Liquide Skin Instructions

(Editors Note: These are the full instructions provided with Matt Singers "Liquide Skin" silicone prosthetic system. If you would like more information, or wish to purchase a kit (which is $225.00 US for a 1/2 Gallon Kit) Contact Circle K Products at (909) 695-1955.
This System being a Tin Cure silicone, has the advantage of being able to be run in molds previously used for foamed latex, which is a God send for people wanting to get their feet wet in the wonderful world of silicone.)

LIQUIDE SKIN INSTRUCTIONS
2001
By Matt Singer

Introduction:
This system has truly been a labor of love. My primary objective; to give something back to the very industry that inspired me.
I believe Liquide Skin provides an alternative prosthetic material with superior aesthetic qualities to that of foam latex or gelatine, but still just as practical to create. Most importantly, Liquide skin is safe to run and apply. There are no dangerous solvents associated with this system in any way.
I'm certain that once you successfully run a gel filled silicone prosthetic, you will be hooked. Feel free to E-mail me with your comments, suggestions and questions at: liquide@pacbell.net

Good Luck!

" Good molds are made, great molds are designed"

Stone, epoxy, and urethane prosthetic molds can be used with this process. However certain preparations will be necessary. Because this is a tin system, any mold previously run in foam latex, can be also be prepared for silicone prosthetics without fear of inhibition.
In order to prepare a mold for silicone prosthetics, a model of the prosthetic its self must be generated to determine the geography of the prosthetic edge on the positive side. You can use alginate to create a quick and inexpensive model. Release the positive, and negative with a light coat of ME 301, a light coat of Vaseline, or Pam Cooking Spray, and fill with a thin mix of prosthetic grade alginate. Strap the mold closed, and let set. Once set, careful remove the flashing, and place the alginate casting back on the positive. Take a pencil, and carefully draw a line along the edge of the prosthetic. This line will indicate where bleeders can be drilled. Bleeders are small holes that allow venting of the silicone material when injecting, and indicate when the mold is completely filled. Using a long 1/16" or slightly larger drill bit, with a high speed electric drill drill your bleeder holes about 1/8" away from the prosthetic edge. (You must use a high speed drill when using very thin drill bits or it will take too long) Holes should be drilled about two inches apart all around the prosthetic. Next, you will need to drill the injection port. With your high speed drill and a 1/4" extra long drill bit drill a hole at the thickest part of the prosthetic positive.
That's it! You have officially prepared your mold for tin silicone prosthetics. As you create future molds for this type of prosthetic, you may wish to keep the positive fairly thin, so as to make it easier to drill through your positive. It is also a good idea to make the back of the positive concave to prevent strapping over your bleeders and the injection port. For future molds, it will be advantageous to design a flat bottom on your negative. If the mold is self supportive and stable, it is much easier to close the mold without disturbing the encapsulator.
Keep in mind that the sculpture should be no thinner then 1/16" . If it gets too thin the gel may be unable to travel between the encapsulator envelope. It may help to have the sculptor glue down 1/16" pink dental wax over the positive with spray adhesive, before sculpting to insure the proper thickness is attained.

RELEASE:
The Liquide Skin Mold Release is basically a soap. It is commonly used in mold when running foam latex. It will also provide surface tension, preventing the encapsulator from beading on the surface when sprayed. Apply a liberal amount of the Liquide Skin Mold Release to both the positive and negative surfaces. Make sure you don't accidentally fill in your detail with too much release. Dry the surface with a hair dryer. Try using two coats, and go a little heavier on the positive side.
(Note: I find for medium to large prosthetic pieces, I like to seal my positive and negative surfaces with a wax release like Poly Soft Mold release, or Ease 2000 (available through Burman Industries) force dry, and then Apply the Liquide Skin Release)

THE ENCAPSULATOR:
The encapsulator solution in this process is composed of a custom water based, functional, elastomer. The solution is airbrushed onto both the positive and negative surfaces. The material is already thin enough for airbrushing DO NOT attempt to thin it down further. You will need a basic single action airbrush, and a compressor. Use a # 5, or # 3 tip for, smaller pieces, with a Pache airbrush. With other airbrush brands, make sure to use a comparable size tip. Load your airbrush with the encapsulator solution, and test spray on a piece of paper to get accustomed to spraying the material (about 25-30 psi) Have another airbrush cup filled with soapy water to periodically run through the airbrush between passes.
The first step is to spray a good pass onto both the positive, and negative surfaces. Don't worry about spraying over the edge of the appliance, the over spray should pull off like the flashing from a foam latex appliance. Force dry the encapsulator with a hair dryer. The material will turn clear when it is dry.
The second step is to spray another coat onto the positive side, and force dry. If the encapsulator solution should puddle, use a q-tip to distribute it around more evenly. Allow the material to cure for an additional 15 minutes. Without disturbing the encapsulator surfaces, carefully close the molds.
Airbrush technique is a very individual thing. A light spray to one person is a heavy coat to another. I recommend going a little heavy on the encapsulator surface the first time you run a piece. Although it might yield more wrinkling, you will gain an understanding of how much you actually need to spray to yield the most appropriate result.
Strap the mold tightly. Depending where the injection port is located you may need to clamp the mold, and remove the straps to allow access to the injection port and bleeders. You are now ready to inject the gel.

THE GEL:
The following represents proportions that can easily be manipulated to create any batch size you desire.
The Liquide Skin Tin Gel is custom softened to create a true gel.
(Fast semi soft gel)
100 grams of Liquide Skin Gel
5 grams of Liquide Skin Catalyst
5 grams of Liquide Skin Ultra Fast Catalyst

working time: 15 minutes. 3 hour de-mold (My favorite formula!)
(Good soft gel)
100 grams of Liquide Skin Gel
5 grams of Liquide Skin Catalyst
3 grams of Liquide Skin Ultra Fast Catalyst

working time: 1/2 hour. Set time 4-6 hours.
(Really Soft Gel)
100 grams of Liquide Skin Gel
5 grams of Liquide Skin Catalyst
1 gram of Liquide Skin Ultra Fast Catalyst

working time: 1/2 hour. Set time 4-6 hours
Note: The catalyst has a 3 month shelf life
The Gel can be tinted with silicone pigments, creme make-up, and/or colored flocking. A combination of the two provides the best results. Use pigments to tint the gel and control the opacity, then add flocking for depth and detail. Remember to color your gel before catalyzing it , so you do not eat up your working time.
First catalyze gel and evacuate. If you do not have access to an evacuator I recommend only ruining pieces with a 4-6 hour schedule, and letting the mold bleed longer.
Second place a wide mouth catheter syringe (available through Burman Industries) into the injection port in the back side of the positive. Once in place, pour the gel into the syringe. Slowly inject the gel into the mold until the bleeders start to ooze. Let the material bleed a few seconds, allowing any bubbles to escape. If you start to feel considerable resistance while injecting the material STOP IMMEDIATELY
This resistance could be caused by three factors:
1- The mold is nearly filled, and will slowly creep into the remaining bleeders (be patient)
2- The mold has insufficient airflow ( You need to make bigger bleeders)
3- The encapsulator touched down before the bleeders, preventing the material from traveling to the furthest area of the piece. Don't panic, sometimes the material will fill everywhere, even if some of the bleeders don't ooze. When you pop open your mold, you may need to fill the bleeders in with Pro-Poxy, or Plumbers Epoxy, and drill another further away from the edge, or drill slightly larger bleeder holes.
Third, use Klean Klay (a non sulfur based clay that won't dry out) to plug the bleeders. DO NOT REMOVE THE SYRINGE The syringe will maintain the pressure in the mold. If the mold requires additional silicone, have another full syringe standing by, and swap out the syringes. Never pull the plunger back while the syringe is in the mold. Let the mold sit undisturbed till cured. Fill a 10 cc cup with the left over gel to judge when the material is set. It is a good idea to write down the time it was mixed, this will give you a good idea what your schedule works out to be. When the silicone is cured, remove the syringe. Carefully pry open the mold, powdering as you go using a no-color powder. The over spray should pull away, but it can be trimmed if necessary. You may use compressed air to instigate lifting the edge. Place the piece back on the positive, and let the encapsulator finish curing in the air. When de-molding large pieces, apply compressed air along the edge of the piece to break the suction.

ADDITIONAL INFO: Because the uncured encapsulator material is white, spraying it into a white negative such as epoxical, can cause a kind of snow blindness. Try tinting the epoxical with urethane pigments. Just a little black added to the mix, should create a nice gray surface. A little blue dental stone (such as Die Keen) added to your ultracal will make a stronger surface, and will make it easier for you to see where you are spraying the encapsulator.

APPLICATION:
I prefer using Telesis # 4 silicone Adhesive from Premiere Products. What ever brand you choose, the material should dry clear. I do not recommend gluing your surface down with a water based adhesive like Pros-Aide. Silicone does not breathe like foam latex. When a performer sweats, it may reactivate the adhesive creating a milky surface under the piece. This milky surface may create foggy areas in thin areas. However, Pros-Aide, Beta Bond, and or Cabo-Bondo can be used over the edges where necessary. Painting can be done with tattoo colors like "Skin Illustrator", (available from Premiere Products) "Staycolors" (available through W.M. Creations) Rubber Mask Grease, or PAX washes.