subject: An Inexpensive Way To Make Rubber Parts [print this page] Because of their elasticity and durability, rubber is oftentimes used in manufacturing some common items such as washers, grips, gaskets, seals, and pads. Oftentimes the process of manufacturing these items requires quite a lot of effort and time. Unfortunately, as flexible as they are, rubber can also reach a certain point when it would get worn down. If this happens to a commercial item, the solution is easy; however, if this happens to a household item, creating rubber mouldings might seem to be an impractical solution.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways by which you can replace rubber parts as well as create rubber items without having to spend much or wait for a long time. All you need to have is the material that you would be using for the mould as well as the casting material. You can make use of such items as room-temperature vulcanizing rubber as well as silicone rubber in order to make your rubber mould. The latter is more recommended as they are readily available at your local hardware.
Your first step would be to have an actual mould. For this, you can make use of oil-based modelling clay, the one that kids play with. All you have to do is press the part that you would like to do onto the clay and then remove it carefully so as not to disturb the imprint. If you are having a hard time doing this because the clay is sticking onto the item, just put it in a freezer for a few minutes.
Once you have an impression, spray a thin layer of gloss paint onto the clay. Once it dries, apply a thin layer of silicone spray before squeezing out the silicone rubber into the mould. Make sure you avoid creating spaces or bubbles. Leave this for a few hours to cure and, voila! You already have your own rubber part just by using cheap tooling and materials.
You can also do the same for plastic mouldings. All you need to have is a soldering iron and an oven paper. You can also make use of the heating element of your oven toaster to shape and bend acrylic or plexi-glass.
Cheap tooling for rubber and plastic moulding can be found at your local hardware. Some might even be available in your own kitchen or backyard. You just need to make sure that you know the steps on how to make the rubber parts so as to avoid having to do the process over and over again.
