Need to make myself different orthodics, as had big onset of tarsul tunnel syndrome this week. (born with flat feet, have worn orthotics for years)
Ins. covers one pair, $350, fat chance I’d buy more than that myself, need maybe ten for different shoes . Have reproduced in the past by simply grinding down 50 durometer 3/4 ” thick surplus rubber pads to match, simple shapes.
Newer orthotics more complex, Thinking of making a reverse mold, then filling with a tin cure silicone or urethane rubber.
Suggestions for sources or materials?
Replies
Hobby store. They usually carry everything needed to make molds for casting.
SamT
Yeah, there are a half-dozen different technologies for hobbyists and one-off commercial work. Latex rubber you can pour over a model, eg, to produce a rubber form for casting plaster, etc. And a number of newer casting materials of an epoxy-like nature.
One other interesting technology for small parts is Fimo (I think that's right) modeling clay. Used for jewelry making a lot -- you mold it just like regular modeling clay, then bake in a standard oven to harden it. Very stable dimensionally.
I've got a vacuum pump and investment casting table, ya want Alum or brass? LOL.
I'm thinkin' Abotron has some stuff for that.
http://www.abatron.com/
Forrest
I've also been blessed with arches that kill me if not supported correctly and have played with a number of materials for home made arch supports with decent success.
I've used running insoles, laminated together with contact cement and sanded them down to get the desired shape with good results.
You might also look into the products used to mold custom footbeds for ski boots and hiking boots. If you have ridgid mold halves it might be easy to use a cut down footbed intended for such things and bake it to get the shape.
This may sound strange, but if the thickness isn't too great, custom leather boots are made with leather arches and it's amazing how comfortable they are once your foot sinks into the leather a bit to conform to your arch. I don't see why some thick leather can't be laminated and sanded to give you the desired form.
The best podiatrists that I've heard of along the front range of colorado made all their insoles out of hard plastic materials for the best correction for use in all types of shoes, and those shapes would be a piece of cake to reproduce with hand laid up fiberglass and expoxy resin in a fiberglass mold taken of the real deal. It seemed their insoles were much smaller than the ones made like a shoe insole. My wife at the time worked for them and had a pair made and what an eye opener that was.
Best of luck!
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.