Ultraslime and methylcellulose aren't the same... the US may have methocel in it but I know it's not the pure stuff. I know it's stabilized to retard spoilage and doesn't dry out as fast. Good stuff, but costs out the waz.
I wanted to look into buying methocel in bulk, since it's expensive to buy the little 1-lb cans from the FX stores, so I called up the local company that sells food chemicals in bulk. They don't sell retail tho, and I'm not a food manufacturer so they couldn't sell to me. So I contact Dow, the leading manufacturer; I figure hey, if I can buy 50-lb sacks of the stuff I'm in good shape. So I figure out which type is best for my purposes and call them to get a free sample (which they offer). What happened next... rrrrgh, hang on, I need to take a blood pressure pill here...
The woman on the phone takes my information and asks what I want it for. I tell her special FX and explain the whole slime thing. An hour later I get a phone call... it's her... and she starts asking me if I plan on using it in pyrotechnics. I'm confused by this, I re-explain the slime thing. And she asks again about pyrotechnics and explosives, and I re-explain the slime thing. And she asks AGAIN if I do pyrotechnics and explosives, I say *NO*, and explain -- in ridiculous detail -- the slime thing. And wait. For weeks. No samples. I complain about this to some friends, and one of them asks a friend of his who is a chemist. And word comes back...
Methylcellulose is used as a stabilizer in manufacture of explosives. Of course, it's also used in plaster, stucco, toothpaste, gelatin, shampoo, chicken breading... walk thru the local supermarket and in 5 minutes you will walk past 5 billion different things that use methylcellulose. But this is post 9-11 Amerika, and if there is even the remotest chance that something you're doing having a possible resemblance to something a terrorist might do, you're probably a terrorist. Here I'm just trying to make some goop and they're figuring I'm Timothy McVee. Good thing I didn't try to buy a Lite-Brite that same week; I'd probably be tied to a chair in Guantanamo right now.

:finger:
