Mastodawn

@KayOhtie

I'm sure you could do something with silicone moulds and liquid latex…?

@VulpineAmethyst Oh, for the studs? Maybe so! I was musing a few options; true-stainless that's painted would be safe for it, but those are harder to get ahold of, and I'd never trust an Amazon listing to be accurate about that.

Never looked into liquid latex casting before, I've only seen it done as dipped, IE a hand/foot/claw mold dipped into it repeatedly, but casting would be neat if it works! I'd definitely want it to be inset somehow; if it's just glued to the surface it'd be too thick to not merely get knocked off easily even once it cures fully.

@KayOhtie

you can also use the liquid latex as a glue to join latex stud to latex collar, and once it all cures it's a single piece, so you'd have to do real mechanical work to separate them after that.

Kay Ohtie

@VulpineAmethyst The glue I've been using is liquid latex suspended in solvent. I actually thought it was chemical too, but @foxyloon was pointing out it's more of a physical bond with the liquid latex/glue, effectively working into the porous nature of the latex to form adhesive bonds, hence it being excellent for lateral forces but not so great when it comes to direct outward force.

If I understood correctly at least ^^;; I thought it was fully chemical too like PVC epoxy is when doing repairs on inflatables.

@KayOhtie @foxyloon

so… usually liquid latex is a mixture of latex, water, and a small amount of ammonia (which is where the smell comes from). once the water evaporates, that's it; it's a solid piece of latex. so if you use it to attach a latex thing to another latex thing, it is effectively a single continuous piece of latex.

this is similar to why you don't use silicone-based lube with silicone toys: once the solvent's gone, that silicone is now part of the toy.

Ruby Tails 6d ago

@VulpineAmethyst @KayOhtie Ahhhh, I see. Is that the formulation for rubber cement? I was taught to use heptane to thin out the rubber cement for gluing seams.

@foxyloon @VulpineAmethyst rubber cement is generally heptane as the solvent already, hence the ammonia free listing, with the side effect of more curling as it gets into the pores better to make the material swell. Its just being thinned further so it's easier to work with.

Ruby Tails 6d ago

@KayOhtie @VulpineAmethyst Ohhhhh, gotcha! I actually just recalled learning about the ammonia-based glue many years ago, and how I opted for the heptane based stuff instead.

Also, yes, you have a good grasp on the theory of how the bonds work. :3

@foxyloon @KayOhtie

rubber cement can use latex (any elastic polymer will do), but doesn't have to be. if you know it's specifically latex, you can use it here too. but it's not the same thing as liquid latex, which is commonly used for body-sculpting (e.g. Star Trek aliens).

@VulpineAmethyst @foxyloon Yup. Thankfully the commonly recommended ones are like Bestine's, which is what I'm using.

Still super disappointed in the seam gluing work from Kink Projects; I dunno if it's crap glue or just poorly applied but so far any time there's been a separation it can just continue pulling apart with the barest effort. My re-glues after cleaning have been far sturdier.

@KayOhtie @foxyloon

that leads me to think that whatever glue they're using for those seams isn't latex-based, which… why the fuck.

anyway, yeah. you can do liquid latex in some moulds to make latex studs (complete with pigments to make them black or metallic or whatever) and then the rubber cement to stick them on to the collar.

Ruby Tails 5d ago

@VulpineAmethyst @KayOhtie Perhaps? I think it's a material prep issue.

That's why I always use 91% isopropyl alcohol for a first pass before applying heptane and glue. Want to be absolutely sure any oils or powders are removed beforehand, which is why I think KP stuff keeps having seams fail. I bet they're just grabbing freshly cut rubber and slapping it together without fully prepping the seams first.

When I reattached the belt loops on my tail, I found poor adhesion in a similar fashion. Had to apply several heavy coats of heptane after wiping the spots with rubbing alcohol to get the remaining silicone oil up. Only then did it properly stick back down. It doesn't take much contamination to create a poor seam.

Also, about the Furrjoi/Pumpland silicone paws, I'm worried about longevity of those as well. Actually bought a pair of inflatable feetpaws and handpaws, and only wore them a couple of times so far. They're really fun and adorable, but I've also heard similar concerns about their longevity.