Latex sheeting is made from natural rubber latex plus essential processing chemicals and pigments. Natural latex, as found in nature, is the milky sap from the rubber tree (Hevea Brasiliensis), which was found originally in the tropical climates of South America and is now cultivated in Southeast Asia.
Latex sheeting comes in a long range of colors, translucence and thicknesses. Normally delivered on wide rolls (92-100 cm) of up to 10 metres in length or more. Designs and logos can be printed on latex sheeting using silk-screen print technique.
Storage and use:
Store below 26° C. away from damp conditions and away from heaters. Store away from natural light. UV rays can break down the sheet and cause fading. Avoid contact with copper and copper alloys. These cause staining. Avoid contact with oils, solvents and greases which will destroy natural rubber.
Health hazards:
Sheeting is generally considered non-hazardous. However some people have an allergic reaction to the proteins in natural rubber latex. Persons with the allergy should avoid contact with natural rubber latex sheeting.
Fire Hazard:
Natural rubber latex sheeting is flammable. It should be protected from naked flames and non-smoking restrictions in areas where it is being worked on are advisable.
See my list of suppliers of latex sheeting…
February 10th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Has anyone been able to purchase either end of rolls, odd colours or blemished latex at a discount to practice on ?
I got some bits from The Cloth House in London, but it’s £18 a meter. I’ve seen Radical Rubber, but I don’t want meters of the stuff as I’ve nowhere to keep it and they charge a premium if you order less online than 5 meters at a time.
Would be interested to know.
Thanks.
February 15th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi StretcyWench! Add yourself to Radical Rubber’s mailing list and you’ll get updates when they sell off seconds. Naturally, their black goes almost immediately, but I’ve managed to buy it in various gauges. It’s actually cheaper to buy the seconds than it is to buy stretch knit for garment prototypes.
February 15th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Oops, I see that you’re aware of Radical. But seriously, it’s cheap enough for 10 metres of seconds, under 30 GBP, which ends up being almost cheaper than buying it anywhere else. You’ll be surprised at how ingenious latex crafters are at storing their rolls, and you’ll have plenty for practice and future projects when you need it.
February 20th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
I notice the great, less expensive, prices for latex on UK websites, but are there any places in the United States that sell for those prices as well? For instance, Radical Rubber has a shipping charge of £75. I’d be relieved if there was a company in the states that sold latex without the pricey shipping to send it overseas. Anyone know? Links?
February 23rd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi all have to say awsome web site !!!
been surfing for a while and i found this.
just wanted to say i’ve bought some sheeting from
mjtrends.con here in the U.S. AND have been happy with it.
i just orderd some last tuesday and i had it by saturday
again awsome site !
March 6th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
What is a good thickness for a latex garment? Radical Rubber sells 0.25 mm stuff but surely that is way way thin? Or does itmean 2.5mm (0.25 cm)?
March 7th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
It is 0.25mm! The very thin latex like the 0.25 is usually used for latex stockings or as well for underwear. For regular clothing like T-shirts, pants, dress etc. you can use 0.35 and even up to 0.60, depending on your design.
The thickness of the sheeting used for normal cotton clothing is not much different compared to the thickness of latex sheeting, here it also a matter of the design.
March 11th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
i use 0.60 for latex corsets since you need something nice and sturdy
March 15th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Another sheeting provider is: http://eurocatsuits.com/latex-sheeting-and-adhesives
Not as cheap as RR, but most of the time with less shipping fees and no minimal length requirement (plus roll width is 1,10m, can be usefull sometimes).
Didn’t tried yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
April 5th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Dear Latex Kitty and the other Latex artists,
Although I am from UK as is radical rubber, I was charged £10 for my £7.65 meter of blue latex sheet.
I went to radical rubber, I tried to order from euro catsuits, but I decided it was cheaper on radical rubber.
And I am trying to find a UK based latex glue firm as I don’t want to spend £8 on the glue and delivery.
I know I sound very much a cheap bargain hunter, but I am just a student trying to concoct an outfit for a photo shoot and I’m just experimenting at the moment with Latex to see if I’m any good at making latex clothes.
April 5th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
oops wording error ^^
I was charged £10 -postage* for my £7.65 meter of blue latex sheet.
April 7th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
In the USA there is a company called MJ Trends that is a little more costly than radical rubber but you only have to worry about the domestic shipping charges….I believe their website is http://www.mjtrends.com ! Good Luck from Florida, USA
June 21st, 2009 at %I:%M %p
I’ve just scanned around the net and can only find Radical rubber, who I rather not go to after read this section, and cloth house. Surely there’s more and 2 suppliers.
July 4th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Does anyone know what to use when screen printing latex sheeting? Is it liquid latex? I’ve still experimenting but it’s hard finding any information on what inks/ materials to use.
July 18th, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi,
I wonder if anybody ever tried to create clothes from silicone? I am talking about the really soft and stretchy one (maybe it is a little bit thicker than the usual rubber sheet, but still would be ok because it is more stretchy than rubber).
Any idea where I can buy this kind of material in sheet to try to create some simple clothes?
Thanks
September 1st, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi all,
I’m wanting to make a rose and was wondering what thickness latex to use, that will be pliable but still maintain rigidity- thinking around 0.3 or .4?
I can feel some messy try outs coming on…
November 22nd, 2009 at %I:%M %p
Hi, I’m about to make my first latex dress, just a boob tube style mini dress, am wondering what the best thickness to go for is?
I’ve been looking at http://www.fourdrubber.com, does anyone know if this place is good quality/reasonably priced? I’m totally new to making latex clothing!
January 12th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
MrLat,
I’ve been looking around for awhile trying to find silicone sheeting comparable to what one would use for latex clothing. So far, I’ve only found this:
http://www.q5designs.com/
There’s alot of silicone sheeting manufacturers out there, but I’ve yet to find one with sheet thicknesses in the .30mm -.60mm range though. Hopefully someone else has had better luck.
January 26th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
im design studing and will make a colection of recykling things and thing can i use ols tubes for truks annd mopeds and cars? for exampel a dress or sweatshirts”
martin
January 26th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
@martin
Yes sure you can. If you glue them, be sure to use the rubber cement.
You can even use the tires if you wanna make something really rough and simple, but then you have to sew them of course, since they are to thick to be glued.
Good luck! PS: would be interesting to see what you made in the end
March 4th, 2010 at %I:%M %p
Can anyone add a list of a few us based latex companies? so far I know about http://www.mjtrends.com/. all there stuff comes in 36 inch wide and i wanted a bit wider. I was looking for 40+ inch wide. All the others are foreign companies and charge like 50 bucks in shipping. I’m trying to avoid an extra seem.