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Plastic Smithing
by stasterisk on October 12, 2008

Table of Contents
Plastic Smithing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: Plastic Smithing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: Add oil, and stew. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Mash it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Get Moldy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 6: Enjoy! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Author:stasterisk author's website

Hi! I'm Star Simpson! I'm a real me! See more at [http://stars.mit.edu stars.mit.edu].
photo by [http://bea.st/ Jeff Lieberman] (http://bea.st)
stasterisk - my name is Star, and when I was 13 I signed my name as "St*r", with the * a five pointed star with the "A" a bit bolder.
I think I once shortened it to "ST*" and my best friend glanced over and said "ST*?" "How am I even supposed to pronounce that, 'st-asterisk'?"
hence stasterisk!

Intro: Plastic Smithing

How to make really good hard plastic while reusing and recycling plastic bags at home! Via this method, you can make ANYTHING you want to, out of hard, lightweight,
real plastic that's astoundingly durable. It comes out very similar in texture to recycled plastic lumber.
best of all, this method involves no fumes!
I'm gonna show you how to make plastic wheels for your robot!
I first heard about stewing plastic bags to make new things from Dave Huebsch 's book " Village Assignment " about interesting adventures had while running a
charity/NGO (" Common Hope ") in Guatemala. He, amazingly, repaired the bottom weight-carrying main bearing of a washing machine with a big plastic disc made of
stewed plastic bags, which actually was such a good stand-in replacement that it held up for several years. (and here are some more Guatemalan Handy Tricks )
I had to try it right away, and the first couple times I just burnt plastic, until I came up with this method.
By the end of this, you'll be able to make yourself a knife sheath, mold around your shoes and make DIY hard-toe sneakers, wheels, bearings, bushings, or any kind of
plastic part! Take pictures and post them in the comments!

Step 1: Materials
Collect all the plastic bags you can get, they shrink down a lot.
Shredding them will make your final texture finer.
Use an old pot that you aren't going to use for food any more, or get one secondhand for really cheap at a thrift store.
Find a stick or something else you can use for a spatula.
I liked the clothespin a lot because I could pick things up as well as stir.
Oh, and oil! (I used canola because it was right there next to my stove. If you're, for example, making a bearing you can impregnate it with your personal favorite grease.)
So grab your favorite oil, here's why:
Plastic bags are made of LDPE (low density polyethylene) which melts at 248 F.
I got the temperature wrong and tried doing this in a homemade double boiler filled with water (to regulate the temperature to water's boiling point), which, of course, just
made hot plastic bags.
After the double-boiler mistake I re-read the LDPE melt-point and discovered my folly! So I came up with melting them in oil.
Cooking oil boils around 350, which is far too hot for plastic, and which you don't want anyway (splashing boiling oil = no fun unless you're a hun), so I keep it to a nice
low-viscosity canola oil heat and things work just fine.
If you wanted a smooth, non-oily finished surface, consider using wax instead.
ALSO: oil is not required per se -if you had a constant temperature hot surface that you could guarantee to keep down around the melting point, you could do this just fine with no oil or wax!

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Step 2: Add oil, and stew.

It doesn't really matter what polyethylene you use, you can melt HDPE plastic bottles in too, if you want.
That is, Resin Identification Code #2 and #4 are both good.
Polyethylene Terephthalate, that is PETE/PET or #1, may also work.
EDIT : Thanks to reader concern, I will state what may not be obvious from the pictures: there are no fumes. There's no smoke, no fans, no inhalation hazard. If there's
smoke or fumes, you're doing something wrong and you're burning the plastic. That's why you use oil for temperature regulation.
The plastic bags do this alive-shrinky thing that looks really neat, so I took a video!

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Step 3: Mash it
When it's tacky like chewing gum, start mashing it around to get the different bag-lumps to stick to each other. A hand blender would be exceptionally helpful in this
situation, but I chose to merely wreck one of my mom's forks instead.

Step 4: Get Moldy

Now, while it's still pliable, put it into the form you want!
Since I'm just experimenting, I grabbed a salsa container that looked about the right shape for a wheel mold, and a wine bottle to make the hole in the middle.
I don't know any special techniques for molding and casting, but matt , rachel , bilal , paul , freemanmfg and smooth-on do!
If you were a molding ninja, you could make a plastic positive of your own face!

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Step 5: Freeze
Let it cool like cookies, or if you're impatient, make it cool faster in the freezer.

Step 6: Enjoy!
There's the finished thing. It's got a lot of visual texture/color swirls, but it's actually a pretty regular surface. The circle turned out very well, and you can carve on this,
machine it, turn it, and drill it, if you want something more precise.
This shows the finished product, the wheel, as well as another disc I made, and a video of just how surprisingly bouncy homemade plastic is.

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Improvements to make:
I'd love to try using wax, instead of oil, so that the final surface is less greasy.
Shredding the bags beforehand would probably give a more homogeneous texture.
Also exciting! If you machined down a brick like this into large-ish chunks, you could feed them to your homemade injection molder! DIY action figures, hooray!

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Related Instructables

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Two Part
Silicone Mold by
bofthem

Lifecasting hands by
stienman

Constructing a
3D Settlers of
Catan Board by
homechicken

Rapid
Technique:
Preparing
Plastic #11;CNC
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for Parts Used
in#11;Prototyping
Scientific
Equipment by
siderits

Plastic molding
with grocery
bags by
LinuxH4x0r

Dr. Mario Statue

with Viruses by
skittlespider

Comments
view all 188 comments

50 comments Add Comment

imagigadgets says:

Feb 13, 2011. 12:08 AM REPLY

If you used plastic bottles that were clear, could you forge something clear?
I ask because I'm looking for a cheap substitute for Plexiglass, mostly for its... clarity.

greenminded says:

Jan 9, 2011. 3:56 AM REPLY

I entered a winning idea which is similar to the discussion here. See idea posted entry number 4 : by Mary Jean Netario Cruz
http://hapinoy.com/12finalist.html
Blocks of Hope
"Plastic Pollution is one of the major reasons of the last years Ondoy disaster that put Metro Manila under a devastating flood. In spite of this horrible
experience it has been noticed that drainage and floodways continued to be clogged by plastics. An enterprising solution must have to be achieved to
recycle and make money out of this garbage. These plastics can be made into blocks where in it can be used to build a shelter. Other use is it can be made
into furniture, just like how lego works. An electric block machine has to be designed, either for every home use or for cooperative to process the used plastic
into a block. Each block will be sold to the one who build the house or create the furniture using the blocks as one of its major materials. These
manufacturers or engineers will design a system where all they have to do is to be like a kiddo playing creation from lego toys. These blocks will be mainly to
be used as walls, tables chairs or depending on the block per part design basis. This will solve problems of the plastics and generate income for the
household."
Can anyone help me on technical side for my business plan preparation? Deadline is on Jan 29, 2011. For those who can help me, please email me at
greenmindedinc@yahoo.com

plzspoilme25

says:
(removed by author or community request)

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Feb 27, 2009. 3:03 PM

plzspoilme25

Feb 27, 2009. 3:06 PM REPLY

says:
okay ive searched all the ppl listed above for molding and casting ideas, i still can't find what i need. i'm wanting to try this to make my seed flats to
germanate my seeds the flats i'm using are the 20 row variety, they are not very expensive...around 3 bucks each, but they are not easy to get ahold of
shipping cost a fortune for them at seed starting supply sites, and the most local place here is 2 hours away....besides i want to reuse the plastic bags i
have....and try this out, my problem is coming up with some sort of mold to be able to pour this mixture into...i do like the idea of the wax added since i
last read this. for those not familar with seed flats this is "i think" a 11"x13" plastic tray with 20 separate groves in it for dividing up seeds. i'd like for mine
to be a bit shorter perhaps to fit on the shelf system i have for my indoor 'germination station' this seems like a good process to try out except for i need
the mold for it....heck y not go ahead and make all my own cell packs while i'm at it....flower pots too....and yes maybe even the plastic lumber (as
already mentioned) for my raised garden beds...ANY ideas? i already watched every video and read all the articles here on subject....still not sure what
i've found will work for me...i'm gonna try one casting method but think its too complex for me to do......all in all the outer lining of the ones i got aren't
very thick or strong, as most cell pack arent either, so i just need something very thin....obviously the original trays and cell packs are injection molds, but
i know there has to be a way of doing this....pic is from stock photo at mail order company, the item i need is the front tray, but while i'm at it i can try the
other types as well TNX in advance for any ideas...

Marlock1 says:

Oct 14, 2010. 10:24 PM REPLY

For the grooved one, you could glue dowels onto a flat surface and cover it with the melted plastic.
You could set another board on top as it cools, to make a flat bottom when it has cooled.
For the tubs, glue those small pudding containers to a clear (plexiglass) sheet and use a jigsaw to remove the clear material above each tub.
... glue the plastic rings from a six pack of cola to the tubs?

zfolwick says:

Aug 6, 2010. 9:46 PM REPLY

I'm thinking about trying some clay that I have on hand. It cost about $10 for a LOT of clay. about 20 lbs worth it feels like.

Rogue Gourmet says:

May 7, 2009. 7:39 AM REPLY

plzspoilme25, you could try filling your containers (as shown above) with plaster or paris - right to the top - and add a layer or two of burlap soaked in
plaster for strength. When the plaster has set well - remove the plaster and you have a press mold. After adding a mold release agent (like Pam)
liberally into your mold press the softened plastic material into the plaster mold, let it cool and you should be good to go with this. It might take several
tries to get this where you want it to be, and your final product will not be as thin - but I bet this process will work for you.

plzspoilme25

Oct 8, 2009. 3:27 PM REPLY

says:
Thanks for your idea, i guess originally i didnt want to use the tray to put plaster of paris in actully i couldnt cause it had seedlings in it at the time,
any way, besides that i didnt know if it the tray would "hold" the plaster of pairs, but i got a new idea for that problem using tape....and i wasnt
sure if the plastic tray would seperate from the plaster of paris when it dried. like i said i didnt have the tray available at the time but needed more
trays.....now i'll be starting with empty trays again so may be able to make this work.....
NEW Question, does the plaster of paris hold up to the hot plastic being pored on it? any other ideas is so, or other ideas to use besides the
melted plastic as i' havent had a lot of luck doing that process.btw this is something i'm wanting to mass produce to use in various types of packs
and planting trays, i'd like to get good enough that my packs can hold plants that could be carried and sold at farmers market in the future.
THANKS

xenobiologista says:

Dec 3, 2009. 6:14 AM REPLY

I don't have any experience moulding or casting but I do know that plaster of Paris is made of minerals so most likely it won't melt or anything.
The only thing you have to worry about is dropping and breaking it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster_of_paris

Silver X Viper says:

Apr 21, 2009. 8:15 PM REPLY

YO If im right you said you have something like whats in the picture but the plastic is too thin or something... well just take that and get something that
it will fit in that is idealy plastic or metal or glass, and if its cookware be sure you dont need it anymore. put it into the container upside down tape the
sides so its plastic-tight (LOL) and make sure any other holes are covered with tape and then just pour in the liquified plastic bags... voila! Your own
mass seed starter from bags. Oh and do use duct tape or you run a decent risk of melting it otherwise or even better GORILLA TAPE. Last at your
discresion you may wish to tape the entire bottom of the seed starter thing if youre pretty sure it will melt otherwise dont bother.

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

zfolwick says:

Aug 6, 2010. 9:56 PM REPLY

I tried this a couple weeks ago using water and covering it with a lid. I turned the stove on high. When I took the lid off to see how it was doing, it burst into
flames. I then poured it onto an old cutting board I had and tried to flatten it the best I could. When I was done I had a lumpy mess on my hands. After it dried
it was SUPER hard and seemed very, VERY strong for what it was. Tonight I tried the same thing with crisco and a little better preparation. I flattened the
goop to about 1/4 inch thick (it didn't burst into flames this time!) and let it air-dry. I then washed the residue off with dishwasher soap and cut a rectangle out.
It seemed much less brittle than the water-melted version. I could bend and twist it easily. also cutting it with my hacksaw gave feathered edges. I will
probably heat the rectangle plate up on the stove (in water) and stick it in my freezer to see if I can still get the nice hard material I had before. I would like to
make an oil-based blank and then finish the mold using water immersion.

lpkid1057 says:

Jun 30, 2010. 10:54 PM REPLY

I just melted two bags using a double boiler method tonight. The first pot was lined with vegetable oil, the second was a Pyrex glass with enough vegetable
to cover the bags. One bag was shredded into fine pieces and the other was just folded up and added once the oil was sufficiently hot. (Not using oil as a
medium didn't work. I was forced to cover the bags with oil to get them to melt. The layer of bag touching the Pyrex melted and stuck to it like bubble gum
while the rest just remained at room-temp)
both bags became viscous and fused together after pressing (read: mashing) them together with a fork. I removed the mash and allowed it to freeze.
Heres the question. The vegetable oil cooled into a whitish petroleum jelly-like substance. What is it? did the bags decompose somewhat? some
polyethylene strands dissolved into the oil enough to turn it almost solid? I don't believe there are any plasticizers or fillers in the plastic bags, just spun /
woven polyethylene. Any Ideas?

Endif says:

Jun 13, 2010. 11:24 AM REPLY

It makes me wonder if this would make harvesting/mining the Texas-sized garbage patch in the Pacific for materials a cost-effective business model..

studer.steven says:

Jun 13, 2010. 5:05 PM REPLY

I have been trying to make a full plain to do just that for a few years. There are some interesting ways to so it if you include the cell phone recycles
systems also.

Endif says:

Jun 13, 2010. 11:23 AM REPLY

So one could use any oil? What about used motor oil? And does the plastic soak up/bond with any of the oil, or does it simply remain in the pot for re-use? In
a scenario where this technique would be most valuable (post-modern-civilization), food-grade oils will be far too valuable to waste on something like this. I
guess one could use oil that has gone rancid...

PlayPatterns says:

Jun 12, 2010. 8:40 AM REPLY

this was such a cool idea, I tried it myself! Thinking to make childrens' blocks, but need them to come out a little less fugly first....also would this be safe for
children? All kindsa toys are made out of #2 plastic anyway....the full build details are at my site, Push The Other Button.

twotowner says:

Jan 4, 2010. 6:32 PM REPLY

I decided to try the plastic melting yesterday. I had the opportunity to try it using wax instead of oil because that is what I had on hand. (Wife had a paraffin
wax therapy unit she hasn't used in years) I started out trying a double boiler method. But even after getting the wax up over 300F on my candy
thermometer, the plastic bag I was testing really wasn't melting much and the milk jug plastic not at all. (I wanted to try the jug plastic because it seemed
tougher) I eventually gave up and put the jugs directly into the wax. This worked quite well. I was a bit concerned that the heat had to be up close to 320F on
my thermometer to get close to workable plastic. It made me wonder if the thermometer could be in error. With a lot of stirring, I managed a reasonably
consistent plastic mass. Scooping it out into the pot I was using for a mold was a little hard. I've got to find a decent utensil for that part that wont hurt the non
stick pan and stand up to the high heat. I think the end result of the pour was pretty good. One thing I would correct the next time I do this would be to
thoroughly wash the milk jugs. While I didn't encounter any fumes from the plastic getting too hot, the smell of bits of dried, rancid and then burned chocolate
milk is another matter altogether! :p

nax says:

May 31, 2010. 6:19 PM REPLY

I wonder if the oil/wax serving as a heat transfer medium is the critical factor?
That would also account for the melting without burning: the plastic is heated more evenly. Without the oil/wax, most of the plastic is not getting hot, but
the tiny part in contact with the pan is real hot and burns.
I was also wondering about using an electric frying pan or something along those lines.

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

zascecs says:

Apr 4, 2010. 7:44 PM REPLY

Another way to use up old shopping bags...

kalo02 says:

Apr 4, 2010. 7:21 PM REPLY

I just made a small trial batch of the plastic before I endeavor on making a casing for a small solar powered fan unit and it turned out great! I was considering
using the duoble boiler method to prevent this oily residue, however, I did it the way you suggested and it was fine! the only negative was that it began to
melt a plastic mould i had made so i think a plaster mould would be ideal. but this is a great instructable, thanks :)

KDB955 says:

Mar 30, 2010. 1:49 PM REPLY

What little I know of polymers suggests that slower cooling will give you longer molecules and a stronger plastic.
If stregnth is an issue I would just turn the heat down a little bit at a time until it was "set up and solid.
Again, this is a slightly educated guess; It might not matter at all.

jimmy dean says:

Mar 29, 2010. 6:57 PM REPLY

Was it easy to remove from the mold? Or should I consider greasing up the mold before I put in the plastic?

spectre03cobra says:

Mar 28, 2010. 7:56 PM REPLY

Wonder if you could use propylene glycol (coolant) instead of oil. The boiling point of 100% PG is ~370 degrees F.

urbanwoodswalker says:

Mar 28, 2010. 10:39 AM REPLY

"DIY hard-toe sneakers"....?

I sure would love a tutorial on this plastic utilized in that way. Please share!

przemek says:

Mar 20, 2009. 11:56 AM REPLY

I don't think putting hot plastic in the freezer is a good idea---you adding so much heat that you could raise the temperature of other items beyond thawing.
We have a rule in my house that things hot to touch never get into the fridge.

urbanwoodswalker says:

Mar 28, 2010. 10:31 AM REPLY

Yeah...might be better to sink into a big tray of ice water on the table instead.

caipie says:

Mar 12, 2009. 3:03 PM REPLY

so it didnt melt the plastic container? you just put it in there and it was fine?

urbanwoodswalker says:

Mar 28, 2010. 10:30 AM REPLY

I am wondering this too. Should the plastic "mold" be ice cold or coated with more oil as a release agent?

guatsamosa says:

Mar 9, 2010. 6:37 PM REPLY

just wondering how hot the plastic is when you can mold it and about how long it stays like that... very cool instructable btw! me gusta.

sharlston says:

Sep 12, 2009. 1:40 AM REPLY

is there any way to get rid of the oily texture? i want my finished product to be smooth

Lokisgodhi says:

Mar 2, 2010. 10:53 PM REPLY

The way to do this is to make a rough casting of the object you want and then machine it to the shape you want.

byerlee81 says:
Plastic heart from finely shredded Charlotte Russe bag and cheap plastic mold!

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

Mar 31, 2009. 7:36 PM REPLY

stasterisk says:

Apr 12, 2009. 3:53 PM REPLY

just checking -- you made this awesome plastic heart based on this instructable, right? what specific technique did you use? Is it okay if I add it to the
instructable?

byerlee81 says:

Apr 14, 2009. 9:08 AM REPLY

I followed the directions posted but I used scissors to shred the bag very fine, the plastic of the Charlotte Russe bag is thicker and has a bit of a
coating of some sort...anyways you can see the individual shreds of bag and it makes a nice effect which you can see if you make the picture larger.
Pressing into the mold was not a problem, i thought it might melt through but it worked perfectly. Great instructable, feel free to add my picture or
whatever!

Lokisgodhi says:

Mar 2, 2010. 10:47 PM REPLY

Plastic supermarket bags are polyethylene. The packaging for the dessert is most likely a type of polyester also known as mylar.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester

stasterisk says:

Jul 5, 2009. 11:09 PM REPLY

The heart you cast is super-awesome!! What did you use for a mold? Is it flat on the bottom?

stasterisk says:

Apr 12, 2009. 3:49 PM REPLY

way cool! thanks for posting the pic!

inkstainedheart says:

Feb 21, 2010. 10:41 AM REPLY

It looks rather like a hockey puck. I'd definitely play with recycled ones--then you could just remelt and reform it if you tear it to bits when playing!

masterochicken says:

Feb 9, 2010. 10:55 PM REPLY

I think I might try make skateboard wheels using this technique. I will definitely post if I do.

truenorthd65 says:

Jun 13, 2009. 1:08 AM REPLY

The answer to the oil residue issue is simple. You used a double boiler with water in the outer vessel and it didn't get hot enough. Just use a double boiler
with oil in the outer vessel. The will be no contact between the oil and your plastic and you will get a nice melt.

stasterisk says:

Jul 5, 2009. 11:04 PM REPLY

ah, unfortunately the double boiler works because water boils.. and oil burns rather than evaporates, so I feel like you wouldn't get the same effect, and
probably that you'd end up with a smelly awful burning (spattering) oil effect instead.

cdubnbird says:

Aug 29, 2009. 6:33 AM REPLY

i successfully double boiled the grocery bags using oil as the medium. i had a lid on the container filled with grocery bags but it was not needed. I
operated at a temperature of 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes. I first shredded and melted 2 plastic bags and then decided to try a whole
bag- it works just as quickly. I melted 18 whole bags and 2 shredded bags in 30 minutes at 350 degrees F in a vegetable oil bath. There were no
fumes and the plastic never caught on fire. The only downside to this was that the plastic was extremely hard to form after it was melted it seems to
retain the basic shape of a blob or something like that even when i compressed it into a circular mold. Great instructable, thanks!

themachand says:

Jan 21, 2010. 1:00 PM REPLY

I'm wondering if you where to shred the plastic and pack a plaster mold and then use an oven/kiln to melt the plastic slowly. adding more plastic
as the melted plastic fills the mold.
You would be able to control the temperature to a fair degree and not burn the plastic.
Maybe do in two batches. the first to melt small bits together and form pellets that don't have trapped air bubbles and then melt the pellets
together for larger finished items.

http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/

cdubnbird says:

Jan 21, 2010. 7:37 PM REPLY

perhaps, i expected the plastic to melt and become a fluid and take the path of least resistance and thus evenly distribute along the bottom of
the pan but it doesn't work like this. the plastic does melt to the point of being maliable but it never turns into a fluid. and to make a correction
i guess i used an oil bath not a double boiler- i didn't know there was a difference. (i used oil in one pot directly in contact with another pot with
plastic inside the second.) a kiln may work better but i believe you'll find that the plastic likes to take the shape it was as soon as it was
melted. it's very hard to form.

atman says:

Jul 25, 2009. 1:21 PM REPLY

I believe truenorthd65 is trying to describe an 'oil bath' which is not the same as a double-boiler. In an oil bath the inner pot is in contact with the oil,
which is heated. This will give excellent temperature control, and one can easily maintain a temperature of 250-300 using a high-temp oil like peanut
oil. It does get oil all over the bottom of one's pan, and tends to be a little bit messy in the cleanup generally. But you'll get your plastic truly melted
this way.

zimitt says:

Aug 1, 2009. 5:59 PM REPLY

Why not just use the oven???

ceknight says:

Mar 20, 2009. 7:46 AM REPLY

Best way to shred the plastic better would be to put the bags in a large Rubbermaid type trash can and go to town with them using a weedwhacker. Just be
prepared to spend some time untangling some of the shreds from the whacker head.

ac-dc says:

Mar 20, 2009. 9:12 PM REPLY

Odds are what would happen then is the bags get wrapped around the head, pulled tightly into the bearing, melting and ruining it.

countable says:

May 5, 2009. 3:55 AM REPLY

Or get a second hand document shredder and feed the bags through that?

ac-dc says:

May 5, 2009. 1:10 PM REPLY

A document shredder might also get plastic wrapped around it's cutting wheels, they are best used for materials that aren't easily stretched.
Earlier I proposed a method to more fully melt these bags, that it be done in a covered (metal) container so they can be heated higher to their
melting point without bursting into flames because no air (oxygen) can get to them. If they are heated to full melting point there is no need to
shred them, then can just be compacted (to melt faster, they would melt either way) by placing something of weight over them, like a piece of
metal, glass, etc, something you don't mind ruining by coating with melted plastic or that you wil reuse for the same task in the future. However it
is not very necessary, with a covered container the internal air temp rises much more than an open container so plastic will melt faster regardless
of whether in direct contact with the hot sides of the metal container it's placed in to heat it.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/HomemadePlastic/