Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/20/how-to-make-vast-amounts-of.html
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I’m making thick and glossy slime right now
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For a theater project, I needed to create an effect that involved multiple gallons of thick, clear slime/gel that had to be pourable. I experimented with tons of things but apart from large quantities of expensive things like lube or commercial slime, nothing I found was both affordable and transparent enough to see through. Any thoughts?
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Maybe epoxy resin? Some (like Epidian 5 resin) are ridiculously thick and not too expensive.
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Hmmm, did you look at glycerine? i presume you needed something that was thicker than it. At that point maybe a combination of glycerine and clear elmer’s glue? I’m guessing right now, i don’t know how well those two mix and what kind of reaction they’d have mixed together. They might end up clumping or turning opaque, i don’t have either at home so can’t test it.
Another alternative that’s coming to mind could be plain, clear gelatin but i don’t know how thick one can get it before it starts to solidify and clump. Either that or simple syrup. but cleaning up gallons worth of sugar syrup would be… kind of a nightmare.
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J-lube? One container will make a LOT.
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I looked into that – that’s the right thickness, but actors’ hands needed to plunge into a vat of this stuff, so I didn’t want them getting epoxy on themselves.
Glycerine was too pricey for our budget in the quantities needed for the effect; same with corn syrup. I experimented quite a lot with Knox gelatin but yeah, that’s exactly the issue I had, when it was thick enough to be, well, thick, it’d turn solid, and it was very cloudy as well.
In retrospect, J-lube would probably have been my best option. I kinda ran out of time at the end and jury-rigged an effect with water with some xanthan gum added to it to make it a little slick-feeling.
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Yes, if the skin contact is required, epoxy is definitely not acceptable - it can cause allergic reaction.
Why? What do they do with the stuff after they make it? Does it dry out? do you throw it away? Where?
Did you look into starch? Dissolved/liquid starch can be kind of translucent. Mixed with other thickeners it might give you the right consistency?
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I did – I tried starch, psyllium husk, and whatever substance is used to thicken liquids for hospital patients. The consistency wasn’t bad but translucent wasn’t good enough, it had to be see-through to show the props floating in it. (It was an alien brain canister with a brain inside)
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Hmmmmm, another alternative I can think of off the top of my head is aloe (which the inside of can be really gloopy, might be able to find a refined version that’s more clear but you could DIY some by just processing aloe yourself). And I was trying to see if one could isolate the clear slime from chia seeds, honestly don’t know but I did find this!
Edit: Yep you can find super clear aloe gel, not sure if you can find it in the quantities you need for an affordable price.
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The little household chemists’ protip: “Contact lens solution” is either 0.3% H2O2 (for desinfection) or 9g table salt/litre water (“neutral” or isotonic solution).
Should be a lot cheaper than the pre-mixed stuff. Will also work with actual contact lenses - I have been making my own contact lense solutions for ten years and my vision has not detoriated since.
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You can easily dial-in the thickness of gelatin with water concentration. If it’s too thick, add water, which will dissolve the gelatin a bit. It isn’t super-clear; it will be a little yellow-ish. The plus side is, it gets less viscous with body heat, so it should release easily from the actors’ skin, and you can add a little vegetable oil to make it release even easier.
ETA: Obligs
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The answer, of course, is “be a hagfish.”
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The world of hand-made slimes is actually pretty cool and creative… depending on what ingredients go into the base mixture, you get vastly different effects and textures, which are described through their own vocabulary developed by the community. And that’s not to mention the various add-ins, colors, and scents that can enhance the sensory experience in interesting ways. It’s creative, experimental, and in some circles entrepreneurial.
But it’s mostly girls and young women doing it, so I guess it’s not a “real” maker activity and to be laughed at? Those silly teens and pre-teens and their meaningless, non-scientific girly trend interests! They should be out playing with drones!
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Methylcellulose is the answer. It’s very cheap (you buy the powder as a catering supply), clear, and can be made plenty thick. The only potential drawback in a live theater context is that it’s extremely slippery (apparently it is the main ingredient in KY)
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Insert link to 50 gallon drum of lube here
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Came here to make this same suggestion. Methylcellulose is non-toxic, soluble in water and it is a staple in fx houses for creating all sorts of gunk and slime.
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