Mold for Silicone Vibration Damping Balls

thingiverse

I stumbled upon an impressive 3-axis gimbal design by Karl on GrabCAD and instead of searching for dampers that might fit, I decided to take a crack at casting them in silicone rubber. To replicate this project, you'll need to print two identical halves of the gimbal, along with a metal chopstick from Daiso Japan or any other smooth rod that fits perfectly into the center. This will serve as the core component of your gimbal. Next, fill each mold half with a suitable silicone product, such as Smooth-On Oomoo Silicone Rubber available on Dick Blick's website. Insert the tube or chopstick into the middle of one of the halves, then assemble the two parts together. Secure them using a few rubber bands to hold everything in place. The silicone I used took approximately 75 minutes to set completely. Once it reaches this stage, I cured it at a temperature of 65°C on my heated bed. It's essential to note that Silicone Caulk is not an effective substitute for this process.