This is an outdoor curtain which separates a bathroom area from a patio area. It is made of fiberglass mat material impregnated with clear silicone rubber. The blue plastic tarps I used previously looked cheap, deteriorated from sunlight and had to be replaced every couple of years. The silicone is supposedly guaranteed for 50 years outdoors, so hopefully this curtain will be more economical in the long run. I used about $35 worth of silicone to make the curtain. A friend gave me the mat material.
The thin, rubbery material also has promise for other uses, such as tarps, or camping equipment. It is tear resistant, and can be patched with more silicone.
Although translucent, I find the curtain visually opaque enough for privacy. Over the years, algae will grow over it, as it does on the walls, which will further increase opacity and make the curtain blend in more with nature. If one wanted to get fancy with designs, one could "paint" on it with colored silicone rubber, but I like it just the way it is.
The thin, rubbery material also has promise for other uses, such as tarps, or camping equipment. It is tear resistant, and can be patched with more silicone.
Although translucent, I find the curtain visually opaque enough for privacy. Over the years, algae will grow over it, as it does on the walls, which will further increase opacity and make the curtain blend in more with nature. If one wanted to get fancy with designs, one could "paint" on it with colored silicone rubber, but I like it just the way it is.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Making the Material
The basic idea is that silicone can be forced through the space between the glass fibers to saturate the mat material with silicone. Due to wrinkles in the sheet plastic below and the inability of the relatively inflexible mat material to follow all the wrinkles, some defects are created on the bottom side of the material. To remedy that problem, after the silicone hardens up, it is pealed off the plastic, turned over, and covered with a little more silicone to doctor up the surface.
If I had a factory to make this material, I would probably try to find a rigid and smooth floor surface to work on that the silicone wouldn't stick to. That would avoid the wrinkles and bottom side defects and make saturation a one-step procedure.
It is easy to apply the silicone rubber. Just squeeze some out on the mat material and spread it around with the palette knife. Press down firmly. The final thickness of the saturated material is basically the same as that of the raw material.
If I had a factory to make this material, I would probably try to find a rigid and smooth floor surface to work on that the silicone wouldn't stick to. That would avoid the wrinkles and bottom side defects and make saturation a one-step procedure.
It is easy to apply the silicone rubber. Just squeeze some out on the mat material and spread it around with the palette knife. Press down firmly. The final thickness of the saturated material is basically the same as that of the raw material.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
You can mix powdered pigments with clear silicone to get colored silicone for painting the sail with.
The material is flammable, however, and is heavier than the poly tarps. Experiment with the material on a small scale first.
L
L