From ball to the star inside dodecahedron #2: Making plugs

I’ve been trying different approach on making plugs to hold peaces together. In the end, I’m down to two products: rubbery silicon and epoxy clay. Both keep size after drying (most important property for me). First I made new “cups”

Here is the small ball 1.5 inch diameter, possibly my next project. Both covered with oil

Epoxy and two layers of fabric (doesn’t need to be strong for now)

Carefully insert dull thin blade and slowly peaces will come apart

Package

Mold was poured into the fiberglass fibre cup and ball was pressed down

Next day, cup is removed

This is how it looks. Very soft on touch.

Because i mixed to much, i decided to make a mold of the old plug

I start looking for something harder then silicon:

Package

Two plugs after drying. Sanded to ball shape

Comparing silicon and epoxy

Plugs removed from the ball

I’m making two more plugs from epoxy clay

Back to the ball shape

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I’m going to use five epoxy and one silicon plugs. But from now on I will be making epoxy clay plugs only. It’s big time saving, can be sanded, drilled, turned. Result is “cleaner” and better then wood-wax, silicon, pure paraffin, etc. Just remember to oil the wood.

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