Special Features
Breast Form Project
Notes
|
annie's place
Special Features
Breast Form Project
Notes
|
This page will contain miscellaneous notes about the project, including feedback. The items will appear in the order posted, with the most recent items appearing on the top of the list. The undated items are my notes since the original pages were written.
November 30, 1999:
I strongly recommend the new method of making the filler. Quite easy
and the results are far more consistent.
July 30, 1998:
One common complaint and observation that's been made by those who have
tried this is the difficulty of making a smooth and consistent coat with
the silicone sealant. I'm currently experimenting with two variations of
this, which look promising.
The first is to use a silicone "conformal coating" instead of or in addition to the silicone sealer. The product I am using for experimenting is Tech-Spray (brand) type SR Silicone Conformal Coating, Stock # 2102. This is available from most large electronic wholesalers, but is somewhat expensive.
What appears to be a promising alternative to the commercial conformal coating is a mixture of silicone sealant and el-cheapo paint thinner. I'm currently playing with both of these compounds, though I haven't attempted a complete form yet. I'm trying various silicone-only and latex-silicone "skins" and giving them various torture tests. I'll report here when I've made a complete form using one of these compounds.
May 30, 1998:
Note: These issues do not seem to happen with the newer method of making
the filler.
I observed a major malfunction of the filler on a recent trip. The "boob goo" filler in one form had separated into lumps of clay-like material, and a yellow liquid that was somewhat thicker than H2O. This would not remix with kneading.
At first I thought this might have been an effect of travel in the (unpressurized) baggage compartment of an airliner, but only one form out of four I was carrying showed this.
I have been unable to duplicate this effect. I can only speculate as to its cause. I suggest the following when preparing the filler:
September 28, 1997:
Tests seem to show that the best results occur using a good quality
silicone sealer for the last coats, and modifying the technique. This
will result in a casing that can be easily sealed with ordinary rubber
cement. The sealer I have been using lately is Macklanburg-Duncan
Bathroom Silicone Sealant. I've been trying the white version, but
clear is also available. As shown in the modified process, do not
overcoat silicone on the "Lips" of the form.
When doing the final sealing, it is important to get rubber cement only on the lips and the bottom flap of the casing. If any gets between the top and the bottom flap, the shape may be ruined, as it will cause spots of adhesion between the top and bottom that may be impossible to break.
One suggestion was to color the filler to more approximate human flesh should some of the form be seen. Since lately I've been using a white silicone sealer for the last coats, this would not have this effect for my latest ones, but it has the side effect of making the filler much easier to see and to clean off of the various armamentaria. After the filler is in a storage bag, add a few drops of red and green food coloring, knead, and let diffuse. Adjust this to match your skin tone.
September 22, 1997:
Added
drawing showing dimensions and shape
of plaster form.
"If You've Already Got A Form, Why Go Through This?"
In some cases, a frustrating chicken-egg dilemma may occur for some who want to try this project. I had a cheap, unrealistic form that fit well, but I wanted one that was more realistic. My original form was a cheaper foam form that fit well, but not everyone has a form that can be used as a "positive" to make the mold.
It should be possible to produce a suitable positive without having a well-fitting form, but I'm kind of at a loss to come up with a method that will work in all cases. Some possibilities include:
September 21, 1997:
Another sister reported difficulty making the filler compound, resulting
in a mixture that was way too thick, and a second attempt that was also
unusable. It turned out that her first attempt was not using my recipe,
but using the classic Faux Silly Putty recipe. Yes, this will be much
too thick for boob goo. I made the instructions a bit more explicit regarding
the quantity of borax solution to be added, and the mixtures that are
to be combined to make the filler.
September 5, 1997:
Another question from out in viewer-land. :) How and how often do you
clean these? I would suggest this. If/when they get dirty, wash them in
a cool solution of a very mild detergent, such as Woolite, and dry with
a clean towel. (No, do not machine wash, do not tumble dry. :)
September 1, 1997:
The name-brand silicone sealant (Dow-Corning) that I used on the last casing has
an effect of refusing to allow rubber cement to adhere to it at all !!
The house-brand sealant I had used previously did not have this effect. I'm currently finishing a new casing omitting the silicone step, but I will be experimenting with a few brands of silicone sealant and I'll report back here what I find out ...
Aug 31, 1997:
(Wow, that was fast.) One sister wrote stating she had no
luck finding liquid latex molding compound in her area, even though she
contacted a number of hobby shops, and wanted to know the exact product
I have been using. The latex compound I've been using for this is simply
called "Latex Rubber" #C1204, manufactured by Woodland
Scenics. I've been buying it at the local Hobby Lobby store (I know that
two local stores of this chain have it in stock regularly) in the model
railroad department.
The address of the manufacturer is:
Woodland Scenics
PO Box 98
Lynn Creek, MO 65052
Low-level seepage or leakage:
Since the original test, I've noticed that there is some slight seepage
of the Blue Goo compound through casings that were made of only
latex with no additional silicone coats. One form in particular, made
with this technique and stored in a small cooler for several days,
was damp and slimy and had a somewhat foul odor. (Latex rubber is not
impermeable, commercial balloons will, in fact, deflate over time.)
I attempted to duplicate this effect using a commercial balloon filled
with the blue goo, but after two weeks, no dampness nor odor could be
detected.
I can only speculate as to the reason for this. It may be simply the thinner latex or inconsistent coating thickness of the earlier attempts, or a reaction of the blue goo with that particular type of liquid latex.
Since the newer ones I've been making all have several coats of latex followed by at least one coat of silicone, and have been filled with the borax-glue filler (silly putty), I don't think this will be a problem for those using the later techniques.
Rupture:
After wearing one form (one of the first, two thick coats of latex
only, with a fabric-latex back) developed a leak. I was wearing only
a t-shirt (cotton) as outerwear at the time, and I was sitting at my
desk typing when I noticed wetness. A blue stain appeared on the shirt,
and inspection revealed a 1/4" slit through which the goo was
flowing. About half of the contents of the form leaked out within
about 15 seconds. This would have been extremely embarrassing, had it
occurred in public. I immediately rinsed out the T and bra in the sink
and threw them in a normal wash cycle. No permanent stains occurred, in
fact, all of the blue color was gone after about 2 minutes of rinse.
The leak was a single hole that almost resembled a knife cut. I assume it was simply a coating inconsistency, since nothing like this has happened since. Lately I've been using 3-4 coats of latex, followed by 1-2 coats of silicone, all applied with a foam rubber disposable brush.
