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Step 4Apply silicone to ink tubes
This step surrounds the ink tubes with silicone caulk to form a hollow silicone tube. When the caulk cures, you will remove it from the ink tube to leave a hollow silicone tube.
While holding the container, insert an ink tube into the nozzle of the silicone caulk tube. Squeeze the caulk dispenser to apply caulk in an even shape along the ink tube. Taper the caulk along each ink tube, so you'll have a variety of diameters to pick from when trimming the silicone tube. It's important to do this in a single step, to keep the outer surface of the caulk smooth. Also, try to keep the ink tube in the center of the caulk so that the channel is concentric with the outer edges.
Silicone caulk takes about 24 hours to cure properly. As it cures from the outer surface to the inside, you might be tempted to remove it from the ink tubes prematurely. Wait at least a full 24 hours before moving on to the next step, since uncured silicone contacting the ink tubes needs to cure completely to form the inner channel wall.
I tried other templates to make the inner channel like metal coat hangers, but they adhered too well to the cured silicone adhesive and wouldn't detach to form a channel. Other plastic threads might work like an insulated wire, coffee stirrer, grass trimmer cord.
While holding the container, insert an ink tube into the nozzle of the silicone caulk tube. Squeeze the caulk dispenser to apply caulk in an even shape along the ink tube. Taper the caulk along each ink tube, so you'll have a variety of diameters to pick from when trimming the silicone tube. It's important to do this in a single step, to keep the outer surface of the caulk smooth. Also, try to keep the ink tube in the center of the caulk so that the channel is concentric with the outer edges.
Silicone caulk takes about 24 hours to cure properly. As it cures from the outer surface to the inside, you might be tempted to remove it from the ink tubes prematurely. Wait at least a full 24 hours before moving on to the next step, since uncured silicone contacting the ink tubes needs to cure completely to form the inner channel wall.
I tried other templates to make the inner channel like metal coat hangers, but they adhered too well to the cured silicone adhesive and wouldn't detach to form a channel. Other plastic threads might work like an insulated wire, coffee stirrer, grass trimmer cord.
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