I wanted to create a dipping test—mimicking one of the process used in manufacturing condoms. Glass rods are dipped in latex liquid 3 times to make the condom in the industrial facilities. I decided to try that process with my material at home.
I made a batch of the material and dipped my vegetable molds in it. I used banana, carrots and cucumber. Initially, the liquid solution was too watery. The material just immediately slipped off the the surface of my mold. As the liquid cools down it starts to solidify, therefore, can adhere to the wall of the mold much better. When the temperature dropped from 90 to 40 degrees, it seems to be a good temperature for dipping as the solution is till liquid enough but also gelled up to a point that the molds are able to pick more materials to build thickness to the wall.
I let them dry in the air overnight and tried to take them off the mold this morning. The banana mold and carrot mold did not manage to release the condom easily, but the cucumber release the mold very easily. I think carrots and bananas has a more textured surface and that surface has lots of moisture, therefore it does not help the liquid to dry and bond to each other.
RCA Graduate diploma 2019 