are there any tricks to recycled plastic as a DIY exercise?

Question

necessity is the mother of invention and all that.

I need a 6 inch length of 20mm dia plastic and cant find a local supplier that I can get to in lunch breaks.

I was looking at the stack of coca cola PET bottles I've collected and wondered what tricks there were to melting this down to a rod of machinable plastic. the properties of the neck plastic seem ok.

are there techniques that work well enough in the workshop?

what are the pitfalls to remelting something like PET? does the remelt have the usual strength properties once it has cooled?

(the gingery injection moulding thread showed some knowledgeable guys around)

Stealth Pilot

Steve Lusardi · Accepted Answer

The solution is called mail order. Try eBay. Everything is available.Steve

Den · Answer

What suburb are you woring in?  Canning Vale? Osb Park? Belmont?

Bob Engelhardt · Answer

From my very limited experience, I would say NO! "Melting down" is not something that PET does. It is so viscous that it doesn't flow to fill a container except under pressure. Under heat it becomes soft globs, not what you'd call liquid.

To repeat: from my very limited experience, Bob

DoN. Nichols · Answer

In particular, I've ordered 12" lengths of 1" diameter (a bit over 20mm, so you can turn it down) Delrin (Acetal) from MSC. You have a choice of "natural" (sort of whiteish), or black. It is a very nice to machine plastic.

I certainly would not try Coke bottle plastic for most things. I would expect it to be nasty to machine.

Enjoy, DoN.

Stealth Pilot · Answer

applecross. I really should take the full hour for lunch but it isbusy.the suppliers I knew seem to have moved or gone bust.

Alan · Answer

I have just been out to the workshop to check the size of the plastic rod ( Tecaform AH ) I have but it is only 16.4mm dia. You are welcome to a bit of it, I got it from some mob in Welshpool, a bit of a push from Applecross at lunchtime, I am in Gosnells.

Alan

Den · Answer

I've some 30mm od white nylon - at least I think it's nylon. If you want 8" of that for nothing mail me on rds20008 AT  with your mobile# and we can organise something.

Den · Answer

Sorry - should have been rds2008, one too many zeros.

are there any tricks to recycled plastic as a DIY exercise?

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