Homemade Sugru IMPROVED

by laffinm

7.3K25011

Intro: Homemade Sugru IMPROVED

This Instructable will show you how to make your own homemade Sugru from basic materials. Sugru can be used for many things such as repairs or decorating and is very versatile.

STEP 1: Materials

You will need the following:
• silicone caulk
• corn starch
• oil based paints
• water (optional)

STEP 2: Mixing + Coloring

I found that the precise measurements can vary from batch to batch but the general rule of thumb is a 1.5:2 ratio of cornstarch to silicone. When you mix, it should come out slightly dry and crumbly. It all comes together when you add the paints. For the amount of dough that I made, I only needed one or two drops of paint to do the trick. Keep kneading it until it becomes a solid lump.

STEP 3: Using It and Storing

I ended up with a bunch of different colors and I wanted a way to store them for future use. I took a Doritos bag and flipped it inside out and make little airtight packages for them. I also put a small dot of paint on the front to tell what color is inside. To use them, simply open the package and stick the sugru on. Leave it to dry for a couple of hours before you move it again.

11 Comments

vicvelcro 9 years ago

Please correct a misspelling in your instructable. Silicon (your spelling) is a solid semiconductor and a base element on the periodic table. Silicone (your intended spelling) is a high viscosity rubber when uncured and becomes an amorphous rubber when cured and is a molecule containing *silicon* combined with oxygen and other elements. The "e" makes a huge difference.

silicone

any of a number of polymers containing alternate silicon and oxygen atoms, as (–Si–O–Si–O–) n , whose properties are determined by the organic groups attached to the silicon atoms, and that are fluid, resinous, rubbery, extremely stable in high temperatures, and water-repellent: used as adhesives, lubricants, and hydraulic oils and in electrical insulation, cosmetics, etc.

silicon

a. a brittle metalloid element that exists in two allotropic forms; occurs principally in sand, quartz, granite, feldspar, and clay. It is usually a grey crystalline solid but is also found as a brown amorphous powder. It is used in transistors, rectifiers, solar cells, and alloys.

Drisanna 7 years ago

I knew that. Sorta. However, I never could have articulated it as well, as my chem major days are LONG behind me. I'm just glad I never saw the instructable in its original form, so I don't have to admit that my eye would have simply skipped over error and plugged the right word into my brain. :)

crkrjak2001 9 years ago

Does your formula work just as good as Sugru? I've been wanting to buy some, but cannot justify spending $$ to do so.

DonKinAK 9 years ago

Let's see... 1.5 units (by volume) of cornstarch mixed with 2 units of silicone. Add some kind of paint for color. OR maybe 3 units of silicone mixed with 1 unit of cornstarch. Experiment with variable ratios. Read the Wikipedia article on Sugru, learning they mix Silicone, talc and other ingredients... don't inhale or light cigarettes while experimenting, right?

Battlespeed 9 years ago

"...1.5 to 2 cornstarch to silicone" - measured by weight? by volume?

vicvelcro 9 years ago

By volume.

You can vary the ratio of cornstarch to silicone, if you want to adjust the working time and cure time. Less cornstarch gives a longer working and cure time. Also, note that the moisture content absorbed by the cornstarch is the relevant factor that relates to working and cure time.

I measure mine at 1 cornstarch to 3 silicone. I do not mix them right away. I spread the cornstarch on wax paper or plastic sheet and let it absorb moisture from the ambient humidity in the air for 15 to 20 minutes. Then I combine the cornstarch and silicone. That makes the mix smoother to work with yet still cure quickly.

laffinm 9 years ago

By volume but it doesn't have to be perfectly exact.

laffinm 9 years ago

Wow thank you for your correction. This makes me feel very dumb!

vicvelcro 9 years ago

I didn't mean it in that way. If my choice of wording seemed harsh, consider that 80% of meaning and context are lost without visual cues and tone of voice. I do have trouble phrasing things when text is my only tool. So, my apology for that.

Since I work with building materials (silicone) and solid state semiconductors (silicon), it always throws me when somebody spells the wrong one the wrong way (and most people don't know there is a distinction), mentally throwing me out of one groove and into another.

Whenever I see it happen, I try to constructively point it out. It's the same difference as walking into a bar versus walking into a bear or walking in the bare. One letter makes it all mean a completely different thing.