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 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:

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 an Antique Zenith 5S29 Tube Radio: A Preservation of History

Restoring an Antique Zenith 5S29 Tube Radio: A Preservation of History

We recently stumbled upon a gold mine of beautifully made videos showcasing antique radios and their paths to complete restoration. One such treasure trove of vintage radio restoration videos is the YouTube Channel "Restore Old Radios" operated by tube junkie Don demonstrates his creativity by using Versimold to repair a drive belt used in the tuning condenser of a Zenith 5S29 tube radio. 


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Photo credit: ElectronicProducts.com)

The Zenith 5-S-29 was introduced in 1935 at a retail price of $39.95 - a whopping $694 in 2016 dollars! Obviously this was a luxury item for households that wanted the latest and greatest in an emerging technology so manufacturers ensured that their products were packed with reliable components and the cabinets were an expression of modern Art Deco styling. 


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Photo credit: TubeRadioLand.com)

Surprisingly, vacuum tube technology in radios had a very long lifespan, enjoying popularity for over 50 years since their adoption in the marketplace. Today, we've surpassed conventional radio technology in our homes and cars, favoring satellite radio that can stream almost crystal clear signals with little interruption. Still though, there are those in the world that continue to admire the beauty of admittedly obsolete technology that helped shape our modern world by transmitting the stories that affected us so intimately and made our planet just a little bit smaller. Antique radio restoration for these folks isn't just about a personal hobby, but like archeologists and historians, they are preserving history, ensuring that our past isn't drowned out by the inevitable tsunami of semiconductors and smartphones. 

Check out Don's playlist documenting his journey in restoring a vintage Zenith 5S29 tube radio:

Artist Sculpts Versimold Over Wire and You Won't Believe the Results!

Artist Sculpts Versimold Over Wire and You Won't Believe the Results!

Every so often, we receive an email or call from a customer that is excited to tell us the new ways they found to use Versimold. This time though, we were blown away by the results of one very clever artist by the name of Kelsey Wilkins who creates almost life-like pieces of art and displays them on her DeviantArt profile, StorybookCreatures.

Kelsey's ability to turn a blank template like Versimold into a sculpture that almost appears to be living and breathing is not only impressive, it's inspiring. But don't take my word for it, Kelsey's art speaks for itself. Check out some of the project photos below and be sure to visit Kelsey's DeviantArt post below for more details.

To see the full detailed write-up, click here to check out Kelsey's post on DeviantArt.

Do you have an interesting project you're working on with Versimold? Let us know - we'd love to feature it on our blog!