As a kid I loved Silly Putty.  Pressing it into newspaper comics and stretching it into funny shapes.  Its unique properties made it a one of a kind toy.  Today, I still have Silly Putty.  I use it at work and squish it around in my hand while I am troubleshooting cell phone issues, press it onto my desk and just idly fiddle with it.  it helps me relieve stress and concentrate on doing my job.  I suppose it also helps to strengthen my hand while I play with it as well.

Where did this stuff come from though?  I did a little research and found that in 1941, when WW II was at its peak, the U.S. was having a problem getting rubber from Far East rubber producing countries.  Largely due  to the fact that the Japanese were invading those areas.  The U.S. government sent out a call for consumer industries to try and create a synthetic rubber.  In 1943 a General Electric engineer mixed Boric Acid with silicone liquid and “Dow Corning 3179 Dilitant Compound” was born.  After several years of research by scientists, no practical use for the substance was found.

In 1949, a marketing consultant named Peter Hodgson (Click the picture above to see him) saw the potential of the substance, purchased the rights to it and began selling it out of a converted barn.  Shipping 1oz batches in egg cartons provided by a local poultry company.  He dubbed the substance “Silly Putty” and the icon was born.  After a story about the putty was published in the New Yorker, sales took off.

Ironically, only after its success were more practical applications found.  It can be used as a stress releiver, physical therapy for the hands, it pics up dirt and lint, can stabilize wobbly furniture and in the 70’s the Apollo 8 Astronaut crew used it to secure tools.

Want to make your own Silly Putty?  Here are the ingrediants:

• 65% - Dimethyl Siloxane, hydroxy-terminated polymers with boric acid
• 17% - Silica, quartz crystalline
• 9% - Thixotrol ST
• 4% - Polydimethylsiloxane
• 1% - Decamethyl cyclopentasiloxane
• 1% - Glycerine
• 1% - Titanium Dioxide

Now I know that doesn’t do most of us any good, so here is a more practical way to produce your own version of Silly Putty:

Elmer’s White Glue (Do NOT substitute)
- 1 tablespoon of Borax (or substitute liquid starch)
- Food colouring
- 1 cup of water
- Empty plastic soda bottle, with cap
- Zipper-lock bag (quart size)

Make the borax water:
Borax is a type of powdered soap that is available in many grocery stores. Add 1 tablespoon of Borax powder to 1 cup of water. Stir until most of the powder dissolves. Store the borax water in a jar or bottle, and label it “Borax & Water Mixture”. You can keep it to make more batches … one cup of borax water will make many batches of putty.

Prepare the glue:
Measure 1 tablespoon of Elmer’s Glue into a zipper-lock bag. Add 1 teaspoon of plain water to the bag and mix. The additional water makes the glue flow better. Add a drop of food colouring to make it look nicer.

Make the putty:
Add just 1 tablespoon of borax water to the bag of watered-down glue. Seal the bag, and squeeze it between your fingers for 2 minutes, in order to thoroughly mix the liquids. The liquids will start to form a putty-like substance. When this has happened, remove the putty from the bag and continue to squeeze it.