Smooth-On Body Double Silk - Self Releasing Lifecasting Silicone

Body Double® SILK is a self-releasing platinum-cure silicone rubber that can be applied directly to the skin to make molds of the face, hands and other body parts. The rubber cures quickly and will reproduce excellent detail from any original model.

Body Double® SILK will release from closely cropped hair-covered skin surfaces(short beards, mustaches, eyebrows, pubic hair, etc.). Release cream or Hyperfolic are not needed when using Body Double® SILK. Body Double® SILK will last for many castings of almost any material including plaster, Matrix® Neo®, wax, resins (Smooth-Cast urethanes, polyester, etc.) Body Double® SILK has a working time of 6 minutes and a demold time of 20 minutes*.

*Depending on material temperature, ambient temperature and body temperature – see “Preparation” below for details.

Instructions

Store and use Body Double® SILK at room temperature (73°F / 23°C). Warmer temperatures will drastically reduce working time and cure time. Storing material at warmer temperatures will also reduce the usable shelf life of unused material. This product has a limited shelf life and should be used as soon as possible. Wear safety glasses, long sleeves and rubber gloves to minimize contamination risk.

Safety - We recommend that you do a small scale test on the back of your hand to ensure that you have no allergic reaction to the mold rubber. If you notice any type of skin reaction, do not use this product. Body Double® SILK is safe for skin application only – it should not be ingested. Do not use to make molds of the inside of the mouth. You can make molds of a smile - parted lips with teeth exposed, but closed together.

Life casting is best done with at least three people. You will be working with materials that set up quickly. One person is the designated model and the others will mix and apply mold rubber and support shell.

Cure Inhibition - Contaminants on the skin may cause inhibition. Prior to applying Body Double® SILK, skin should be clean, dry and free of make-up, cosmetics, skin creams, oils perfumes, etc. Do not apply rubber over skin coated with an aloe-based product, as this will cause cure inhibition. Do not use latex gloves. When using a bald cap, make sure it is latex free.

Because no two applications are quite the same, a small test application to determine suitability for your project is recommended if performance of this material is in question.

RELEASING BODY DOUBLE® SILK - Body Double® SILK is designed to not encapsulate body or facial hair such as closely cropped beards, moustaches, eye-brows, pubic hair, etc. A release cream or additive is not required in most cases. If performing a full-head lifecasting, use of a non-latex bald cap is recommended. A small test application to determine suitability of release properties is recommended.

PRE-MIXING - Parts A and B of Body Double® SILK must be thoroughly pre-mixed before use.

After pre-mixing Parts A and B, dispense equal amounts into a mixing container (1A:1B) and aggressively hand mix, making sure that you scrape the sides and bottom of your mixing container to attain a uniform color and eliminate any color streaks.

For best results - After mixing thoroughly for 60 seconds, empty the contents of your mixing container into a second clean mixing container and mix again for another 60 seconds before applying to your model. Apply to skin with a wooden tongue depressor, brush or by gloved hand. For best results, apply in the direction of hair growth.

Add material as necessary – Body Double® SILK sticks to itself, so adding more rubber is not a problem. Add new material as soon as possible. Be careful when adding new material to cured material - carefully “marry” sections to minimize seam lines. Final mold thickness should be ¼” - 3/8” (1 cm). For adequate handling strength and tear resistance, mold thickness around outer edges should be no less than 3/8” (1 cm). Let material cure fully before applying support shell.

Gypsona® Plaster Bandages (available from Smooth-On) remain the industry standard for making a fast, strong support shell. After Body Double® SILK rubber has cured, brush a thin layer of petroleum jelly onto rubber mold surface to minimize chances of suction or mechanical locking of rigid support shell. Wet and apply bandages over rubber mold surface, following contours. Bandages cure in 15 minutes and can be removed from rubber surface.

Demold Rubber From Body - Slowly peel rubber away from skin surface. Pay close attention to your model, and instruct them to give you constant feedback during the material removal process should they be in discomfort.

Casting - Before casting, trim thin feathered edges from around the perimeter of the rubber mold using scissors. Seat rubber mold into support shell before casting. A release agent is not necessary when casting most materials. If casting resins, let rubber cure at least 60 minutes before casting. Store cured Body Double® SILK rubber mold in support shell for best results.

Use a Plastic Bald Cap Only. Latex will inhibit the cure of the silicone. Plastic Bald Caps can be found here 

RELEASING PLATINUM SILICONES FROM BODY DOUBLE® SILK - Ease Release® 200 is not very effective in releasing Dragon Skin®, Ecoflex® and other platinum silicones from cured SILK molds. The best release agent is petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) thinned with mineral spirits. Mix petroleum jelly with 80% mineral spirits by volume and brush into all mold surfaces. Let dry for 30 minutes. Apply platinum silicone as directed.

Data At-A-Glance

FOR OFFICIAL MSDS SHEET CLICK HERE