost impossible to mix in.

I attempted to cast something but my object is now entombed within a nasty sticky, semi solid rubber.

Any suggestions for how I can release and clean up my master object without causing it damage?

 

[Gans]

Take it to Barnes ask them and then get some Pinkysil to start off with, its great stuff. Plenty of vids on YouTube about casting

 

[cavx]

Barnes is the place to go.

I spent forever trying to get silicon cheaper, but I always end up at Barnes....Pinkysil is great..... always pour in small batches, it goes off like a frog in a sock....

Hey...I live in BrisVegas too... actually Logan City....we should start a club and hang out.....:lol

..some examples of my PinkySil adventures....

I'm always keen for meet up.
Apart from the degassing chamber, I now have a fully functioning vacuum forming rig .