Creepy Crawlers Information and Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best temp to cook goop?

Goop begins to cure around 310°F. We often take the temperature higher to make it cure faster and insure a complete polymerization. Recommended curing temperatures are 325-350°F. The high end of 350ºF is ok for a modest amount of time, no more than 10 minutes or your goop may start to burn. Anything above 350°F and your goop will start to burn.

What is the best way to cook goop?

I get this question all the time because people complain that the thinner parts and parts closer to the edge cure faster than thicker parts and/or those closer to the middle. Some times they burn the edges trying to get the middle to cure. My recommendation is to do repeated heatings. Cook the mold a first time as well as you can without burning it. Then turn the oven off for a minute, since the mold is still hot during this off time the middle/thick parts continue to warm up. Then repeat as necessary taking it to as high a temp as you can without burning. Me, I use an old toaster oven I bought at the thrift store. I put a sheet of foil on the rack, put the mold in, and dial the temp to 345ºF. After 5 minutes I turn the oven off and cool the molds down. Cooks them perfect every time and never burns the goop. You can watch the molds through the window and even do several molds at a time.

I spoke with a guy recently who uses an waffle iron and a digital meat thermometer. The digital thermometer beeps when the temperature is right, he adds the mold and sets his timer for 5 minutes. Now that's innovation!

Goop crumbles and or rips easily

The goop is undercooked. Either cook it longer or at a higher temp.

Can regular Goop and Superplastic be mixed?

Yes, you can blend to get your own desired hardness.

Goop Can be re-melted.

Yes, used, previously cooked goop can be re-melted. It works best with the softer goops but you can save those scraps and add them to your new creations for filler. This also works nice for when you accidentally ripped one of your creatures legs off. The re-melting temperature is towards the high end, 350ºF and up. Be aware that unless the goop is really soft to begin with, it might not melt into a pourable liquid. It might just become a soft putty.

Why do my creepy creations come out looking greyish?

The older Mattel molds are made of some sort of zinc alloy and tend to oxidize easily. If the molds have a lot of oxidation it will be picked up by

What is the best way to clean molds?

I got my mold cleaning advice from MJ Thompson's web site. I put the molds in a plastic bucket with some white (distilled) vinegar, also known as acetic acid. After the molds have soaked for a few hours I scrub them with a hard plastic bristle brush (never a metal brush). Be careful, If you leave the molds in the acid to long it will deface and possibly ruin the molds. I also use dish soap and elbow grease to help remove sticky stuff. If there is burnt goop I can sometimes scrape it off but careful not to scratch the mold. Sometimes I just put a thin layer of liquid goop and scraps on the mold. Cook it, and when I peel off the goop, a lot of the dirt comes with it.

What is the best way to get goop stains out of clothes?

This is a tough one but I usually try to use concentrated dish soap and vegetable oil soap like Murphy's oil soap.