Any silicone experts out there?

[lenarenee]

I'm wondering if this is a wise and safe thing to make for our cat; I have a silicone mold of mice shapes and would like to take some pet safe/food safe silicone to make cat toys. We have some kind of squishy mice now, that might be silicone, which he absolutely loves (at dawn he "hunts" them down and leaves them outside our bedroom doors every. single. day.) They're starting to degrade and won't be safe for him to use much longer.

 

[glendam]

I am not expert, but have made a few silicone molds. The one thing I can advice is to keep in mind that silicone sticks to silicone. So it may be that if you pour silicone in a silicone mold, it may get stuck to it. You would need a release agent if you decide to do that. The pourable silicone I have used is squishy, but I have not tried the food safe kind. However, since he is not eating his "prey" but just bringing it to you as prizes, I would think it would be ok to make him more mice, thought it might be cheaper to buy them.

 

[lenarenee]

I am not expert, but have made a few silicone molds. The one thing I can advice is to keep in mind that silicone sticks to silicone. So it may be that if you pour silicone in a silicone mold, it may get stuck to it. You would need a release agent if you decide to do that. The pourable silicone I have used is squishy, but I have not tried the food safe kind. However, since he is not eating his "prey" but just bringing it to you as prizes, I would think it would be ok to make him more mice, thought it might be cheaper to buy them.

I wish we could buy more, but we can't find them anywhere. They weren't sold as cat toys, but Halloween props.

I had no idea silicone would stick to silicone - I'll look into a releasing agent - thank you!

 

[dibbles]

he "hunts" them down and leaves them outside our bedroom doors every. single. day

I have no advice, but this is adorable.

 

[MellonFriend]

Would something like this work for your kitty? Amazon.com: Mouse Lifelike Rubber Gag Gift

It's awesome that he has this sort of enrichment in his life.

 

[cerelife]

This post made me think of this craziness that I just saw yesterday!

 

[lenarenee]

Would something like this work for your kitty? Amazon.com: Mouse Lifelike Rubber Gag Gift

It's awesome that he has this sort of enrichment in his life.

Lol - like we have a choice? He's the smartest cat I've ever known. Give him a few more years and he'll be speaking English!
It's a shame he doesn't like other cats because he needs constant company and LOTS to occupy him. His hunting instinct is very strong because he was a feral until 6 months.

The mouse you found is a little large but absolutely worth a try!

 

[lenarenee]

I have no advice, but this is adorable.

If you think that's adorable...you should hear the "clink... clink... clink....swish swish swish" as he drags his feather wand toy up the stairs at 5 a.m. and the subsequent yowl when he drops it at the chosen recipients door! Then goes looking for more. He's a hoot!

His favorite person is his teenager. He looks so depressed when she leaves for school and sits by the door meowing....we hear it in the garage. He knows what time she gets home too because he sits in the upstairs window above the garage watching, and as soon as we park and close the garage door we hear his feet running on the floor above us and he's at the door before we are.

 

[Babyshoes]

If you think that's adorable...you should hear the "clink... clink... clink....swish swish swish" as he drags his feather wand toy up the stairs at 5 a.m. and the subsequent yowl when he drops it at the chosen recipients door! Then goes looking for more. He's a hoot!

His favorite person is his teenager. He looks so depressed when she leaves for school and sits by the door meowing....we hear it in the garage. He knows what time she gets home too because he sits in the upstairs window above the garage watching, and as soon as we park and close the garage door we hear his feet running on the floor above us and he's at the door before we are.

Sounds like there is an oriental breed in the mix somewhere, with the intelligence, the devotion to one person and the yowling...

Have you seen Billi speaks on You Tube? Sounds like your boy would also be able to learn some words...

I can't help much with the silicone, but I've watched a lot of folks work with it on YouTube, so that should give you some ideas of what's possible and how to go about it. I'm thinking you might be able to find someone to 3d print you a multi part mould? Or perhaps a vaccuum formed plastic mould might be more suitable, if you can find an engineer nearby with the appropriate equipment. It would be somewhat flexible and shiny, so with an appropriate release spray should be easier to get the silicone form out.

I also seem to recall seeing mouldable silicone, kind of like a putty that's intended to push your positive form into to make a mould. I'm not sure if it comes in food grade or if it's suitable for hand shaping a rough mouse shape with. Worth a try perhaps?

Edit: PS how about some photos, of both the mousie and your boy? Cat photos are never unwelcome, in my world!

 

[Vicki C]

I also have no advice except that I recently attempted to make three hockey puck molds by putting a hockey puck in a plastic bottle, on a tiny plastic stand, and pouring silicone over it. When I sliced into it the silicone around the pucks was a little gummy but I took the pucks out expecting the molds to harden up. But… they never did! It has been a month. I don’t know if I undermixed or if there is something in the pucks that inhibits the silicone curing.
Your cat sounds adorable, like my Maine **** (gone now). He was so smart and always wanted company. Here he is not allowing me to watch tv.

 

[glendam]

I also have no advice except that I recently attempted to make three hockey puck molds by putting a hockey puck in a plastic bottle, on a tiny plastic stand, and pouring silicone over it. When I sliced into it the silicone around the pucks was a little gummy but I took the pucks out expecting the molds to harden up. But… they never did! It has been a month. I don’t know if I undermixed or if there is something in the pucks that inhibits the silicone curing.
Your cat sounds adorable, like my Maine **** (gone now). He was so smart and always wanted company. Here he is not allowing me to watch tv.
View attachment 61510

Hi Vicki, I am curious if your silicone was fresh or old. From what I have learned, the silicone mix has a short shelf life and should be used fairly soon (within 6 months or so from purchase) or it might not cure. However, I have had a mix that has worked within a year, but both parts are viscous (Instead of one of them being a liquid).
However, if the silicone was only moist around the hockey pucks and not on the outside, I would venture to think it reacted to the rubber of the pucks. The silicone I use will not cure if in contact with anything that has sulfur, it says so in the box (some others will not work with soap), a quick google search says that hockey pucks are made with rubber that has been "vulcanized"; whether the term is used only because of its etymology rather than the actual process, I do not know, however it makes me think it might be similar and there might be something equivalent to sulfur in the pucks.

 

[Vicki C]

Hi Vicki, I am curious if your silicone was fresh or old. From what I have learned, the silicone mix has a short shelf life and should be used fairly soon (within 6 months or so from purchase) or it might not cure. However, I have had a mix that has worked within a year, but both parts are viscous (Instead of one of them being a liquid).
However, if the silicone was only moist around the hockey pucks and not on the outside, I would venture to think it reacted to the rubber of the pucks. The silicone I use will not cure if in contact with anything that has sulfur, it says so in the box (some others will not work with soap), a quick google search says that hockey pucks are made with rubber that has been "vulcanized"; whether the term is used only because of its etymology rather than the actual process, I do not know, however it makes me think it might be similar and there might be something equivalent to sulfur in the pucks.

Thank you! I have no idea about the age but that’s great info - the bottles are gone now, it was two eight ounce bottles, both viscous, that I bought on Amazon. The rest of the silicone hardened up so I bet it was the vulcanization of the rubber. The product I bought didn’t mention the sulfur but I should have done more research. I‘m sure that’s the culprit. I wonder if I coated or painted the puck if it would inhibit the reaction? I’ve seen hockey puck soaps so I know someone has cracked the code. (PS I have played hockey since I was a teenager, played in high school and college, and have friends who play, so I’d love to figure this out )

 

[glendam]

@Vicki C the instructions on the silicone I have (which initially I bought from Amazon, it was two 16 Oz bottles) say: This product will not cure against surfaces containing sulfur, even when sealed.
You may want to look at getting a puck made of a different material (perhaps a diy one with a purchased individual mold) or a silicone that could handle it (I hope there is one). I can see how nice it would be to have it with your background with the sport!

 

[Vicki C]

@Vicki C the instructions on the silicone I have (which initially I bought from Amazon, it was two 16 Oz bottles) say: This product will not cure against surfaces containing sulfur, even when sealed.
You may want to look at getting a puck made of a different material (perhaps a diy one with a purchased individual mold) or a silicone that could handle it (I hope there is one). I can see how nice it would be to have it with your background with the sport!

Hmm. I wonder how the Etsy sellers made their molds? So even if I tried to soap the puck somehow it still wouldn’t work. Thanks for educating me about that. My bottles probably had the same info and I didn’t read it or assumed it wasn’t applicable. And I think my bottles were 16 ounces so I probably bought the same thing. Oh well live and learn.

 

[glendam]

Hmm. I wonder how the Etsy sellers made their molds? So even if I tried to soap the puck somehow it still wouldn’t work. Thanks for educating me about that. My bottles probably had the same info and I didn’t read it or assumed it wasn’t applicable. And I think my bottles were 16 ounces so I probably bought the same thing. Oh well live and learn.

Do you recall what color the ones on Etsy are? I have bought my share of different silicone types and that could give us a clue. I have tried two from smooth-on brand, a blue one and a minty green. Some kits from Hobby lobby were either yellow, light pink or dark purple. I only saw plastic options on etsy just now

 

[Vicki C]

Do you recall what color the ones on Etsy are? I have bought my share of different silicone types and that could give us a clue. I have tried two from smooth-on brand, a blue one and a minty green. Some kits from Hobby lobby were either yellow, light pink or dark purple. I only saw plastic options on etsy just now

Oh I meant the soaps on Etsy - it looks like they used a puck to make a mold. Looks like this.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/196155...rch_query=hockey+puck+soap&ref=sr_gallery-1-3

 

[dibbles]

@Vicki C there are training pucks made of plastic - would that work? This one was gets mixed reviews, but you might be able to find one locally.

 

[Vicki C]

@Vicki C there are training pucks made of plastic - would that work? This one was gets mixed reviews, but you might be able to find one locally.

Thank you! As a Minnesotan you probably know a lot of hockey players . I was looking at these but I think they are also made of vulcanized rubber, unfortunately. They make foam novelty pucks, I could give them a try, but my OCD self wants the exact markings that are on a real puck.

 

[dibbles]

Thank you! As a Minnesotan you probably know a lot of hockey players . I was looking at these but I think they are also made of vulcanized rubber, unfortunately. They make foam novelty pucks, I could give them a try, but my OCD self wants the exact markings that are on a real puck.

Neither of my kids were hockey players, but I do know some (former) hockey moms. My dad was a hockey player, all the way through college though.

Sorry the practice puck won't work out. One of the questions answered said it was made of plastic, but I couldn't find anything from the sellers description about the material. What about making a negative of the puck with clay? You would then need to make a positive with plaster, then pour the silicone over the plaster puck. This was a SCC challenge - bas relief - so you might find some information out there from that.

 

[glendam]

@Vicki C I was reading the FAQ from the manufacturer, and found this, they suggest a specific sealer and two coats, however, with the fine markings on the outside of the puck, I would be concerned about losing that detail with the sealers. Another manufacturer has this guide, and they do recommend a product for rubber made models, it might be worth a try. I have bought this brand before (from Hobby Lobby) and it did not cure because it was old (I waited too long to use it), I saw similar reviews from the amazon stock (being old), so if you do try it, it might be best to get it from the manufacturer directly and use it within 6 months.