ChipDipSM wrote:
That's a very valid reason that I tend to overlook. As you pointed out, it's something I do without thinking about it, a lot of the time I don't even realize I'm doing it.
Definitely, and that makes it really hard to stop doing it.
ChipDipSM wrote:That would be very appreciated.
Here's a good instructable on Oogoo:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To- ... ubstitute/
It's just corn starch + silicone caulk.
Corn starch is safe (as is food coloring that you can use to get your desired color), but caulk is not always safe. Some have toxic components, so you need some that's specifically food-safe.
http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Food-Grade- ... B005XP5HO6
This should do the trick.
If you don't want to order online, sometimes you may find it in aquarium stores, where it's used to seal the glass around tanks (toxic chemicals being bad for the fish).
It smells strong at first, due to the acetic acid (vinegar) it's dissolved in. That will evaporate. Don't worry, the fumes aren't harmful, it's just really strong vinegar.
Make it in really tiny batches.
To color, add your food coloring to the starch and mix it in (pulverize it until it's all even and dry and powdery). Only after that's evenly mixed, mix it with the silicone. If you try to add to the silicone without adding to the starch first to dry it, the silicone will repel the water based food coloring.
Now for your mold:
Find the top of some container that's about the right size to press it into. When it sets up (a couple hours at most), you should be able to peel it out.
For a stick, I would use a toothpick, and cover it in white Oogoo.
Lay down a bit of cling wrap or a plastic bag. Put some white Oogoo on it. Fold over the plastic, and smash it really flat. You can use a rolling pin, or a can, or anything smooth and round.
Wait a minute and peel off the plastic. You should be able to cut it with a knife, and wrap it around your toothpick in a thin layer. Wrap some plastic around it and roll it in your fingers to smooth it out and make it even. Make sure the tips are covered.
Once that hardens enough to touch without messing it up, you can cut a notch in a plastic lid and put the tip inside the lid, and the rest outside, then pack the lid full with colored Oogoo.
If you want something stronger than a toothpick, you could go to a hardware store and buy a steel pin or thin nail of the appropriate length. That could cause problems in the microwave, though, so you'd want to boil on the stove, or boil the water in the microwave first, then add it in after you take the water out of the microwave.