Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios is an incredibly creative guy. One of the things I like about him the most is that he's able to see the prop possibilities behind the simplest of materials. In this video he demonstrates how simple school glue and borax produces a polymerized goo that can be used to create everything from slime and ectoplasm to zombie makeup and icicles. It's so cheap to make that you can whip up a gallon for less than the price of lunch at a fast food joint.
I made some small batches of this stuff years ago as a kitchen science project with the kids, but it never clicked just how useful it could be.
Wow, that's really great! Brings a bunch of ideas to mind.
ReplyDeleteScience. Its fun!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm... I remember trying something similar to this over 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI used PVA wood glue though, mixed with Borax and Glycerine, and it was boiled together.
The objective was silly putty. Which it was for the first 10 minutes, then it just became a rubber ball. And then a fragmentation device. :(
@ Jason McKittrick
ReplyDeleteOne of the great things about Hopps is that he can spot the possibilities something like this presents.
After the holidays I'm going to try some experiments using it was a preservative fluid for bottled specimens. Based on it's viscosity alone it would be ideal for that, but some quick Googling showed a few drawbacks. Borax can be caustic and the gel can apparently support mold.
@ Phil
And gooey, slimy science is the best kind. Heh.
@ Oneiros
It's all a matter of viewpoint. You might think you created a failed silly putty recipe, but you actually developed a cheap, fast-setting casting material. B-)
Will the glue/water/borax mix harden into a rigid solid if baked or left to harden?
ReplyDeleteHow hard/resiliant is it when it hardens (assuming it hardens)
@ Alex Kaeda
ReplyDeleteIt appears it hardens into a solid, if it can be used as icicles. I wish I had more time to test it now, but I don't have a spare moment until after Christmas.
Doh! I completely forgot the icicles - with the main focus on the goo aspect, I completely forgot the icicles. *sad face*
ReplyDeleteWell now I know what I'll be making my "Shoggoth specimen in a bottle" out of! Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDelete