These FAQ resources are for Sheetlatex.com, Kinkengineering.com, Laserlatex.com and Lousylatex.com which are all brands of Elastica Engineering Inc. They all are processed, produced and shipped at a common workshop/warehouse space so share common pricing and shipping details.
General Questions (Shipping, production, deadlines, etc)
Sheetlatex.com Questions (About sheeting, kits, supplies, crafting, and latex care)
Laserlatex.com Questions (About laser cut overlays, custom work, pricing)
Lousylatex.com Questions (About Quality and Discounts)
Kink Engineering Questions (About products, options, latex care, and custom work)
Q: General - Elastica Engineering? Who is that?
Q: General - Why the name Elastica Engineering?
Q: General - How much will (Item on our store - Option for Item) cost?
Q: General - How much will shipping cost to (My City, My Country)?
Q: General - How long does it take for an order to get sent out?
Q: General - I 'm having a DEADLINE FREAKOUT! Can you help me?
Q: General - How long does it take for a package to arrive in the mail? (Canada/US/International)
Q: General - Do you ship overseas?
Q: General - Is faster shipping available?
Q: General - Can you somehow ship something to me very fast and very cheap?
Q: General - Can one of your sales people call me? (Phone or Skype)
Q: General - Can you fax a document to me? Can I send you a fax?
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Q: Sheetlatex - What is the smallest order?
Q: Sheetlatex - If I order more than one yard, does it come as one piece?
Q: Sheetlatex - How do I care for/store latex sheeting?
Q: Sheetlatex - How wide is your latex sheeting?
Q: Sheetlatex - Do you say "Latex" on your packages?
Q: Sheetlatex - Can I get things rush shipped?
Q: Sheetlatex - Can you get me a custom color/thickness?
Q: Sheetlatex - Are there bulk or wholesale discounts?
Q: Sheetlatex - Can I get my order shipped on a roll?
Q: Sheetlatex - What thickness of latex should I order?
Q: Sheetlatex - How is latex sewn together?
Q: Sheetlatex - Where can I find more information on crafting with latex?
Q: Sheetlatex - Where can I find patterns?
Q: Sheetlatex - Does Silicone Lube/Shiner weaken the seams?
Q: Sheetlatex - How do I shine my latex project when I am done?
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Q: Laserlatex - TUTORIAL: How do I apply my overlay to my latex project?
Q: Laserlatex - TUTORIAL: How do I use the offcuts from my overlay to make a 2nd overlay?
Q: Laserlatex - How do I get a quote on custom work? (Online Quote Request Form)
Q: Laserlatex - What does custom laser cutting cost? (Pricing page)
Q: Laserlatex - Do you sell pre-designed overlays? (Online Store)
Q: Laserlatex - What is the benefit of laser cutting?
Q: Laserlatex - What's the down side?
Q: Laserlatex - How fast can you produce laser cut parts?
Q: Laserlatex - Do you take suggestions for pre-designed overlays?
Q: Laserlatex - How do you ship completed projects?
Q: Laserlatex - Can I make "ANYTHING" I want? (even... um... naughty things?)
Q: Laserlatex - I'm a competitor to Kink Engineering... can I still order from you?
Q: LousyLatex - So it's cheap... why is that?
Q: LousyLatex - How good or bad is the sheeting?
Q: LousyLatex - Where does this flawed sheeting come from?
Q: LousyLatex - What sort of project is this latex sheeting good for?
Q: LousyLatex - What is this latex NOT good for?
Q: LousyLatex - Anything else I should know?
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Q: Kink Eng - Vacbeds: Latex stretching causing damage?
Q: Kink Eng - Vacbeds: Are vacbeds accessible to people with disabilities?
Q: Kink Eng - How do I ask about custom work?
Q: Kink Eng - What does custom work cost?
Q: Kink Eng - How long does a vacbed or vac-cube hold it’s seal (with the vacuum off) before you can move?
Q: Kink eng - Why would I want latex bedsheets?
Q: Kink Eng - Bedding: Can I just lay down some latex sheeting?
Q: Kink Eng - Bedding: How do I know what size to get?
Q: Kink Eng - I want to slide around. What's the best lube for latex sheets/Vacbeds?
Q: Kink Eng - Why are latex bedding and Vacbeds expensive?
Q: Kink Eng - Can I make bed sheets myself?
Q: Kink Eng - Do you offer a Penis Gasket option for the 3D vaccube product?
[on www.kinkengineering.com : Below are larger full page answers to more complicated questions/directions]
Q: Kink Eng - Measurement Charts/What measurements do you need?
Q: Kink Eng - How Do I build a Frame for my Vacbed?
Q: Kink Eng - How do I assemble and Use my Vacbed?
Q: Kink Eng - How do I build a frame for my Vac-cube?
Q: Kink Eng - How do I assemble and use my Vac-cube?
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GENERAL FAQ ANSWERS: View as just questions list
Q: Elastica Engineering? Who is that?
A: Elastica Engineering Inc is the business name and registration that operates the various brands that we sell on our online store. So when you are dealing with www.sheetlatex.com, www.kinkengineering.com, www.laserlatex.com or www.louslylatex.com you are actually dealing with one company.
We split up the brands to make the various services we offer easier to find, and easier to distinguish. For example, Kink Engineering serves the fetish market, while Sheet Latex serves the design community, as well as the Medical Supply market, artists, students, hobbiests, etc.
All of our brands share one billing system, one workforce, one workshop, and one warehouse. This helps keep costs low and helps to integrate our services. For example, sheetlatex.com makes all of it's stock colors available to Kink Engineering and Laserlatex, thus making their products have more color options than most other companies and saves you money by being efficient.
This is not uncommon. You will find that Radical Rubber is a Branch of Libidex Latex Clothing, and Syren latex clothing is a branch of Stockroom fetish clothing/gear.
Another benefit of this arrangement is that you can purchase several products and services from differnt brands that we offer all at the same time, in the same shopping cart and they will ship together. That saves you more money!
Q: Why the name Elastica Engineering?
A: As to the Engineering part, our founders Matt and Archean both hold Masters degrees in Engineering. (Mechanical Engineering = Matt and Material Science Engineering = Archean). Since we have left the feild of Engieering to persue our business importing, distributing and designing in latex, we wanted to honrour our roots, and keep our customers aware that they are dealing with people who are HIGHLY trained at problem solving, technical design, and plain old hard workers.
It's worth noting that we are NOT an accredited engineering firm, and we will not take on any jobs in traditional engineering practice.
As for the Elastica part... it's a good name, that represents the stretchy material that we work with (latex) and the stretchyness of our solutions to problems/issues/design challenges in the latex market. We bend over backwards to make things better. Also, Elastica was a pretty good band in the 90's.
Any billing and shipping info that you will see on your packages, invoices, and credit card bills will say "Elastica Engineering".
Q: How much will (Item on our store - Option for Item) cost?
A: You can find pricing and shipping for any item we sell by going to our online store at www.elasticaengineering.com/zencart - select the item(s) and options you would like, and add them to your shopping cart.
Please do use our online store to get prices and availability of stock. We keep our costs reasonable by dedicating as much of our time to producing high quality goods, instead of answering emails... and quite frankly, holding your hand to find information that is readily available on our online store.
Q: How much will shipping cost to (My City, My Country)?
A: Once in your shopping cart you can check the shipping charges by clicking on the "estimate shipping" button, or by starting the check out process. You can choose shipping options before payment so you can see the full amount due that way too.
There is a workshop pickup option for people who live near Toronto, Ontario, Canada where our workshop is located, or if you are planning to visit Toronto. Our workshop is not open to visits without appointment.
Q: How long does it take for a package to get sent out?
A: Latex sheeting, kits, supplies and laser cut/etched sheeting generally is prepared and sent to the post office/courier within 3 days of order. If we are particularly overwhelmed with orders due to an event, sale or season (pre-Christmas) orders could take up to a week to be processed.
Larger products that require manufacture (clothing, vacbeds, bedsheets, etc) require a longer lead time to produce. Part of this time will be spent waiting to get some measurements back from you the customer, so the faster and more accurately you can respond to requests for measurements, the faster we can produce your items. Production items are placed in our queue by date of order. Some items can be RUSH PRODUCED (will ship out within one week) for an extra fee. These items do not “jump the line” and force other items to be delayed longer, the extra charge is applied to having our staff work overtime to produce your order during evening or weekend time, or to bring in an extra employee who was not on the regular daytime schedule.
Q: I have an Event/Fashion Show/Project Due Date/Wedding... DEADLINE FREAKOUT!
A: We prefer if customers order before they are in a panic, but we do understand that this can happen to the best of us. If you are in a serious bind and need something super quick please do the following. 1) Contact us before you order by email with a subject line like “Rush Order” so that we know to get back to you as soon as possible. Include in your communications EXACTLY what you are thinking of ordering, where it needs to be shipped to, and when your deadline for the order to arrive in your hands is. Without all of this information we cannot help you without wasting time asking you these obvious questions. 2) Check your email for our response regularly. We are busy in the workshop some days, but we do regular email checks on average every 2-3 hours, and often more frequently if we do happen to be at a computer working on non-latex work. 3) Be ready to order via our online store and be ready to pay via an existing paypal balance, or via credit card. We only ship product once payment in full for products and shipping is cleared. 4) Be ready to pay extra for rush processing (we are going to have to pull at least one employee off of their scheduled work for at least an hour to take care of your emergency) and be ready to pay any express shipping fees above our normal shipping charges, we will quote you on both when we reply to your email.
Q: How long does it take for a package to arrive in the mail once it gets sent out?
A (Canada): Small packages (1 yard of sheeting or less, small clothing items) are sent by regular mail small packet. These take approximately 5 days to arrive depending on your location. There is no tracking available on very small orders. Larger packages (2 yards of sheeting, vacbeds, bedsheets, kits, etc) are sent via expedited post package, have tracking available and should arrive within 3 days across Canada (sooner if you live in Montreal, Ottawa, or near Toronto).
A (USA): Small packages (1 yard of sheeting or less, small clothing items) are sent by regular mail small packet. These take approximately 10 days to arrive depending on your location there is no tracking available on very small orders. Larger packages (2 yards of sheeting, vacbeds, bedsheets, kits, etc) are sent via expedited post package, have tracking available and should arrive within 5 business days across the USA (sooner if you live in NYC, Chicago, Washington, or near another major US city geographically close to Toronto, Canada).
A (International - Including Mexico): Please see the FAQ question “Do you ship overseas” - Short answer, YES but slowly.
A: Yes, but it is slow. When you add items to our online store’s shopping cart, you can then check on shipping costs to your location with the “Estimate Shipping” button. Or you can check on shipping costs during the checkout process (before you pay). Shipping to locations outside North America (Canada and USA) are generally by SURFACE shipping methods. This is much cheaper, and carbon emission friendly than air shipping, but surface shipping does take anything from 4 weeks to 10 weeks to be delivered as there is both shipping time on board one or more freighters plus any customs and local post office delays processing your items. The closer your country is to Canada, generally the sooner your package will arrive. AUSTRALIA takes a LONG time to arrive! Please be patient.
Q: Is faster shipping available?
A: Yes, but please contact us in advance of your order to discuss shipping rates for your order. Please note that faster shipping is usually via FedEx and is often laughably expensive.
Q: I’m in a rush but I am also on a budget! Can you somehow ship something to me very fast and very cheap?
A: No. I’m sorry, but we never absorb shipping charges because of customer needs (financial or deadline). Fast shipping is expensive by it’s nature and there is not a single thing we can do about that. Please feel free to investigate the shipping rates of Fedex service yourself. While it may seem like some companies will ship you anything “for free” and rush, keep in mind that they do pay for shipping, which means that they must have a higher mark up on their products to make this happen, and most people do not really require rush shipping on every order. That means that everyone is paying too much. We NEVER overcharge for shipping. If our online store charges you too much for the shipping charges to get your products to you, then we will refund or credit that amount to you.... but on the same token we will need you to pay for the extra costs that rush shipping creates. If you cannot afford rush shipping, we cannot “help you out” - as much as we like to be helpful and try to be supportive of latex enthusiasts, this is a business.
Q: Can one of your sales people call me? (Phone or Skype)
A: We prefer to do all of our correspondence by email, as we try our best to increase our efficiency as a company by scheduling certain times of day for correspondence and certain times of day for production. This allows us the most efficient use of our time, which in turn helps to keep our costs (and thus PRICES) low. Further, sending us a detailed email outlining your questions allows us to look up all relevant information for you and send you to the right places right away (i.e. provide you with links, images, detailed quotes and any other references necessary).
As such, we ask you to send any questions to us via email, and we’ll happily respond as soon as possible. Often that will be within a matter of hours... when really busy we do our best to get back to emails within 48 hours.
Occasionally we will phone a customer to clarify something with their order, but this is usually as a last case scenario where emails have not been returned by the customer (sometimes good email ends up in spam folders!)
A: No. We don’t live in 1983. We also do not accept telegraphs.
If you truly require a paper record from us, we can email you a .pdf document that you can print. We recommend you try going paperless... it’s nice! Pixels and bits weigh a lot less than filing cabinets.
SHEETLATEX FAQ ANSWERS: View as just questions list
Q: What is the smallest order?
A: We sell our sheeting by the yard. The least you can order is 1 yard of length. Our craft kit is the only exception to this rule. It includes two half yards of latex so that you can get some latex to play with for your first project that is not all the same.
Q: If I order more than one yard, does it come as one piece?
A: Yes! We always ship our sheeting as one continuous piece of latex, so if you order 4 yards of black 45, you will get 5 continuous yards of that sheeting. If for any reason we cannot accomplish this with our current stock we will contact you by email before shipping your order and ask if it is OK to split your order into smaller segments (This is uncommon but could happen). If this does not work for you we can refund your purchase.
Q: How do I care for/store latex sheeting?
A: Latex is a natural material made from the sap of rubber trees and processed into sheeting with added stabilizers and pigments to give it the properties that we know as latex sheeting. It is susceptible to several common things that you should avoid.
- Oil based products will weaken and eventually erode your latex. Never use oil based shiners or lubricants. Body oils will not harm latex very much, but your latex should be washed after each use.
- Sunlight. UV light will damage latex and cause it's surface to eventually become lightened, and brittle. If your latex is going to be exposed to sunlight it should be treated with a UV protecting shiner such as Armor All rubber protector. It is important to store your latex out of direct sunlight, and even better store your latex in a cool dark place.
- Oxygen. This is a much slower moving enemy of latex, but it is a bio-degradable material and the oxygen in air will eventually cause degradation of your latex. (This process is much accelerated by UV exposure, hence the warning about sunlight). To best protect your latex you will want to store it in a sealed, food safe plastic bag when not in use. When your latex is being worn or stored out of a bag, it is best to have protected the sheeting with silicone shiner or Armor All.
- Flame. Latex is flammable. On combustion it both melts and burns. While it is not easy to set alight, once burning it burns well. It is best to be careful if smoking while wearing latex clothing.
- Smoke/Smells. Latex is air and waterproof, but it will absorb some smells, particularly cigarette smoke. If you want to preserve your latex's rubbery smell, don't smoke near or while wearing your latex. Seal it in plastic bags for storage if you expect it's storage environment to be exposed to smells (smoking, cooking, pet smells)
- Copper/Composite Metals. Some metals will stain light colored latex. This is a chemical reaction that changes the pigmentation of natural latex and cannot be undone by cleaning. So it is best to avoid metal hangers, pennies (change from the bar at parties has caused a few upsets in the past), and contact with metal zippers/fittings on other clothing, belts, and jewelry.
Storing your latex is simple enough. If you can avoid the hazards listed above your latex will last a long time. If you are storing large quantities of latex (above 1-2 yards) we suggest that you keep it on a roll, wrapped in plastic in a cool dark place. It will last for a very long time in this state.
Latex garments can be hung in a dark closet (on a plastic hanger) or folded in plastic bags in a drawer for best storage. We suggest that you powder or shine your latex before you store it for best protection against oxidization or other damage.
Q: How wide is your latex sheeting?
A: Some of our sheeting arrives from our manufacturer on 27 yard long rolls that are 39.5" wide (100cm). This is about 4 inches wider than most latex sold in North America.
Recently (updated September 2011) we have added some options for even WIDER latex sheeting. This sheeting arrives on 32yard rolls which are 47" (118cm) wide. This is 11" wider than most sheeting sold in North America. Currently this is only available in Black (varying thicknesses) and Transparent cream.
Q: Do you say "Latex" on your packages?
A: No. Our packaging is nondescript. Our return address is to "Elastica Engineering Inc" which is our parent company, and we make sure to use work/family friendly descriptions of our products. For example you would see "Bedding", "Fabric" or "Craft Kit" on your parcel from us.
Inside our packaging we do include a full receipt for you with product descriptions. We do have to declare the full value of products on our packaging for taxation reasons. Sorry, we cannot label packages as "gift" if it is a purchase.
Q: Can I get things rush shipped?
A: Yes. But you will need to contact us BEFORE you order at info@sheetlatex.com to arrange for rush shipping. We are happy to do our best to accommodate your rush, we know that time crunches happen. Do keep in mind that rush shipping increases shipping costs exponentially and we will need you to pay additional shipping charges before we ship the order out.
We will never ship any product until it is paid for in full and any paypal E-cheques or Personal Cheques have cleared to our accounts. Credit card and Paypal instant payments are great for fast turn around.
Q: Can you get me a custom color/thickness?
A: Yes... but not quickly. Please contact us at info@sheetlatex.com to discuss your needs. There will be a minimum order and 50% non-refundable down payment for us to stock a custom color/thickness for you.
We make orders to our manufacturing team overseas every 4 months, and those orders take 2-3 months to arrive by sea. (Carbon friendly and expense friendly shipping!) so this is not a quick process. Please plan WELL ahead.
Q: Are there bulk or wholesale discounts?
A: Yes. Our web store will automatically apply bulk discounts to your order at quantities above 5 yards. The more you buy of any one color/thickness, the less each yard will cost.
We also offer wholesale discounts and perks to customers who show consistent large ordering, or are representatives of established businesses. If you would like to discuss becoming a wholesale client of ours, please contact us at info@sheetlatex.com.
Q: Can I get my order shipped on a roll?
A: Yes. If you order 10 or more yards of latex in one order we will automatically ship it on a roll. Otherwise your order will ship folded in sealed air tight plastic bags and packaged in a cardboard box. If you require shipping on-the-roll and are ordering less than 10 yards of latex please contact us at info@sheetlatex.com before ordering.
Q: How is latex sewn together?
A: It is NOT sewn!
You glue latex sheeting together. This allows it to retain it's strength (the little holes from sewing would cause many small places where tears could begin).
It is important that the latex is very clean before applying glue. We use a latex glue thinner to clean the seam before gluing and to remove any dust, powder, or other impurities.
Q: Where can I find more information?
A: There are great resources about making latex on the following sites:
www.fetlife.com forums "Latex Lovers" and "Latex Crafters"
A: There are great paterns on www.makinglatexclothing.com and we are always adding new paterns to our Paterns page here at www.sheetlatex.com.
You can always use normal fabric paterns, but keep in mind that the amount of stretch that latex allows can significantly change the nature of fabric paterns.
Q: How do I shine my latex project when I am done?
A: Opinions vary on shining latex. Some enjoy the ease of Armor All protective sprays, which have a long lasting but slightly less shiny effect. Some enjoy the SUPER shiny results of silicone personal lubricant like Eros Pure (which is very expensive). We have a silicone based shining liquid available on our store that is cheaper than personal lubricants, and thicker so it stays put.
A little trial and error will lead you to your own personal favorite. It is also important to know for what sort of use you are shining/lubeing your latex. For photography you may not want a SUPER shiny surface as you may get overexposed "hot spots"... in that case a slightly more dull shiner like Armor All is ideal.
Shiner and lubricant are also very helpful to help the latex slide onto the body when dressing. Talc powder can also be used for this, but will leave residue on the body that can show up through transparent latex.
We reccomend www.cheaplubes.com for bulk silicone lube! We purchase Wet Platinum by the Gallon! (Literally)
Silicone oil/shiners and latex sheeting - silicone is latex safe. It will condition/protect your latex, meaning your latex will absorb silicone over time but it can almost entirely be removed from your latex with heptane (rubber cement thinner). All repairs must have clean latex, but by no means does latex become irreparable if it's been covered in a lot of silicone lube.
Q: Does Silicone oil/shiner weaken seams?
A: If a seam is DRENCHED in shiner and under a great deal of stress it can be weakened. We have found that underarm seams, where three seams come together under a lot of stress, can *sometimes* come apart over time if too much silicone is applied. This is an easy fix though.
Straight seams, especially those under little stress (like bedsheets) are rarely a problem. In high quality latex (i.e. not cheap knock-offs) We have never heard of this being a problem. Personal experience with sheeting - we drench them in silicone lubricant and... uhh... create a lot of friction. I've never had a problem with seams coming apart. And if that problem ever arises, it's a really easy fix.
LASERLATEX FAQ ANSWERS: View as just questions list
Q: What is the benefit of laser cutting?
A: There are many benefits!
- Laser cut parts are 100% reproducable.
- No touch cutting means the latex does not stretch during cutting, so parts can be shaped very accurately.
- Small parts are possible
- Plastic backing makes laser cut overlays easy to clean, glue, and stick in place. All related parts of an overlay will be aligned exactly where you want them every time.
- Speed of applying overlays is increased many fold.
- Costs are reduced considerably when you consider how LONG it would take to cut parts by hand.
- Laser engraving is not reproducable by other means (etching is a unique ability of laser systems)
- Laser cuts do not tear like rotarry cut parts might. All cuts end with a very small blunt/rounded area that is the circular focal point of the laser. This relieves the stress that usually leads to ripping of latex where sharp cuts come together.
A: There are a few downsides...
- Laser cutting is not free. For one-off work it may be rather expensive, but if you are making multiple parts it can end up being VERY economical.
- You do have to create some form of digital artwork for us, or pay us to create artwork for you. So if you are not great with computer art programs, this may cost a bit more.
- There may be some residual "burned rubber" smell to the cut latex parts. This will go away over time.
Q: Do you take suggestions for pre-designed overlays?
A: Yes we do. Email us at info@laserlatex.com with your suggestion of an overlay that we should be selling as a stock item. We will consider it as a design we will create and sell to the public. You will not be reimbursed for your idea - but your idea might become a stock item, and be available for your use, and we'll mail you a free overlay version of it to thank you for the suggestion.
Q: How fast can you produce laser cut parts?
Our general turn around on laser cutting is 3-5 days from time of order. We will let you know if we are overloaded and will take longer. Rush production is available at a premium. Rush shipping MUST be paid in advance. Contact us early if you are on a deadline - don't wait until the last second. We will not make other customers orders late to fill your rush order, so rush production is not always available.
Q: How do you ship completed projects?
We ship by Canada Post, US Postal Service, and FedEx. Depending on the location we are shipping to, and the size of the order. Generally delivery is 3-6 business days from shipping date within North America. We will let you know shipping charges when we quote on an order for custom work. For pre-prepped designs, your shipping will be calculated by our online store at checkout. We make sure that any package with a value over $10 includes TRACKING, so that it will not get lost and is insured. Shipping overseas is usually by surface and takes A LONG TIME (5 - 10 weeks depending on location - Australia is a long long way away from us!)
Q: Can I make "ANYTHING" I want? (even... um... naughty things?)
A: Yes. We run Kink Engineering, so we make kinky things for kinky people all the time. You will not shock us with your request. We do reserve the right to refuse any work that we do not feel comfortable with, but we will do so in a respectful way. We do draw the line with the following: No child exploitation. no hate. No copyrighted material. No knockoffs of other designers.
Q: I'm a competitor to Kink Engineering... can I still order from you?
A: Yes. We welcome your business as a laserlatex.com customer, and we welcome competition from other companies in the latex fetish design world. As long as you are not specifically knocking off our designs, we feel that more people making wonderful things is GOOD for companies, customers and the universe in general.
LOUSYLATEX FAQ ANSWERS: View as just questions list
Q: So it's cheap... why is that?
A: If it's fast and cheap you are looking for, you are in the right place. Our latex sheeting is not perfect. It has bumps, scratches, tape marks, jagged edges, small bubbles, or slight coloration oddities. But because of this, it is CHEAP. So if you are just learning to work with latex, or if you have a use for latex that does not require super high end quality for sheeting, try our stuff out.
Q: How good or bad is the sheeting?
A: Even though our sheeting is cheap, and flawed. It is still formulated to hold glue very well, and it is also free of harmful polutants, poisons, and is formulated with the same Low Alergy treatments that you would find in other garment ready latex sheeting.
We also make note of the specific problem that any sheeting we are selling suffers from. You'll be able to know with a reasonable degree of accuracy what exactly you will be getting for your money.
Q: Where does this flawed sheeting come from?
A: We source our sheeting from our sister business www.sheetlatex.com. For sheetlatex.com we have VERY high quality standards... and when sheeting arrives from our manufacturer sometimes a roll, or part of a roll is not up to those standards. Since this latex is no good for high end fashion and fetish use, we thought we would offer it at a steep discount for anyone who wants to work with latex, but does not require super high quality sheeting for their project.
Q: What sort of project is this latex sheeting good for?
A: Science experiments, Medical Orthodic Production, Learning to make latex garments, Shower Curtains, Waterproof storage, Dog/Cat/Child moisture accident control bedding, Making slingshots, Tourniquets, Artistic mold making, Tire patches, and more! The sheeting is genreally structurally sound, water/air proof, and excelent to work with. As long as it doesn't have to be runway quality beautiful... this latex could work for your project, and at a steep discount.
Q: What is this latex NOT good for?
A: High end latex fashion or fetish clothing. People expect high quality for their clothing items (and pay accordingly) so please do NOT purchase this sheeting expecting to make a new dress for Lady Ga Ga or Katy Perry.
Q: Anything else I should know?
A: We share our online store with www.sheetlatex.com, Kinkengineering.com and Laserlatex.com - so if you want to purchase items from any of these brands of latex gear/supply then you can check out all at once and your items will ship together. If you have a login for the store with any of these stores, it will also work with us. Easy!
Q: Given the extreme stretch some vac appliances can put on latex, does the latex lose it's tautness over time/usage? I'm delighted with your products, but wonder how the latex holds up to constant stretching ?
A: Latex at the thickness we generally use for vacbeds (0.33, 0.45, and 0.65mm) can stretch well over 200% of it’s original length before showing any lasting signs of wear or loss of elasticity.
For lie down vacbeds the stretch on the latex is never great enough to stress the sheeting beyond the point where it will return to perfect. We have been using and abusing some of our vacbeds for over 4 years and they are still like new. The real trick is to condition the latex with a silicone based shiner/lube.Vac cubes and other 3D vac-bondage devices do tend to put more stretch on the sheeting (sometimes we put them through CRAZY suspensions or harsh play at performances) but so far, even when we have stretched the latex so thin as to become transparent, not one has burst! The most lasting marks left have been a minor amount of stretch in the most abused parts. (parts that because of our over the top demos have been stretched up to 300 or 400%)
In short, latex is much tougher than most people think.It is susceptible to pinpoint holes caused by rubbing the frame against a hard floor. So always play on carpet, or put down a blanket/foam playroom tiles. pinpoint holes are easy to patch and all of our vacbeds come with some patches in the colors of your vacbed… Just in case you need them.
Q: Are vacbeds accessible to people with disabilities (Spinal injuries/Paralysis Developmental/Neurological impairments, etc)
A: Step one: Please do consult a health-care professional who knows the specifics of your disability for advice. A vacbed is no more straining on the body than wearing tight clothing, but we assume no responsibility for misuse.
Vacbeds are actually fairly accessible to those with disabilities. The latex does not squeeze the body very hard... The air is removed from around the body and the latex is stretched by the normal atmospheric pressure outside of the vacbed to fit the exact shape of the person inside, but once all the air is removed from around the person, there is no way for the latex to squeeze any tighter. So when fully suctioned the person inside is under no more pressure than they would be under normal atmospheric pressure (that we live in every day!) - It's just like wearing a perfectly fitted full body catsuit.
There is resistance to moving about as to move you have to stretch the latex further... but the forces of that are controlled entirely by the person inside the vacbed. If the strain becomes uncomfortable, they need only to stop pulling against the latex and relax.
People often think that a vacbed will "squeeze the air out of their lungs" or otherwise crush them... but this is not the case. Your lungs are connected to the outside world via the breathing tube (or with your head outside if you have a neck gasket). This means that the pressure inside your lungs, and the pressure that is pushing the latex to the skin are the same... normal atmospheric pressure.
We have done demonstrations with people who are confined to wheelchairs (for spinal injuries and motor control disorders) and they have been successful, fun and oddly freeing for a bondage experience. It's nice that this form of bondage is accessible to those who might not be able to take the stress and strain of rope or leather restraints.
Some people with disabilities do find it difficult to get into and out of the vacbed initially... but with some helping hands that is usually not a problem. Once inside and with the air suctioned out, most people experience a floating sensation as much of your normal sensory input is replaced by an all over body hug (with rubber!)
In time we will be adding some demonstration videos to show more of the physics of vacbeds and help people understand how they work to dispel some of the safety fears.
Q: How do I ask about custom work?
A: Please ask about custom work by sending us an email at info@kinkengineering.com and giving us some details of what you would like us to work on for you. We may not be able to work on any custom order you request and we will let you know right away if that is the case, and often direct you to a reputable company that WE trust to make you the best custom item. For example, we usually send people asking for custom fashion clothing over to our friends at www.ego-assassin.com who do fantastic work!
Please note: While it is awesome for you to send us your idea for something we can make custom for you... any ideas that are sent to use will be considered our property and we reserve the right to exploit that idea or concept without recourse. We do not, EVER, pay people for ideas, concepts, or prototypes. We do not offer profit sharing in exchange for an idea. Ideas are amazing, but fundamentally cheap. We have more ideas that we can ever build on our own. The act of creation to bring an idea into reality is very hard. Follow-through is much more valuable (and costly) than an idea or dream.
Q: What does custom work cost?
A: Custom work can be rather expensive, or rather reasonable depending on the nature of the work. We quote for every custom job before we begin work - and expect payment before the beginning of work.
Simple custom work: For simple modifications of existing designs custom work can be as cheap as an extra $20 ranging up to hundreds for larger use of materials or complicated overlays. A good example of simple custom work is “I have really long arms but am really short... can you modify the length of the sleeves on your lab coat product to fit me?” - Yes... not a problem $20 please!
Complex custom work: Let me get this out of the way. CUSTOM WORK and RUSH WORK are not compatible. We can rush out a fairly standard product. We can make you something beautiful and unique exactly to your tastes, but that WILL take time. There is no such thing as RUSH CUSTOM WORK. I refuse to send out substandard work, and great custom work takes time. Usually about 4 weeks, but can be longer if we are busy with regular orders at the same time. Some of this time will be us talking to each other and settling the details of your order. That’s the most important part.
We charge $40/hour for design time and construction time for our work. While that may seem high, keep in mind that we spend hours and hours of un-billed time every day on correspondence, upkeep, shipping, cleaning, etc to keep this business alive. Without a proper revenue from our “billable hours” of construction and design, we would be unsustainable and then the latex community would lose out by losing us as a supplier of fun latex creations. We use this figure in the calculation of what we charge for our non-custom items, so that gives you an idea of how much time a product takes to make. A $500 item could take approximately 10 hours of labour to build, and $100 of materials cost. Design time to create the pattern for a brand new product is usually ~3x the build time it takes to construct the final product (and includes time for prototyping, drafting, research, and communications).
For complete custom creations from scratch the price could be very very high indeed. If a project is going to consume a designer/assembler for a whole week it will cost in the thousands of dollars. However, we take our job very seriously and you will get a great value for your money for inexpensive and expensive products alike.
If your custom work request is something that we would like to add to our catalogue as a product for sale, we’ll give you a lower price than our normal custom work (since we do budget time for development) and you’ll be the first person to get one. This is a cheaper way of getting a custom item - but it does mean that some people might end up with a similar or even identical item in time. If you pay for a custom item that we do not intend to create a product for we’ll never make that item for anyone else.
All of this will be discussed and agreed upont between us, and paid for before work begins on a custom project.
We will discuss a project a little bit before agreeing to terms and payment... but if discussions drag on (more than a few emails) we will ask for a deposit on the design so that we are not spending our time (for free) on a project that will never happen. For more details on why we might ask for a deposit while discussing a design, please read Merlin Mann’s short parable about sandwiches and craftsmen.
Please note: While it is awesome for you to send us your idea for something we can make custom for you... any ideas that are sent to use will be considered our property and we reserve the right to exploit that idea or concept without recourse. We do not, EVER, pay people for ideas, concepts, or prototypes. We do not offer profit sharing in exchange for an idea. Ideas are amazing, but fundamentally cheap. We have more ideas that we can ever build on our own. The act of creation to bring an idea into reality is very hard. Follow-through is much more valuable (and costly) than an idea or dream.
Q: How long does a vacbed or vac-cube from Kink Engineering hold it’s seal (with the vacuum cleaner off) before you can move?
A: If everything is assembled properly and the closure bar is closed properly, a vacbed or vac-cube from Kink Engineering holds a near perfect seal for over 10 minutes without the vacuum cleaner running.
After that point it is noticeable that the vacbed has loosened a tiny bit... but that does not mean that it's escapable at that point. We have run scenes where the vacbed has been closed and sealed without any input from the vacuum that have lasted over half an hour.
When some air leakage has loosened the vacbed a little bit, it is simple enough to turn on the vacuum for a matter of a few seconds and the vacbed will be totally re-sealed and tight for another 10 minutes.
Compared to most other vacbeds on the market that have leaky zippers running the whole lenght of the vacbed - this makes for a much more quiet and less windy experience. It can be very zen-like to be wrapped in the latex embrace of a vacbed or cube in a quiet room, just listening to your own breathing. It also means that you can hear the great noises the person inside the bed make when you play with them from the outside!
As a safety note this sealed design helps reduce the risk of any over-heating of the vacuum cleaner, and also promotes easy communications between the person inside and the person outside the vacbed.
A: That's personal. Some people like them for the sensual look of shiny latex. Some for the fell of rubber on their skin. Some like that you can lubricate the sheets and make a very fun slip and slide zone in the bedroom for sensual massage and sex.
Another benefit is that any messiness that may result from all the fun that you're having in bed is safely kept away from your expensive mattress.
Q: Can I just lay down some latex sheeting?
A: Yes... laying down some of our regular sheeting is good for sill catching (especially if you lay it under a normal fitted sheet) but it's not quite as useful. Having a fitted sheet is the most fun part of the whole bed set. Because it is fitted to the mattress. it stays where you put it and allows for a great slippery play area. A loose sheet (flat sheet) if used to lie on top of tends to end up bunching up around you and being generally a pain.
Our flat sheet also is much wider than a single sheet of latex, and includes some trim along the top to make it look stylish.
Q: How do I know what size to get?
A: Measure your mattress. top and check our sizing chart:
Flat Sheet
(Oversized)Fitted Sheet
(Mattress size)Fitted
DepthPillow
CasesTwin 60" x 80" 39" x 75" 8" 27" x 18" Double/Full 74" x 80" 54" x 75" 8" 27" x 18" Queen 80" x 80" 60" x 80" 10" 27" x 18" King 96" x 80" 76" x 80" 10" 27" x 18" If you require a custom fit, please order the size that is closest to your measurements, and note the dimensions of your mattress on checkout, or contact us by email to ask. We can usually accommodate slightly odd sized mattresses for no additional charge!
Q: I want to slide around. What's the best lube for latex sheets?
A: For slipping and sliding around on your latex sheets, we don't recommend our latex shiner product... it is too thick for personal lubricant.
Eros silicone lubricant is our very favorite, but any silicone lube will do well. Water based lubes will work too, but may end up sticky if you play for too long and it starts to dry out.
We reccomend www.cheaplubes.com for bulk silicone lube! We purchase Wet Platinum by the Gallon! (Literally)
See our FAQ on Shining and Silicone Vs. Seams
Q: Why is latex bedding expensive?
A: Latex bedding is expensive because it uses up quite a lot of sheeting. Averaging about $18/yard, sheeting costs add up pretty quickly when your sheets take between 4-14 yards of latex to be constructed to fit your bed.
It also takes time for these sheets and pillow cases to be hand built. Each sheet or pillow case takes between 2-3 hours to construct. Since we pay our employees a good living wage, that means our products are built with care, and worth every penny we charge for them. We do our best to keep prices down, but not at the expense of our staff.
Because they are treated and paid fairly, they do GREAT work on your products.
Q: Can I make bed sheets myself?
A: Yes! (There are paterns here) The seams do tend to be long (which can be tricky for beginners) but the general skills used in making a fitted sheet, flat sheet or pillow case are relatively simple.
We suggest that you get a latex crafting kit to get started if you have not worked with latex before, then check out the patterns here to see how we build our sheets.
You can make sheets from any of our latex sheeting options. We recommend using a thickness of 0.33 or 0.45mm for bedding.
Note: 0.45mm is easier to work with and more durable.
Q: Do you offer the Penis Gasket option for the Vac Cube 3D product?
A: Sorry, we don't offer the Penis gasket on the vac-cube product as the way the cube operates makes it very difficult to use a penis gasket, or to have it lined up with the body during suction.
The cube also puts more strain on the latex near the midpoint of the cube's faces, and adding openings/seams at these locations would weaken the cube.
For a more comfortable and sensual vacuum bondage expereince you may want a more standard lie down vacbed... those do have the option of a penis gasket opening.
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