Melting Plastic

[contec]

quick question, the 2 liter soda bottles, can those be heated and thermoformed? Or will they just go dull? for a visor.

I think they will shrink from the heat.... If you have a water-cooker you can test this. Cook some water until it boils (100 Degrees C ) Then pour the water into the 2 liter soda bottle. Wait and see Please post a picture of the bottle with the hot water inside standing next to a bottle without the water. The water will mostly turn the plastic into the original shape that it had before and that is the shape of a testtube Like this :

I have tested this and it shrunk to 1/3 its size.

 

[Boba Fett]

Thanks. I'll try it, but good to know.]



Edit: yeah, I meant I'd try the hot water in the bottle thing. I'll wing it on something else, to see if it is even possible to use on simple shapes.

 

[guido666]

Thanks. I'll try it, but good to know.

I think he was trying to tell you that he didn't think it would work.



I wonder if you could do some quasi-vacuform thing with plexiglass though.



You should start a new post about it, so we don't hijack this one.

 

[Bigwillie5]

its alright i dont mind

 

[thatdecade]

Most plastic I find bubbles up when heated. Kind of ruins re-molding it.



You should look into doing this same idea with lead. That would work great! Lead is just as inexpensive as recycled plastic, equally toxic when melted, and can easily be painted with powder coat (seals in the toxic goodness).

 

[Bigwillie5]

um no thank u, i mean i already get enough contact with lead every day (i shoot airifles that fire lead pellets for competitive purposes) and i dont wanna be in any risk of poisoning

 

[Boba Fett]

Nah, lead's great! Anything high in chemicals that are likely to kill you, THAT's what you want... lol!

 

[contec]

Nah, lead's great! Anything high in chemicals that are likely to kill you, THAT's what you want... lol!

Yeah, Why dont we all smoke as well If DOCTORS smoke it CAN'T be bad!! Right?

 

[Boba Fett]

Certainly! Just like abspestos!

 

[mattmann1]

SOme info I found/know.

1. fumes let off by burning plasic are TOXIC so don't ever try to melt it with fire please.

2 there are different types of common plastics (indicated by their # which is used in recycling. This # can be easily found on the surface of the plasic inside a recycling symbol)

type 1-pete plastic-most common use soda bottles-can be recycled

type 2-hdpe plastic-found in milk jugs etc.-can be recycled

type 3-pvc plastic-found in detergent and cleaner bottles etc.-DO NOT GET NEAR HEAT VERY TOXIC

type 4-ldpe plastic-found in grocery bags etc.

type 5-pp plastic-found in fast food straws etc.-high melting point

type 6-ps plastic-found in those clear plastic cartons from bakeries etc.-IS A SHRINKY DINK, ENOUGH SAID

type 7-OTHER-yep there are more those are just the most common

so there you go plasics are all different and unless you do TONS of research you should NEVER play with them and heat.