[sara_scotland (OP)]

Hiya all, long time reader and all that.
What I really need help with is making slime (I'm not sure that this is the time or the place for this kinda talk, but hey, if ya dont ask ya dont get!!)
Right the problem i have is i work in a science centre (not real problem, just symptom!) and have decided to do a workshop on Non-newtonian fluids.  Alot of the recipies for slime that I have found in book or on the web are American and call for Liquid Starch.  Now I dont think that you can get this in the UK, so what I am really asking is if anyone knows a good recipe for slime (have the borax one), can give my a suitable alternative to liquid starch, or tell me how to make liquid starch (with quantities) from powdered starch.

Thanks for reading all this speil

Sara

Is all we see or seem, just a dream within a dream?

[RD]

This is a recipe for borax & glue slime, (I think the glue is PVA type)...

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/slime.htm

[blakestyger]

Tradascanth gum - mix it with water.

[lyner]

Borax and PVA  gives very good results but you have to get it just right. It can end up like rock or just too runny.
Exact 'cooking time' seems to be important.
You can make really bouncy balls  which will  form 'drips'   three metres long. Excellent fun.

[chris]

Cornflour is the stuff you need.

[paul.fr]

Cornflour is the stuff you need.

Yes it is.
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=6730.msg70192#msg70192

[Karen W.]

We call the cornstarch one Gack at the preschool.. There is a different recipe for slime as they are different products the slime is stretchy slimy stringy boogery looking green stuff! At least ours is green! LOL

[Karen W.]

Try this one:

SLIME RECIPE

1/4 cup White Glue
1 1/4 cup Water, divided
1 tbsp. Borax - found in the laundry detergent aisle of your grocery store
Food Coloring

Borax is available in the laundry section of your local grocery store. Add 1 tbsp. Borax to one cup of warm water. Stir until completely dissolved.

Make a 50% water 50% white glue solution. Take 1/4 cup of each and mix thoroughly.

In a ziploc bag, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue solution. (Half cup of each will make a cup of slime.)

Add a couple drops of food coloring. Seal bag and knead the mixture.

If slime is too sticky, add a little more borax. If slime is too slippery, add a little more white glue solution.

Variations:

Less rubbery & more transparent slime: Try a 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of the glue mixture.

Different Consistencies: Add shaving cream or baby powder to the mixture

Glow in the Dark Slime: Add several drops of glow-in-the-dark paint during mixing.

[lyner]

And no cooking?
I guess it's not needed if you don't want it stiff and bouncy.

[Gooeyguy]

An excellent source for different recipes is newbielink:http://bizarrelabs.com/slime.htm [nonactive]. Most sites warn about not ingesting the slime, but none warn about putting it on your head. My grandson tried it and what didn't pull off needed a healthy dose of Goo Gone to loosen it up enough to fully remove.

[evilthecat]

a fairly good recipe for slime is to use about 150g cornflour and add about 120 ml water to it and any colour if you like, i add colour to the water because it's easier and you'll need a bit because it doesn't end up as strong as you'd think

[moorcat]

I work at a preschool and love making the borax/glue slime. I recently switched over to making the cornflour slime because I now have a little girl who is allergic to the borax. Apparently, borax allergies are coming so be careful. I do prefer the borax/glue slime to the cornflour, it lasts longer and is more fun to play with. Also the cornflour tastes much better. I learned recently that you should not feed kids the borax/glue slime. The ingredients are some what toxic not to mention it is a poor source of nutrients.  The kids do love to eat it though, I tried some and it is not that bad. So make sure your supervisor isn't watching if you are letting the kids eat it, that is a big slap on the wrist.