having worked for a plastic company for years--I found your problem and how to solve it--see all plastic companies use a release agent in molds-soo those plastic buckets should have been washed in hot soapy warter good to get the mold release agent off--that way the plastic will bond better when melting and NOT separate.
Try cutting the pieces of plastic down more. Increased surface are means easier and faster melting, plus you get a pretty sweet "Tye-Dye" look to it. Also, most people say to melt it at 350°F, others say 400°F, but if you have a convection oven, try 385°F on convection. I have a convection oven, and 385°F works great. It melts evenly, I get no discolouration, and it comes out looking pretty cool. Also, if you compress it between 2 pieces of scrap granite like I do, it comes out smooth, shiny, and the same thickness all the way around.
Yeah if you haven't worked with plastics for a living, you tend to learn from the little mistakes like that, try a lower heat and leave it in for 3 times as long, this gives the plastic time to meld together, what you are doing is not using the heat to glue the strips together, it has to meld together, the longer the time on lower heat the better, don't be worried about forcing more strips in the pan as well the harder they are against each other the better the meld as well. give it a try.
Years ago, I worked in a shop that repaired aluminum molds that were used in plastic injection molding. The molds had fittings for liquid cooling. Perhaps you may want to experiment with a "dipping pan" for your molds. You probably can skip the putty knife separating your plastic from the pan as it shrinks on its own as it cools anyway. That could speed up your production. If there is release agent residue on your buckets, you may want to try washing them in a dishwasher, just remove the upper rack. I suppose you could hand wash them if you want or have to. Also, idk if that release agent is available to the public, but you might want to look into getting some, or at least getting a price. Have you tried making things other than slingshots?
I love humor in cyberspace. We need more of that. I might ask you to friend me if you have a FB, pin, imstagram acct. I have only one FB acquaitnence whose pastes puns. I love them.
You can manipulate the molten HDPE but it will be difficult to affect the pattern at the bottom of the blank. If you put something into the blank deep enough to mix it throughout whatever you utensil you used would be encased in HDPE when you are done mixing. To get a more consistent pattern its best to arrange the colors before mixing or add the separate colors in layers as you melt.
You could also melt the HDPE on a baking sheet and then as the poly becomes malleable you could pick up (take the appropriate safety concerns as it will be scalding hot) the whole ball and knead or twist it to get your desired effect.
How come no one thinks to cover the top while the blank is in the oven? This eliminates the char. I have a lid I made out of a piece of aluminum flashing that I put on top of my mold. It mostly does not touch the plastic in the melt. Sometimes a piece sticking up will get stuck on the lid I made when I overload my mold a little. I use random scraps, so they stick up all different ways. You only need to cover for the final part of the melt really. The lid works like a pie protector.
I'm needing boat hatches for my project and came across this. Starboard is HDPE but it's also very expensive. How well do you think this would make a boat hatch? Would it hold the weight of someone standing on it?
Try waxing the pan and dust it with corn starch before loading the plastic to help release the material from the sides of the pan. Also, mold release agent is available in aerosol cans. Also, try covering the pan with a lid or aluminum foil but don't allow it to come in contact with the HDPE. That might help alleviate the scorching of the top surface.
I have never used the bottle caps but know a lot of people have had good results with them. Any more I stick to 5gal buckets. They seem to provide the best finished product.
Had no idea about 5gal buckets. That would be like 40 single gallon jugs! Have you tried cutting them up more? I'm prepping all mine in 1/4 square pieces
If ur using slope sided tins just use a second one on top as your pressure mould. Putting pressure on while still soft fills any gaps. Like the idea of using ply as the measure. Once again clamping while soft would give a way of creating even thickness sheets.
great job but i suggest not to use the wooden press because it wont allow the plastic to completely fuse together and without the press the plastic will be much higher quality i simply melted the buckets into a square mold like you had but if you let it sit in the oven at 330-350 degrees farenheit it will take on the shape of the container and be much higher quality than with the wooden press i have a video on my channel if your interested
yeah but for me the buckets flowed right into the mold without a press i think because buckets are injection molded and the hdpe uses a resin that has a high melt flow meaning the hdpe flows without pressure however in the case of melting milk jugs they are blow molded and use a resin with a low melt flow meaning the hdpe wont flow into the mold it will be more like taffy or chewing gum consistency in this case yes a press will be neccessary and butter paper will simply make it easier to remove from the mold just never use aluminum foil because you will never get it off
у teenagers and frozen sorry noses please meaning would you like you have a sleep anymore celebrity look like you prices ever seen the righteous righteous righteous boom dragon lovely I
OK, I'm new to the HDPE as well. Couple of questions. 1) Why 350°? Why not 400° and let it become more pliable? 2) Would it be more beneficial to "cook it" for a longer period of time? 3) Would putting it into a taller oven reduce/eliminate the charing? Seems like it would as it would move the heating element away from the material. Just curious. Guy
Guy H. I'm sure cooking at 400° would not present a problem. (More than one way to skin a cat sort of thing) this is just the way I do it. I've prob made 20 or 30 blanks this way. Cooking for longer won't make the molten HDPE more viscous, it will just char the top more (particularly at a higher temp). Once the bubbles stop rising cooking more isn't beneficial. Since I made this video I've switched to a larger convection toaster oven but I'm not sure that this has caused less charring. In the end it's that important as the top of the billet will need to be removed any way to leave a clean surface. Hope this helps. I'd be happy to answer any more questions if you have any.
Are the Pyrex baking dishes still available? If so, you might experiment with using a micro wave oven for heat since they cook from the inside out. Maybe a very light coat of Pam to prevent sticking.
Love the White and blue combination is it safe to use a oven you used to cook food in or is it Best to purchase a separate oven and just have it dedicated to melting the plastic?
I have used my kitchen over to melt HDPE. As far as I know it's not harmful. I would be carful not to burn it however. The prob you are most likely to have is the residual smell of whatever was in the container originally and overflow bits of HDPE that sometimes drip off the pan. The melting process will release the smell. Pickles are particularly pungent. Depending on where you live a used toaster oven is an excellent choice. Goodwill often has them for cheap. Look for a convection oven model.
+Matthew Neyman ok I will have to take a look at goodwill tomorrow thank you for your time and fast reply I'm trying to do this to make a part for my truck they want $100 for a piece of plastic that I'm sure I can make well hope I can make lol well have a grate day man
Paul's Bushcraft camping n survival cooking Thanks man, glad you like them. I sell my stuff on Etsy. Here is a link to my page. www.etsy.com/shop/youllshootyereyeout?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Very cool. I am interested to know your opinion on any potential health risk associated with vapour emitted during the melting process. I have no idea, so I am asking...
+MusicTubeLover HDPE resins that are made by Dow and used for food-contact applications are in compliance with applicable U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and European Union (EU) directives/regulations for consumer safety. Eye and Skin Contact - Eye contact with HDPE resins or dust may cause irritation or corneal injury due to mechanical action (scratching). Vapor from the heated resin may cause mild discomfort and redness of the eyes. Prolonged skin contact is essentially nonirritating. These materials are often processed as molten polymers at elevated temperatures and skin contact with the heated material may cause burns. Inhalation - No adverse effects are anticipated from a single exposure to dust. Vapors or fumes released during thermal processing may cause respiratory irritation. Ingestion - These materials have very low toxicity if swallowed. However, the granules may represent a choking hazard. For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet. Back to top
I dont know what temp you had the oven set to but HDPE melts around 230 degrees fahrenheit but for molding and extrusion purposes I run mine closer to 400 Degrees and bring it up to temp pretty fast. Heating it slowly seems to build carbon and leaves black spots. I only use virgin material for HDPE but PVC and CPVC I'll run regrind all day.
+Matty Matt Matt i had luck melting hdpe even at 320 degrees this temperature completely eliminates any brown spots or degradation even though it may take longer
+killerbeenl I wash the buckets after I cut them up and before I melt them. I have taken to running the cut up buckets through my dishwasher. This seems to be a better alternative to hand washing.
Hi Matthew , How did you achieve the blue and white recycled HDPE which you used for the slingshot at the end of the video? that has a marbled look. please let us know
Thoes slingshots were made by random placement of HDPE chunks from five gallon buckets (dark blue, light blue, and white) using the melting method described in the video above.
Matthew how do you clean your HDPE before melting? I have a bunch of HDPE but it consists of mainly old milk jugs so I believe cleaning the plastic would be best do you have any thoughts on this?
Hi Matthew. Great video! Do you have any information on rHDPE? My favorite craft beer cans come in a six-pack top grab type sprue that is made from 96% PCR. Thanks, Kenn
+Kenn Alan I'm afraid I don't have any experience with rHDPE. At least as far as I know. It sounds like you drink A LOT of beer if you have enough 6 pack rings to be useful!!! Bravo!!!
Many of the buckets I have available to me have the labels printed directly into the plastic. I'm assuming this would need to come off? I tried a but with a wire wheel on my grinder and it got it off with a mess. But does the printed label cause the plastic to not bond in those areas, or would removing it just be for looks?
Timothy Ball I use a razor blade scraper to remove the printed labels. I do this for looks. As you are melting and fusing HDPE anything not HDPE will hinder the process. I don’t know if the paint will cause a failure but I’m pretty sure whatever you make will not be as strong as I could be. Paint, dirt, release agents all could be a cause for less than perfect slabs.
@@YoullShootYerEyeOutSlingshots so if it's not something structural, it seems like it could be left on there. I didn't try a razorblade because I was thinking of faster removal. I'll have to look it over again and try some things like the razorblade. For cleaning, I'm trying to figure out if it would be better to clean it before breaking it down, or cleaning after in a bath or in a container in the dishwasher or something.
Hi Matthew, I assume it doesnt smell or at least it is bearable to do it indoor? I tried to melt ABS and the smell was so strong and forced me to do outdoor with extension cable.
+thephatnguyen The smell will depend on what the container was used for. I mostly use five gallon buckets. The ones i get from restaurants are mostly pickle containers. There aint no way to remove that smell. When you melt them, it smells like pickles. Mostly not too much but you know there were some pickles around. Even when the plastic is cooled you''re not out of the woods. When you cut the blank the pickle smell comes back for a while. I have melted several batches in the kitchen and would again, but I prefer to have the whole operation contained in the garage. Having said all that you might end up with some containers that had some awfully stinky stuff in them and all bets are off.
Combat Robot Builder Be careful, most of the yellow buckets I have seen are PolyPropylene kitty litter buckets. It has a lower melting point than HDPE. PP = code 5, HDPE = code 2, 350 degrees vs 400.
Shea Sollars thanks for watching and for your suggestion. I suspect the crack were likely caused by a release agent not completely washed off one of the buckets. The clamp are used only to prevent warping while the blank shrinks as it cools. Over clamping can result in excessive squeeze out possibly distort the pattern.
mike mike you totally could put a weight on top especially if you are using household HDPE containers. With five gallon buckets it's not necessary as that type of HDPE flows much better.
What went wrong ??? You compressed the layers in the wrong direction. They should have been lain FLAT in the pan instead of on end. Also, the heat should have been increased gradually to allow more even heat to penetrate to the core of the material. Hope this helps, good luck !
Grilling sheets? Are they a bar-b-que supply item? I tried baking paper (aka parchment) but the milk jug pieces stuck to the paper. I think my oven thermometer reads 25F low, so that might be the problem (HDPE too hot) FWIW I want to make sheets 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Getting the labels off laundry soap and milk jugs is a real bitch.
+Chuck Yahrling Yep, look in with the BBQ stuff. For my money (and by money I mean time ) I don't even bother with the paper labels. I just cut around them. TBH I seldom use anything but five gallon buckets anymore.
Try using kerosene or goo gone to remove paper labels. Apply and let it sit for 10 minutes. Does not penetrate plastic coated labels very well. For plastic labels use a heat gun to soften the adhesive.
it says 6. it is that thing people used to use on their dinner table to hold salt, pepper, spices, etc, you know? you turn it. would like use it for mixed media art. it is very hard! don't have any tools, oven
ruth neff if it's not labeled #2 I wouldn't melt it. I'm not sure about the possible dangers regarding noxious fumes from melting other types of plastic. There are plenty of disposable household containers suitable for melting that are properly labeled #2. Good luck. Curious to see what you make!
Thank so much. I will use it then for something to put on it, I am thinking plastic pencils that I bought and don't work! But I have many colors of then. I live with my mom and don't think she will let me use her toaster oven or oven....However she is going away for 2 weeks. Would the smell be gone, or is there no smell melting #2?
having worked for a plastic company for years--I found your problem and how to solve it--see all plastic companies use a release agent in molds-soo those plastic buckets should have been washed in hot soapy warter good to get the mold release agent off--that way the plastic will bond better when melting and NOT separate.
Try cutting the pieces of plastic down more. Increased surface are means easier and faster melting, plus you get a pretty sweet "Tye-Dye" look to it. Also, most people say to melt it at 350°F, others say 400°F, but if you have a convection oven, try 385°F on convection. I have a convection oven, and 385°F works great. It melts evenly, I get no discolouration, and it comes out looking pretty cool. Also, if you compress it between 2 pieces of scrap granite like I do, it comes out smooth, shiny, and the same thickness all the way around.
Yeah if you haven't worked with plastics for a living, you tend to learn from the little mistakes like that, try a lower heat and leave it in for 3 times as long, this gives the plastic time to meld together, what you are doing is not using the heat to glue the strips together, it has to meld together, the longer the time on lower heat the better, don't be worried about forcing more strips in the pan as well the harder they are against each other the better the meld as well. give it a try.
Years ago, I worked in a shop that repaired aluminum molds that were used in plastic injection molding. The molds had fittings for liquid cooling. Perhaps you may want to experiment with a "dipping pan" for your molds. You probably can skip the putty knife separating your plastic from the pan as it shrinks on its own as it cools anyway. That could speed up your production. If there is release agent residue on your buckets, you may want to try washing them in a dishwasher, just remove the upper rack. I suppose you could hand wash them if you want or have to. Also, idk if that release agent is available to the public, but you might want to look into getting some, or at least getting a price. Have you tried making things other than slingshots?
Wow! Nice job. This is the way to do it. Thanks for showing us. Btw, nice workshop, you look well-equipped.
Hello friend good afternoon
Thanks for great sharing
Nice HOPE THAT'S GOOD 👍👍
So that's how the the Egyptians made the Tutankhamen's mask.
Wicked
I love humor in cyberspace. We need more of that. I might ask you to friend me if you have a FB, pin, imstagram acct. I have only one FB acquaitnence whose pastes puns. I love them.
You can manipulate the molten HDPE but it will be difficult to affect the pattern at the bottom of the blank. If you put something into the blank deep enough to mix it throughout whatever you utensil you used would be encased in HDPE when you are done mixing. To get a more consistent pattern its best to arrange the colors before mixing or add the separate colors in layers as you melt.
You could also melt the HDPE on a baking sheet and then as the poly becomes malleable you could pick up (take the appropriate safety concerns as it will be scalding hot) the whole ball and knead or twist it to get your desired effect.
Maybe fold or roll it?
Matthew Neyman can you melt the hdpe without a microowave?
Novis Evans he was using a toaster oven, not a microwave. You can use just about anything. I’ve seen griddles, ovens, kilns used to melt hdpe.
awesome voiceover of an excellent tutorial!
Thank you! Took me a while but I finally found this video.
Great video. Is it possible your oven is set on broil instead of bake? Or maybe your bottom element is shot.
How come no one thinks to cover the top while the blank is in the oven? This eliminates the char. I have a lid I made out of a piece of aluminum flashing that I put on top of my mold. It mostly does not touch the plastic in the melt. Sometimes a piece sticking up will get stuck on the lid I made when I overload my mold a little. I use random scraps, so they stick up all different ways. You only need to cover for the final part of the melt really. The lid works like a pie protector.
Also, not mistakenly using "Broil" helps a lot... Heh.
I'm needing boat hatches for my project and came across this. Starboard is HDPE but it's also very expensive. How well do you think this would make a boat hatch? Would it hold the weight of someone standing on it?
Try waxing the pan and dust it with corn starch before loading the plastic to help release the material from the sides of the pan.
Also, mold release agent is available in aerosol cans.
Also, try covering the pan with a lid or aluminum foil but don't allow it to come in contact with the HDPE. That might help alleviate the scorching of the top surface.
Parchment baking paper prevents sticking to the metal pan!
Mostly I use the dishwasher. The milk jugs won't self level during melting. You'll need to compress to remove the air bubbles.
I have never used the bottle caps but know a lot of people have had good results with them. Any more I stick to 5gal buckets. They seem to provide the best finished product.
Had no idea about 5gal buckets. That would be like 40 single gallon jugs! Have you tried cutting them up more? I'm prepping all mine in 1/4 square pieces
It looks really good, great colours
If ur using slope sided tins just use a second one on top as your pressure mould. Putting pressure on while still soft fills any gaps. Like the idea of using ply as the measure. Once again clamping while soft would give a way of creating even thickness sheets.
VERY NICE PIECES
great job but i suggest not to use the wooden press because it wont allow the plastic to completely fuse together and without the press the plastic will be much higher quality i simply melted the buckets into a square mold like you had but if you let it sit in the oven at 330-350 degrees farenheit it will take on the shape of the container and be much higher quality than with the wooden press i have a video on my channel if your interested
Dean Walcott Some other people suggested to put a butter paper on wooden press
yeah but for me the buckets flowed right into the mold without a press i think because buckets are injection molded and the hdpe uses a resin that has a high melt flow meaning the hdpe flows without pressure however in the case of melting milk jugs they are blow molded and use a resin with a low melt flow meaning the hdpe wont flow into the mold it will be more like taffy or chewing gum consistency in this case yes a press will be neccessary and butter paper will simply make it easier to remove from the mold just never use aluminum foil because you will never get it off
у teenagers and frozen sorry noses please meaning would you like you have a sleep anymore celebrity look like you prices ever seen the righteous righteous righteous boom dragon lovely I
Thanks for the warning! I was looking for info on using cardboard (Pringles cans) as molds when I came across your comment. I
OK, I'm new to the HDPE as well. Couple of questions. 1) Why 350°? Why not 400° and let it become more pliable? 2) Would it be more beneficial to "cook it" for a longer period of time? 3) Would putting it into a taller oven reduce/eliminate the charing? Seems like it would as it would move the heating element away from the material.
Just curious. Guy
Guy H. I'm sure cooking at 400° would not present a problem. (More than one way to skin a cat sort of thing) this is just the way I do it. I've prob made 20 or 30 blanks this way. Cooking for longer won't make the molten HDPE more viscous, it will just char the top more (particularly at a higher temp). Once the bubbles stop rising cooking more isn't beneficial. Since I made this video I've switched to a larger convection toaster oven but I'm not sure that this has caused less charring. In the end it's that important as the top of the billet will need to be removed any way to leave a clean surface. Hope this helps. I'd be happy to answer any more questions if you have any.
Are the Pyrex baking dishes still available? If so, you might experiment with using a micro wave oven for heat since they cook from the inside out.
Maybe a very light coat of Pam to prevent sticking.
So cool, great tutorial.
I wonder if the top would char if you covered it with foil? Great video! I subbed
Should put one of those bubble levels on top; like the ones you use on a pool table.
Love the White and blue combination is it safe to use a oven you used to cook food in or is it Best to purchase a separate oven and just have it dedicated to melting the plastic?
I have used my kitchen over to melt HDPE. As far as I know it's not harmful. I would be carful not to burn it however. The prob you are most likely to have is the residual smell of whatever was in the container originally and overflow bits of HDPE that sometimes drip off the pan. The melting process will release the smell. Pickles are particularly pungent. Depending on where you live a used toaster oven is an excellent choice. Goodwill often has them for cheap. Look for a convection oven model.
+Matthew Neyman ok I will have to take a look at goodwill tomorrow thank you for your time and fast reply I'm trying to do this to make a part for my truck they want $100 for a piece of plastic that I'm sure I can make well hope I can make lol well have a grate day man
Pretty clever and interesting.
So, a little background; Is this stuff heavy? how about flexing? does it work like wood? What are you going to use it for?
Seth Warner it's fairly dense and can be worked with woodworking tools. I got into HDPE to make slingshots but the uses are just about endless.
Wow loving the slingshots u made. Can u do a vid on that with the hdpe process
And do u sell the sling shots at all
Paul's Bushcraft camping n survival cooking Thanks man, glad you like them. I sell my stuff on Etsy. Here is a link to my page.
www.etsy.com/shop/youllshootyereyeout?ref=hdr_shop_menu
What about air bubbles? How do you get rid of them and great video and I am a new sub.
Very cool. I am interested to know your opinion on any potential health risk associated with vapour emitted during the melting process. I have no idea, so I am asking...
+MusicTubeLover
HDPE resins that are made by Dow and used for food-contact applications are in compliance with
applicable U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and European Union (EU)
directives/regulations for consumer safety.
Eye and Skin Contact - Eye contact with HDPE resins or dust may cause irritation or corneal
injury due to mechanical action (scratching). Vapor from the heated resin may cause mild
discomfort and redness of the eyes. Prolonged skin contact is essentially nonirritating. These
materials are often processed as molten polymers at elevated temperatures and skin contact with
the heated material may cause burns.
Inhalation - No adverse effects are anticipated from a single exposure to dust. Vapors or fumes
released during thermal processing may cause respiratory irritation.
Ingestion - These materials have very low toxicity if swallowed. However, the granules may
represent a choking hazard.
For more information, see the relevant Safety Data Sheet.
Back to top
+Matthew Neyman Thank you!
I dont know what temp you had the oven set to but HDPE melts around 230 degrees fahrenheit but for molding and extrusion purposes I run mine closer to 400 Degrees and bring it up to temp pretty fast. Heating it slowly seems to build carbon and leaves black spots. I only use virgin material for HDPE but PVC and CPVC I'll run regrind all day.
+Matty Matt Matt i had luck melting hdpe even at 320 degrees this temperature completely eliminates any brown spots or degradation even though it may take longer
Milk jugs, bleach bottles, motor oil cans and a lot more are also make from hdpe
great vid Matt.........................i've copied it so may time's and recycled lots of hdpe2
+terry Hagan. You even recyling videos! Great job for the universeve!
Instead of a metal pan, have you tried silicone?
Did you degrease the parts before ovening it? Maybe the issue. Washing them with a degreaser (detergent). Plastic and grease don't mix.
+killerbeenl I wash the buckets after I cut them up and before I melt them. I have taken to running the cut up buckets through my dishwasher. This seems to be a better alternative to hand washing.
Hi Matthew , How did you achieve the blue and white recycled HDPE which you used for the slingshot at the end of the video? that has a marbled look. please let us know
Thoes slingshots were made by random placement of HDPE chunks from five gallon buckets (dark blue, light blue, and white) using the melting method described in the video above.
Thats a great beard!!!
MagazzagaM My eyes are up here! HaHa. Thanks!
How many pails did you use to make that size?
do you have a vid on how you made those catapult handles they do look good.
horse rider sure do! Check this out!
ua-cam.com/video/waZDSdY2KHQ/v-deo.html
Smaller, loose pieces will heat faster, more evenly, and give better results but might not give the desired color effect.
How much time do you have to wait to plastic melt?
Matthew how do you clean your HDPE before melting? I have a bunch of HDPE but it consists of mainly old milk jugs so I believe cleaning the plastic would be best do you have any thoughts on this?
+ontheEDGE
I use the dishwasher.
soap and water
Hi Matthew. Great video!
Do you have any information on rHDPE? My favorite craft beer cans come in a six-pack top grab type sprue that is made from 96% PCR.
Thanks,
Kenn
+Kenn Alan
I'm afraid I don't have any experience with rHDPE. At least as far as I know. It sounds like you drink A LOT of beer if you have enough 6 pack rings to be useful!!! Bravo!!!
Many of the buckets I have available to me have the labels printed directly into the plastic. I'm assuming this would need to come off? I tried a but with a wire wheel on my grinder and it got it off with a mess. But does the printed label cause the plastic to not bond in those areas, or would removing it just be for looks?
Timothy Ball I use a razor blade scraper to remove the printed labels. I do this for looks. As you are melting and fusing HDPE anything not HDPE will hinder the process. I don’t know if the paint will cause a failure but I’m pretty sure whatever you make will not be as strong as I could be. Paint, dirt, release agents all could be a cause for less than perfect slabs.
@@YoullShootYerEyeOutSlingshots so if it's not something structural, it seems like it could be left on there.
I didn't try a razorblade because I was thinking of faster removal. I'll have to look it over again and try some things like the razorblade.
For cleaning, I'm trying to figure out if it would be better to clean it before breaking it down, or cleaning after in a bath or in a container in the dishwasher or something.
Timothy Ball to clean buckets I cut the them in half, then remove the bottoms and put through the dishwasher
Hi Matthew, I assume it doesnt smell or at least it is bearable to do it indoor?
I tried to melt ABS and the smell was so strong and forced me to do outdoor with extension cable.
+thephatnguyen
The smell will depend on what the container was used for. I mostly use five gallon buckets. The ones i get from restaurants are mostly pickle containers. There aint no way to remove that smell. When you melt them, it smells like pickles. Mostly not too much but you know there were some pickles around. Even when the plastic is cooled you''re not out of the woods. When you cut the blank the pickle smell comes back for a while. I have melted several batches in the kitchen and would again, but I prefer to have the whole operation contained in the garage. Having said all that you might end up with some containers that had some awfully stinky stuff in them and all bets are off.
+Matthew Neyman
Thanks for your fast reply, I actually planned to melt the jugs from Tropicana and other orange juice.
It seems labor-intensive and a heavy electricity user. Don't you think?
What would happen if you mixed the plastic while it was melting?
Interesting source of plastic. Never thought to use buckets.
Combat Robot Builder Be careful, most of the yellow buckets I have seen are PolyPropylene kitty litter buckets. It has a lower melting point than HDPE. PP = code 5, HDPE = code 2, 350 degrees vs 400.
I think you should clamp it a little tighter to prevent the cracks
Shea Sollars thanks for watching and for your suggestion. I suspect the crack were likely caused by a release agent not completely washed off one of the buckets. The clamp are used only to prevent warping while the blank shrinks as it cools. Over clamping can result in excessive squeeze out possibly distort the pattern.
thanks Mathew
super good
Do you sell these hdpe slingshots?
I do. I just finished a run of HDPE slingshots. The best way to contact me is through Facebook or Instagram
How about putting a brick or heavy weight on top of it in the oven ?
mike mike you totally could put a weight on top especially if you are using household HDPE containers. With five gallon buckets it's not necessary as that type of HDPE flows much better.
What went wrong ???
You compressed the layers in the wrong direction. They should have been lain FLAT in the pan instead of on end. Also, the heat should have been increased gradually to allow more even heat to penetrate to the core of the material.
Hope this helps, good luck !
Any luck using HDPE bottle caps?
Can i use this to fix my leak basketball
Kool!
One problem I see is preventing air bubbles or voids from forming
Grilling sheets? Are they a bar-b-que supply item? I tried baking paper (aka parchment) but the milk jug pieces stuck to the paper. I think my oven thermometer reads 25F low, so that might be the problem (HDPE too hot) FWIW I want to make sheets 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Getting the labels off laundry soap and milk jugs is a real bitch.
+Chuck Yahrling
Yep, look in with the BBQ stuff. For my money (and by money I mean time ) I don't even bother with the paper labels. I just cut around them. TBH I seldom use anything but five gallon buckets anymore.
reply!
take a heat gun or hair dryer, blow hot air 5-10 seconds over the label and it comes off without leaving residue.
Try using kerosene or goo gone to remove paper labels. Apply and let it sit for 10 minutes. Does not penetrate plastic coated labels very well. For plastic labels use a heat gun to soften the adhesive.
Smart
A piece of tin foil on top will stop the scorching.
Your 'pastries' are colorful, but are sure to be a bit chewy!
how many degree celcius ??
hanafi tanudjaya Google is your friend.
176 deg C.
i have #6 HDPE. what can i do with that? Thanks. Like the beard!
Hi there, I'm not sure what you have as the recycling code #6 is for polystyrene. Looks for #2 (HDPE) and #4 LDPE.
it says 6. it is that thing people used to use on their dinner table to hold salt, pepper, spices, etc, you know? you turn it. would like use it for mixed media art. it is very hard! don't have any tools, oven
ruth neff if it's not labeled #2 I wouldn't melt it. I'm not sure about the possible dangers regarding noxious fumes from melting other types of plastic. There are plenty of disposable household containers suitable for melting that are properly labeled #2. Good luck. Curious to see what you make!
Thank so much. I will use it then for something to put on it, I am thinking plastic pencils that I bought and don't work! But I have many colors of then. I live with my mom and don't think she will let me use her toaster oven or oven....However she is going away for 2 weeks. Would the smell be gone, or is there no smell melting #2?
I have safely fused HDPE at 375 and 400 degrees F.
At what temp
Try a microwave
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