need a thin plastic for quick stencils I cut on a cricut after work. tried some clear PET sheets but they curl under the heat of the blade and the edges fray. looking for something stiff enough to lay flat yet still flexible enough to peel cleanly without tearing. budget is tight so it needs to come in small packs, not full rolls. anyone found a reliable material that doesnt warp or catch the blade?

Hi! I’m looking to find affordable hair and skin care and unfortunately that means I will have to buy plastic packaging. I was wondering if anyone knew what types of plastic these brands have so I know how to properly dispose of them. I don’t want to buy them if I can’t recycle them properly. Thank you.

I have a very niche problem: a brace on a custom wind screen is 4.25” x10’ hdpe pipe, with an 1/8” wall. No other pipe size would fit, like mass produced pvc that’s 4.5”. However, the manufacturer has gone out of business and I can’t seem to find anyone that makes this. Are the odds they had this custom extruded high? Or is there another reason I can’t find this pipe size, as if I’m just looking in the wrong place?

Hey all,

High school teacher here. Someone at my school (I'm no snitch lol, but I will say it wasn't a student), put one of these plastic and metal grocery store bread shelves on our kiln when it was on and as you can see, it melted. Anyone have any thoughts for removal from the kiln top? Should we try removal while it's warm or when it cools off? Any and all advice appreciated.

We have a product made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). We're not sure if it's due to an unsuitable mold design or poor material modification, but the finished products are always warped. We've tried many different UPE manufacturers, and they all have the same problem. Are there any nucleating agents specifically for UPE? We're thinking of adding some additives to speed up UPE crystallization and solve this warping problem. Is my approach correct?

Something Went Wrong! 🔥 Can You Identify the Root Cause? Experienced Technicians, We Need Your Opinion!

I’m restoring a 1950s NCR Class 100 cash register and need to make a replacement for this panel; it sits like a little countertop on the front of the cash drawer and I want to make a factory-fresh looking replacement. The original’s texture is too worn to mould from, so I’d like to make a new part that matches the colour and the raised square-grid surface. I thought plastics experts might be able to help steer me in the right direction

Details:

• Panel size is roughly 4in x 12inch, about a quarter inch thick
• Grid is 1/8th inch
• Colour: dark chocolate brown
• The edge in the second photo looks fibrous or layered, so I’m not sure it’s solid Bakelite. It may be vulcanised fibre, embossed board, or a phenolic laminate. If anyone recognises it, I’d love to know.

I’m kinda OCD… jk, I’m very ocd. Anyways, I use sticky tack to hold together sub assemblies while painting and to cover adhesion points. When gluing, I couldn’t get all the sticky tack off so I glued over it with Warhammer plastic cement.

I went to rework the models and pulled the pieces apart and rebuilt it. Now my ocd has me worried that the cement touched the sticky tack and created some toxic sludge that I spread about my hobby table. Though I didn’t see any residue, I’m worried it chemical and still there. Should I wipe down every thing or is this just a non-issu.

I don't have much knowledge of plastic and I want to know what type of plastic is this

I have some boxes filled with it

Brand name : orient

Looking for options for something odd(?) I have a Tonneau cover that I need a plastic base for the cover. The cover has a steel frame and the base layer will be covered by a thin layer of vinyl top foam then covered with a dr brown canvas that will match the interior color.
Needs to be 51 inches wide, 74 inches long. There are braces in the frame so the biggest span is 50 x 18 meaning it needs to be fairly rigid. I don’t think a corrugated sheet of anything will work. I’m looking for something a quarter inch thick and fairly lightweight. Thanks in advance! Adding a picture of the underside of the frame, using a quarter inch plywood now just to put some miles on the truck before it goes to upholstery.

I have a 3/4” sheet of HDPE (plastic commonly used for commercial cutting boards) that I’d like to use for jig runners, auxiliary fences, etc. My question: what is the best way to rip this stuff? Several shallow passes with a track saw? Full depth with track saw? Table saw? I understand chip evacuation and minimizing heat is a must and that’s shouldn’t be a problem. I’d appreciate any advice from experience. Thanks

Every Molder’s Worst Nightmare! 🔥 Have You Ever Seen This Happen?

#InjectionMolding #PlasticManufacturing #MachineMaintenance #FactoryLife #Manufacturing #PlasticIndustry

my feeling is that polypropylene is cheaper and less brittle. it can flex to an extent but i feel like that flex can help it avoid cracking or breaking. i get that boards need protection from flexing, but it seems like a device being heavily cracked can be detremental as well

WOOYOPET mixed coffee grounds with PP and injection molded them into a cup.
You can see the coffee fibers on the surface, and it actually smells like coffee.
Would you use one?

I have a thin sheet metal part of 304 that I want to add a 1/2" thick HDPE push block to the top. The HDPE will be pushed down in compression and in shear to the side, by a human.

What is the best way to secure them together that is food safe, without using bolts through the top? I need the exposed top side to remain flush and smooth. Bolts will be the last resort.

I have read that 3M tape, "cement glue", or threaded inserts (from underneath) might not work. The block will not touch food directly.

Hey everyone, I am trying to make a number of museum quality bases using both 1/2 in and 1-in thick cell cast acrylic in gray, but I'm having a heck of a time finding it. And if somebody has the material that can actually cut it into smaller blocks and polish it for me that would make things all the better. Can anybody offer any advice?

Combining plant fibers with plastic can create a composite material with a natural plant-fiber texture and a subtle botanical aroma.
The plant-based fibers can replace part of the conventional petroleum-based plastic, while maintaining the processing characteristics and performance required for everyday applications.
This is the material concept behind WOOYOPET — exploring how plant-based materials can be incorporated into practical plastic applications without simply replacing one material with another.
This is not a fully biodegradable plastic. The plant fiber component is biodegradable under appropriate conditions, while the plastic matrix provides the durability and processing performance needed for practical use.
The goal is to find a more realistic balance:
Reduce the use of petroleum-based materials while maintaining the performance required for everyday products.
Rather than pursuing complete biodegradability at the expense of functionality, this approach combines plant-based materials, conventional plastic processing, and sustainability into one material system.
The result is a material with a more natural appearance and feel, while still being designed around the practical requirements of plastic applications.
What applications do you think would be a good fit for this type of plant-fiber composite?

Hello, I’m a high school student currently doing a science fair project for my chemistry class. I’m choosing to research how microplastics may stunt the growth of duckweed and what that could potentially mean for aquatic environments.

I already have all my other materials, but I’m struggling to find a safe and ethical way to get microplastics for my experiment. Everything I’ve read says making them at home isn’t really safe or recommended.

Does anyone know where I could buy small amounts of microplastics specifically for research or educational purposes (affordable as I am a high schooler lol) ? Or is there a safe alternative that would work for this type of experiment?

I need them pretty soon, so any recommendations would be really appreciated!