Fun With Versimold

Lewis Tully's Amazingly Detailed Homemade Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Lewis Tully's Amazingly Detailed Homemade Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Sci-fi is captivating to many because the ideas and technology presented offer a glimmer into a possible future that we may one day enjoy. Some sci-fi is more realistic than others, but some sci-fi is hilarious and absurd, made solely for the purpose of humor than to push the boundaries of our imagination. 

Ghostbusters is one of those sci-fi films that blends humor with the paranormal and exotic technology, but takes place in a modern day setting. The original Ghostbusters was released in 1984 and is considered a part of 1980s pop culture. Ghostbusters fever is again at fervor levels now that the new movie has been released and some fans are showing their love of the franchise by recreating the most prominent piece of Ghostbusters tech: the Proton Pack.

Lewis Tully, a regular on the Ghostbusters Fans forum (gbfans.com), took on the arduous task of creating a very accurate Proton Pack using hiking backpack, common parts from the local hardware store, custom parts using 3D printers, and a heck of a lot of ingenuity. Lewis also used Versimold to make the hand grips of the gun portion of the pack. Overall, the quality and accuracy of the Proton Pack is impressive and it should make many Ghostbusters' fans blush with envy.

Check out the complete build with a LOT of details by clicking here.

Versimold Used For Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) Enthusiasts

Versimold Used For Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) Enthusiasts

Over the weekend, we received a very interesting email from a gentleman who is an avid HEMA (historical European martial arts) enthusiast. HEMA is the preservation of historical European armed and unarmed combat methods which people practice with a variety of weapons, such as the iconic longsword used in shows and movies like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. Because many spar with blunted steel weapons, people will inevitably get hurt even with the best protection. This is where one fan of HEMA got the idea to create additional protection for his gauntlets.

David created a video that details both his plan and process for thumb protectors that go under the gloves using Versimold.

Check out David's video below to see his clever use of Versimold for his HEMA gloves:

Versimold Shelf Life: How Long Will it Last?

Versimold Shelf Life: How Long Will it Last?

We are often asked about the long term stability of Versimold or just how long it can last on a shelf. Firstly, we need to understand what Versimold is (and why that matters).

Think of Versimold as an unfinished product (metaphorically and realistically) because that's exactly what it is. The rubber silicone compound in Versimold is slightly different than the insulation we use for our wire products (Rowe Industries), but chemically they are very similar. On our wire, the silicone rubber is cured fully through a heating process using long room sized ovens. Versimold is packaged without ever being exposed to the heat it would need to cure. With that said, Versimold is susceptible to premature curing if it's not stored properly or if it's exposed to high heat for long periods of time. 

So how should you store it? Pretty simple actually - store Versimold in a cool and dark place that you know won't be exposed to a lot of heat. Some people have had success prolonging the shelf life of Versimold by sticking their pucks in the refrigerator, but we believe this makes the material more difficult to work with.

How long will Versimold last "on the shelf"? If stored properly (see above), Versimold can last well over a year without hardening or partially curing. If Versimold is left unused for periods longer than two years, it will start to mechanically cure and harden. 

Versimold Instructions - How Does Versimold Work?

Versimold Instructions - How Does Versimold Work?

We often get asked how Versimold works or how to use it in a specific application. Simply put, Versimold is a moldable silicone rubber compound that is resembles a cross between a putty and a clay. This means that it's a very easy material to shape, work, carve out, or roll up, but unlike Silly Putty, it doesn't revert back to a natural shape. If you write your name into Versimold using a sculpting dental pick, that shape will remain indefinitely.

We've made a quick video to show you how to use Verismold and how it works by creating a simple handle on a metal kitchen whisk. We'd be glad to get your feedback in the comments or if you have an idea for a video you'd like us to me.

We Cure Versimold with Boiling Water

We Cure Versimold with Boiling Water

We recently had a customer tell us that he was able to cure Versimold simply by using boiling water. Since we've always recommended that people use a direct form of heat (such as a heat gun or oven), it didn't take us long to realize that using boiling water would be a perfectly acceptable way of curing Versimold.

Watch our attempt at curing Versimold with boiling water below:

Messiah College Students Develop Ingenious & Inexpensive 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand

Messiah College Students Develop Ingenious & Inexpensive 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand

The clever students (Timothy Gover, Jessica Raboci, and Jason Yoder) at Messiah College's School of Science, Engineering, and Health have developed a prototype of an inexpensive prosthetic hand for children with birth defects or deformities. The ingenious aspect is the simplicity of the design and how economically the prosthetics can be developed.

Using a MarkerBot Z18 Replicator 3D printer with PLA plastic, the students put together the prosthetic hand using a design available from Thingverse, a marketplace for 3D printer designs, Versimold as the flat hinges, and added a curved thumb. The entire hand operates via mechanical wrist actions and allows for enough mobility to improve the overall quality of life for its user.

Check out the complete breakdown on this project PDF poster.

Just How Strong is Versimold? Let's Find Out!

Just How Strong is Versimold? Let's Find Out!

Selling an interesting product such as Versimold, we often receive questions about the product like "how long does it take to cure" or "does Versimold float?" (it does!). Recently someone asked us a very simple question which we couldn't answer directly: how strong is Versimold? Sure - we could easily direct them to the chemical performance specifications of Versimold (located here), but sometimes we have more fun figuring it out ourselves. And that's exactly what we did in the following video. Now for a disclaimer - this video is not scientific in the slightest and should not be used as a guide, but more as an educational and entertaining video.

'63 Airstream Overlander: Restoring Our Souls Through an Icon

'63 Airstream Overlander: Restoring Our Souls Through an Icon

There are many products and elements from American history that have maintained themselves as quintessential Americana - icons that are inseparable from American culture and will forever define a decade or an era. Be it the Hoover Dam, the 57 Chevy, or even the Boeing 707, each of these icons have preserved a specific period of American history: the Great Depression, the automotive golden age, or the jet age. The Airstream trailer with its instantly recognizable rounded aluminum shape is no exception. 

1954 Airstream Flying Cloud trailer
(Photo credit: Homedsgn.com)

After WW2, America's economy was thriving. More money in people's pockets meant leisure and luxury were accessible by a larger amount of people. The automotive industry thrived and as America's network of highways expanded, so too did American's desire to travel further and further. At some point, people decided that they didn't want their travel plans to be dictated by the closest motel or lodging, but wanted to control how and where they slept. Airstream took advantage of this desire and began ramping up production. Almost overnight, Airstream became a cultural icon. No longer was the Airstream just for families looking to get away, but it served as a fashion statement for Hollywood's elite and most famous actors.

Elvis Presley's Airstream trailer
(Photo credit: Frank DiBona's Flikr)

Fast forward to today, Airstreams are still being produced with its familiar and famous shape, but there are those that believe such an icon should be an original and restored accordingly. This is precisely what blogger Reinergirl is setting out to do.

gutted 1963 Airstream Overlander trailer
(Photo credit: Reinergirl's Blog)

With a basic foundation, a 1963 Airstream Overlander, Reinergirl is restoring the iconic trailer to modern standards. Aptly named Moonraker, this Airstream has been completely gutted to fix the underlying issues like leaking joints and rivets, rotting flooring, and a rusty frame. All new wiring and piping were installed to accommodate the new heating/cooking, washing, and electronic requirements. Solar panels were installed to assist in generating ancillary power and to charge the batteries. Completely new insulation was put around the fiberglass shell to improve efficiency. The list goes on and on and on.

So how does Versimold fit into this project? Reinergirl realized that there was a pretty severe gap on the license plate light housing which has been converted to LEDs. As with most electronics, and especially LEDs, moisture can be disastrous. To combat this, Reinergirl used gray Versimold (to match the body) to create a custom rubber gasket for the housing which ensured a perfect seal and thus eliminated the possibility for moisture to collect and ruin expensive LED lights. You can view this project write-up here.

custom rubber gasket for license plate housing on an airstream trailer
(Photo credit: Reinergirl's blog)

Reinergirl's restoration story follows a similar tune of America's own history. One of very high highs and some very low lows (leaks!). It's not ironic then that they decided to restore one of America's greatest icons to fit our modern and more demanding lifestyle. Kudos for your bravery and thanks for letting us into your project!

Be sure to check out Reinergirl's blog for the full project write-up.

 

How I Made a Custom O-Ring Gasket with Versimold & a Jar of Pasta Sauce

How I Made a Custom O-Ring Gasket with Versimold & a Jar of Pasta Sauce

Sometimes the benefits of having a product that you can do just about anything with is that you end up making things just because you can. That's exactly what I did over the weekend when I had an abundance of free time and didn't feel like adulting (cutting the grass, cleaning the bathroom, that sort of stuff).

As you can see below, my main mission was to replicate or create a replacement o-ring gasket for my water bottle that I've been using every day for over two years. There's nothing technically wrong with the existing gasket, but I had to make sure I had the ability to replace any parts on this trusty beverage vessel of mine so I took it upon myself to make a new gasket from yellow Versimold.

This entire project took me about 10 minutes (not including staging and beauty shots for the audience) which goes to show you that if you're in a pickle and need a rubber part that is either too expensive, or hard to find, Versimold may be a lifesaver (or at least a time saver). The only "tools" I used were a new jar of Barilla pasta sauce (tomato & basil for those detailed folks), a standard plastic measuring cup (up to 1 cup in size), a cheap pocket knife, a pair of scissors, and of course, a heat gun.

Restoring Your Classic Car with Versimold: 1955 Buick Century Trunk Lid Stops

Restoring Your Classic Car with Versimold: 1955 Buick Century Trunk Lid Stops

When you're restoring your classic car, you're going to inevitably need to replace or repair rubber parts throughout the project. Whether that be o-rings, gaskets, grommets, seals, or in this case, a trunk lid stop for a 1955 Buick Century.

1955 Buick Century Riviera Coupe(photo credit: Pinterest user Dave Neifer - not Mudbone's Buick)

Mudbone's '55 Buick Century is being completely restored to its former glory as an opulent coupe that competed against Cadillac as American's favored luxury brand. But with any restoration project, finding the required parts can either be difficult to source or expensive to purchase. However, those with a little bit of ingenuity can make a perfectly usable rubber part that works like the original version by creating it from Versimold.

Check out the video below to see how Mudbone created his trunk lid stop with Versimold:

To follow Mudbone's 1955 Buick Century restoration project, check out his complete playlist here.