Welcome to our silicone textured mat demo. We will be using GeoPress™ silicone to demonstrate how easy it is to create your own food grade textured mats.
Steps
You will need; a sheet of textured wallpaper, GeoPress™ Starter Kit, a digital scale, petroleum jelly, a small chip brush, 3” scraper, ruler, spatula, shims, ½ sheet pan, razor knife, carpenters level, and safety glasses.
Cut a wide strip of wallpaper fit inside of the sheet pan (11 ½” x 16”).
Use petroleum jelly as a temporary glue. Stipple (dab in an up–down motion) a small amount of it (just enough to create a light texture) on the back of the wallpaper. Stipple the entire perimeter and center of the wallpaper. If you can see the petroleum jelly through the front of the paper, you have applied too much. (Too much petroleum jelly can prevent the silicone from curing in those areas.)
Next, add 40 grams (10%) of GeoPress™ Silicone Catalyst (blue).
While wearing gloves and safety glasses, pour 400 grams of GeoPress™ Silicone Base (white) into your mixing container.
Press the wallpaper into the sheet pan (a very flat one). Make sure the corners are well adhered to the pan.
Mix the Base and Catalyst thoroughly together until only a uniform light blue color is present.
The see-through bucket is ideal to view how well the Base and Catalyst are mixed together. If you see marbled blue and white streaks, keep mixing. When there is no marbling to be seen, and the silicone is an even color, it is properly mixed.
This is a very important step. Pour the GeoPress™ from 18”– 24” above the wall paper. The intention is to stretch the silicone into a thin stream. This is called “needling” and it will prevent air bubbles from accumulating on the surface of your mold.
To clean liquid silicone from your bucket, spread remaining silicone along the interior surface of the mixing container. In 24 hours, it will cure into a thin skin and can be easily peeled out of the bucket. It is much easier to do it this way than to try to wipe the bucket clean with paper towels.
Use your carpenters level and shims to level the sheet pan. It is important the mold cures perfectly flat.
Use a wide scraper to gently pull the liquid silicone over the wallpaper. Be careful not to lift the corners of the wallpaper from the pan. Push them back down if you do.
After the silicone has cured for 24 hours, it can be peeled off of the wallpaper.
To finish the mold, use a razor knife and trim off the excess edges. Not shown: Place the mold in an oven at 100º F for 8–10 hours to complete the cure. Wash the mold with soap and water before using with food. GeoPress™ is not intended for baking. Do not heat GeoPress™ above 300º F/ 148º C.
Your textured mat is complete and there are many uses for it! Here are a few ideas: 1. Set a cake ring on top of the mat and fill it with mousse then freeze. 2. Fold the mat in half (like a book) and use it as a press mold to create double sided pastillage. 3. Press fondant on the mat and use it to decorate a wedding cake.
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Welcome to our silicone textured mat demo. We will be using GeoPress™ silicone to demonstrate how easy it is to create your own food grade textured mats.