Is there a way to make silly putty without liquid starch?
Unfortunately not. Silly putty is made from a certain (probably trade secret) chain length silicone polymer oil that’s kinda crosslinked with boric acid. Believe it or not, elemental silicon is supposedly added nowadays, does something with the bounce properties. Boric acid is easily available. and elemental silicon powder can be bought at some pyrotech supply websites, but finding the correct type/chainlength of silicone oil is something that either will need company knowledge or painstaking experimentation. However, there are plenty of fun polymers that can be made at home. For example, a white rubbery Gak-like material can be made from mixing white glue with some saturated borax (available in some cleaning aisles) solution. Unfortunately, in my experience bacteria and mold tend to love munching on the acetate groups and it goes bad over time. Going to ChemistryStore.com will net you polyvinyl alcohol and sodium silicate solution. A 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol in water (made by
