Making custom silicon parts.

Example: Making a custom bolt buffer.

1-Design your part.

Here I am making a buffer in the shape of a block that slides into
the lower receiver on a rail, and has a number of holes through it
to allow me to control it’s density.
Feel free to find a shape that fits your needs.

2-Design your mold.

Move or copy your part out of the mechanism and

create a box around and extruded over it. Subtract
your part from your mold and you are ready to
print.
3-Print and prepare your mold.
This does not need to be 100% infill, but you should make sure your printer is printing accurately
before creating your mold, or printing any dimension critical parts.
Once printed, you can use a thin layer of oil to act as a mold release. I like to use gun oil, but food oil
spray would likely work just fine.

4-Mix your silicone.

Use the method found here to make a batch of silicone that should roughly equate the volume of your
part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fwytA5r2Mw
Please note that silicone 2 is worthless and will not work for this. You need to find silicone 1.
GE clear Silicone 1 works well, example: https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Silicone-1-10-1-oz-Clear-
Tub-and-Tile-Caulk-2708927/100663320
Other brands should work just fine, as long as they are not silicone2.

5- Fill your mold.

Grab a chunk of your silicone and shove it into your mold, you may need to experiment a little to see
the best way to fill it leaving the least possible air at the bottom and minimal gaps in your mold.
For a multi part mold, you can fill each part and then assemble it, squishing all the silicone inside
together. Try to squeeze the mold and silicone tight while filling to minimize dimensional innacuracy.

6- Release the mold.

Wait an hour or two to allow your part plenty of time to set up, this may vary depending on your
chosen ratio of ingredients.
Carefully and slowly pull the mold apart, wiggling or bending it a little may help the silicone to release.
Once your part it out, you may need to use a sharp knife to clean up any mold flashing.

7-Test the fit of your part into your mechanism and adjust if needed.
If you find any unacceptable gaps or problems with your mold, this can sometimes be patched using a
small fresh batch of silicone, or you might need to adjust your method and try again.

Document by @ThatHicks