Oogoo Mixer on the Cheap (avoid Messy Hands :))

Intro: Oogoo Mixer on the Cheap (avoid Messy Hands :))

         Oogoo is a very useful tool to have in every DIY'ers inventory. It is a versatile substance, providing great adhesive,
and structural (flexibility) properties, it can be used as a supportive material for fixing items, or as a stand alone material
for constructing molds and various parts. Oogoo is a substitute for Sugru - a product which is a lot prettier and produces less mess, yet has a very heavy price tag. You can check out the following article for the uses of Sugru by Mr. Whitson Gordon from lifehacker - http://lifehacker.com/top-10-diy-miracles-you-can-accomplish-with-sugru-756259927. You can also check out the Sugru web page in case you decide to buy the real thing - http://sugru.com/. And to get the full scoop on the Oogoo check out the article by Mikey77 here on instructables. For this instructable, all we need to know is that Oogoo is a mix of 2 parts silicone caulk and 1 part corn starch, and is three parts of awesome.
         The aim of this instructable is to provide instructions on how to produce cheap Oogoo mixer to avoid the mess. The problem with mixing Oogoo is that mixing it in a cup makes it hard to scoop out, since it sticks to everything, also taking matters into your own hands will make things even worse (see the picture above). A solution to this is to use some kind of mixing aparatus, a really interesting one is proposed by doctek here on instructables, it is a 3D printed Auger press that evenly mixes the Oogoo, yet the clean up procedure looks messy, also my 3D printer is still in the works, so whats a guy to do eh? Go cheap, quick and dirty of course :) In the next steps i will explain how to mix your own Oogoo on the cheap, with simple, readily available or easily obtainable materials, while avoiding the mess all together.

STEP 1: Tools and Supplies

For the mixer you will need:

1. A sirynge (desired mixing volume) X2;
2. Electric tape;
3. A pocket knife.

For the Oogoo mix you will need:

1. 100% silicone caulk (supposed to smell like vinegar, others don't work);
2. Silicone gun (my favorite XD);
3. Corn starch (i'll try experimenting with potato and other starches in the near future);
4. A teaspoon;
5. A funnel.

STEP 2: Cut Off the Tops of the Sirynges

Use the knife to remove the tops of the sirynges. Don't worry about cutting clean, just get rid of them thats all, symmetry is not required either.

STEP 3: Pull Out the Plunger From One of the Sirynges

Pull the plunger (the moving part of the sirynge) out.

STEP 4: Join the Sirynges Together

Using the electric tape join the open ends of the two sirynges - the body of one sirynge without the plunger and the other with the plunger down. Make sure you wrap it around tightly upto about the half of the volume of each sirynge.

STEP 5: Fill Half of the Volume With Silicone Caulk

Fill half of the empty sirynge body with silicone caulk, try to avoid air bubbles.

STEP 6: Fill One Fourth of the Volume With Cornstarch

Using a funnel fill the quarter of the sirynge volume with corn starch.

STEP 7: Top It of With Silicone

Fill the remaining volume with silicone.

STEP 8: Reassemble the Plunger

Stick the plunger back in

STEP 9: Mix

Repeatedly push the plungers by alternating sides, as shown in the video,as the mass moves from one cylinder to the other it mixes up, this process can be improved by drilling holes at the tops of sirynges instead of removing them, yet this provides difficulty when assembling and cleaning.

Oogoo mixer in action from Gytautas Balevicius

STEP 10: Disassemble

Unwrap the electric tape to disassemble the "mixer".

STEP 11: Extract the Oogoo

Squeeze out the Oogoo from the sirynges by pressing on the plungers,
The sirynges don't require cleaning and can be reused again. Also the tape can be replaced by
a flexible joint made from Oogoo, but that's up to you, i find it easier to use the tape.
And you're done, hope you enjoyed this tutorial, have fun with the Oogoo ;) see you next time.

Comments

[lapenta]

very nice idea. next ogoo I'll make I'll mix this way for sure. thanks for sharing and for the references.

[Tardisrepairman]

Hi!

I think in Step 2 , leaving a lip from the remove nozzles is important to achieve good mixing.

If the join is completely clean the starch and silicone will just push back and forth but if there is a lip, there will be turbulence in the moving semi-solid and good mixing will occur.

I'm waiting on my Syringes now and will report progress. :-)

Thanks for the great instructable :-)

[SerialExperimentsG]

Hello,

Interesting idea, however - i have replicated the results with a completely clean cut at the top, i could try to explain why, however - i don't possess the proper background in fluid or semi-fluid mechanics. It is apparent that the presence of a turbulence should improve the quality of the mix, or atleast speed up the process. With that in mind it would make more sence to leave the end of one of the sirynges intact, and drill holes in it instead. I'll leave the upgrades to you ;)

Thanks for the input, it is appreciated.

[cccincocc]

Couldn't you just put it in a ziplock and smoosh it up? Or, I guess, you could use an actual pastry bag...not sure.

[SerialExperimentsG]

An interesting idea, a much simpler at that i suppose. A ziplock bag could be used as an impromptu pastry bag, it would definately be a cheaper alternative than an actual pastry bag, as the reusability of the bag is questionable. Don't see a reason why that wouldn't work. I guess that which method you use, depends solely on how often you need to mix up a new batch - if you work with oogoo constantly you might want to try my method, if it's occassionally then your solution might be the better option.

Thank you for your input.

[padbravo]

Tks for the trick...

I´ll give it a try