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stormtrooperguy Expert
Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 126
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: what do you do with the scraps? |
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Mainly for the hobbyist, since pros have a whole different set of problems.
What do you do with the scraps from your vac forming projects? I hate just throwing it away. That's pretty environmentally unfriendly.
I've talked to a few places around me and no-one seems to want styrene scrap. ABS they'll take, but not HIPS. |
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jdougn Guru
Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 714 Location: Louisville KY area
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, you're doing better than I am. No one around here will even take the ABS unless it's over 5000 lbs. But you're right, it always seems a shame to just throw it away. _________________ DougN - Just in case you're wondering, I got my "rating" legitimately... by posting aimless drivel, useless advice, and pointless questions. |
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LaughingCheese Expert
Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 138
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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Is there anyway you could melt the plastic into each other to make new sheets?
I have no idea how the plastic is made but it would be cool to reuse the stuff, given how bad it can be for the environment. |
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Benjaminvegeta Novice
Joined: 21 Feb 2010 Posts: 36 Location: Bavaria/Germany
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:41 am Post subject: |
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You won´t be able to melt the pieces together into 1 nice sheet. when heating in the oven the new sheet will most likely tear apart at the joining edges.
a sheet for vacuforming should be extruded with a special machine. and those are expensive.
I will use the plastic scraps for mixing 2 component stuff like car body filler. Another thing I want to try someday is to throw the scrap into a blender. And then use the tiny plastics to thicken resins.
In general there are lots of possibilities for the scraps to be used. I throw them in a huge box and then take some out when needed. The plastic scraps kann be cut and trimmed to form nice and new tools, for example for sculpting small details into clay. _________________ If it doesn´t exist, build it! |
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MonkeyTrooper Newbie
Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 6
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Most recycling centers take plastics, some more types than others. HIPS/PS is #6, ABS is #7, PETE is #1, and HDPE is #2. The rest I doubt many or anyone would vac form.
Also Laird plastics will take it all. They will buy it back if you are recycling a 1000 lbs at a time. |
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stormtrooperguy Expert
Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 126
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:37 am Post subject: |
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I found a place that will take it. I have to pay for disposal, but it's $6 / 55 gallon bag of scrap, so it's not bad. Better than a landfill! |
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kayaker43 Expert
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 175
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 10:55 am Post subject: |
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Yeah it bothers me too,.. I once saved up a years worth of yogurt cups (300+) then found out they were #7 or something the recycler wouldn't take. I ended up shipping them back to Dannon with a nasty letter. I boycot Boston Market because you end up with a mountain of plastic that was just used to get your food from the counter to the table, then sits in a landfill for 100 years.
I never found anyone to take Styrene scraps in small quantities. I even thought about giving away free re-usable #6 recycling symbols so you could lay them on the scrap areas. Some recyclers won't take unmarked plastics. _________________ Doug Walsh
www.build-stuff.com
Hobby-Vac and Proto-Form machine plans
Also other plans books and videos for people who like to build things |
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MonkeyTrooper Newbie
Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 6
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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I guess that I'm lucky that I have a local recycling center that takes #1-7 plastics. |
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jegner Site Admin
Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 2144 Location: Texas, USA
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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I have struggled with this as well, and so far my city takes the plastic as part of a recycling program. But with the current budget crunch, I don't know how much longer that city service will last.
One way is to chop it up, either small scale with a blender, or with a wood chipper. Then, using a heater, and a double boiler, you could melt the plastic sheets down, and pour ingots out of it. OR, get into injection molding, and use the plastic for that! |
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stormtrooperguy Expert
Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 126
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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the wood chipper thing is something that has come up. i was wondering if the plastic would damage the chipper at all. |
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sulla Novice
Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 75 Location: Indianapolis, IN
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jdougn Guru
Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 714 Location: Louisville KY area
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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stormtrooperguy wrote: | the wood chipper thing is something that has come up. i was wondering if the plastic would damage the chipper at all. |
I've cut ABS with my circular saw, jig saw, and band saw at different times. ABS dulls saw blades a quicker than wood, even carbide tip blades. _________________ DougN - Just in case you're wondering, I got my "rating" legitimately... by posting aimless drivel, useless advice, and pointless questions. |
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stormtrooperguy Expert
Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 126
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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i'm a big fan of that stuff!
alas, i'd need at least 50 gallons of thinner to melt all the styrene i've got right now
i took a bag of scraps and put them out with the curbside recycling this week and they took it. so, i'll pick up a big recycle barrel and see how that goes.
our city gets paid by the ton for the amount of recycling we do, so maybe this will work out well for the community! |
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kayaker43 Expert
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 175
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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Check your recycling rules? I spent time at a large recycling center. They dump a load of plastic on an empty floor and a guy makes a judgement call whether it matches what they want #2 #3 etc.. If it looks good they bulldoze it into one pile. If he sees mixed plastics or wrong materials, it gets bulldozed into another pile that goes to the landfill. They won't take chances with contamination, they only get paid for good batches and get fined for polluted ones.
We all mean well but can sometimes do more harm than good when trying to trick the recyclers into taking something they shouldn't.
They are starting to get more tolerant of plastic types as their sorting methods get more sophisticated but when you see specific numbers, don't disregard them or you could cause an otherwise good batch to go to the landfill. _________________ Doug Walsh
www.build-stuff.com
Hobby-Vac and Proto-Form machine plans
Also other plans books and videos for people who like to build things |
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stormtrooperguy Expert
Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 126
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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our town takes all plastics 1 - 7. if i remember right, hips is #6, so it should be safe.
it's probably worth calling the town though just to confirm. |
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