This model allows users to 3D print a mold for casting a silicone gasket. This creates a soft, skin-safe, gasket that fits into the channel of the mask based designed by Dr. Mark Causey. It does help to create a complete seal around the mask against the face of the wearer. The face mask base design can be found at: https://firedbycorona.com/ This gasket mold is an alternate to a commercially sourced gasket suggested on his site.

 

Settings in the MakerBot Print software we used to optimize print times:
(optional and based on your preference)

• Print Mode – Draft
• Infill – Diamond Fill (Fast)
• Layer Height – .24mm
• No Supports
• Raft to Model Shell Vertical Offset - .21mm
• Raft to Model Vertical Offset - .28mm
• Outset from Model Edge – 3.6mm

 

Using the above settings the print time is approximately:

• Small – 1hr 36min; 28.78g of filament needed
• Medium – 1hr 51mins; 32.61g of filament needed
• Large – 2h, 2min; 36.33g of filament needed

 

To cast the gasket we used Smooth-On Dragon Skin Very Fast silicone. https://www.smooth-on.com/products/dragon-skin-10-very-fast/  This silicone cures quickly with a pot life of 4 minutes and a cure time of 30 minutes. No mold release is needed. It is clear but can be colored with silicone pigment if desired. This silicone is rated skin safe and is certified as such by the Consumer Product Testing Company (Fairfield, NJ). (https://www.smooth-on.com/tb/files/SkinSafeDocs/DragonSkin10SkinSafeCertification071519.pdf)

 

Silicone needed for each size gasket:

• Small – 8g of parts A & B (16g total)
• Medium – 10g of parts A & B (20g total)
• Large – 11g of parts A & B (22g total)

 

To secure the silicone gasket to the mask base we used Loctite Super Glue Ultra Liquid Control. This did cure to the silicone and the PLA or resin 3D printed, or with a casted Smooth Cast 65D or 300, face mask base.