20 replies to this topic

[veginator]

Here is something I thought every one might enjoy. Its PVC sheet and its dirt cheap to make if you have some spare PVC laying around. It can be used for modifications homemades or whatever you want to do with it.

First off, I must warn you, if you do not own your own oven and your parents don’t want you messing with it that you should just turn away.

Supplies:
PVC pipe 1 ½ inch diameter or greater

Tools:
Jig saw/hacksaw/dremel
Oven
Oven mitts

Step 1: Find your pipe

Step 2: Cut you pipe to the desired length
(sorry forgot to take a pic)
Step 3: Cut a slit down the length of the pipe

Step 4: Put your newly cut pipe in the oven and pre heat to 400 degrees or until soft and flexible.

Step 5: Carefully takeout your pipe (with you mitts on) and out it under some weight until it cools


Step 6: When the PVC has cooled you will have a brand new sheet of PVC

The advantages of this material are that it is fairly cheap and can be permanently bonded together using PVC cement.

Questions/Comments/Lol Catz pictures?

Edited by veginator, 11 June 2009 - 11:52 AM.

[minsc]

Nice, it should be cheaper than polycarbonate at least. Are there any possible horrific ramifications to heating a plastic in the oven?

[death by cheez]

Purrfect.

[veginator]

Nice, it should be cheaper than polycarbonate at least. Are there any possible horrific ramifications to heating a plastic in the oven?

Not that I can tell but I do imagine that it may slightly weaken the plastic.

[Shrub]

Weaken? I would think allowing the PVC to re-cure would work somewhat like welding where a weld is stronger than it's original componetes.

Edited by Shrub, 11 June 2009 - 11:17 AM.

[flashflint]

Just don't burn it, it will release chlorine gas, which is bad. Heating it shouldn't be too bad.

[TantumBull]

If this is melting the PVC then STOP. Like flint said, it will leech chlorine. And you won't notice because you can't smell it.

[Shrub]

Chlorine will keelhual (Pirate way of saying kill) you. I think you'll notice once you are about to die.

Edited by Shrub, 11 June 2009 - 11:38 AM.

[death by cheez]

This is what happens:

[veginator]

If this is melting the PVC then STOP. Like flint said, it will leech chlorine. And you won't notice because you can't smell it.

No its not melting it, it just makes it flexible.

Bob, why buy it when you already have an abundance of the materials to make it.

[CaptainSlug]

Not that I can tell but I do imagine that it may slightly weaken the plastic.

Nope. PVC is a thermoplastic. You can warm it to soften it then shape it as needed.
However you should not be doing so with an oven that is indoors and lacks a fume vent. And You should never advocate doing so with a heat gun since controlling the even heating of the sheet would be too difficult.

image macro abuse

Stop it

Edited by CaptainSlug, 11 June 2009 - 11:46 AM.

[Shrub]

Here's a part # for colored PVC. 84775k13. Also mcmaster has a new homepage.

[veginator]

Not that I can tell but I do imagine that it may slightly weaken the plastic.

Nope. PVC is a thermoplastic. You can warm it to soften it then shape it as needed.
However you should not be doing so with an oven that is indoors and lacks a fume vent. And You should never advocate doing so with a heat gun since controlling the even heating of the sheet would be too difficult.

Thank you for the comments Slug. I edited out the part about the heat gun. What would you suggest instead of an indoor oven?

[death by cheez]

Try a brick oven.

[veginator]

Try a brick oven.

Like with burning wood? Not a good idea because you cannot accurately control the temperature and you would probably just melt or burn the PVC.

[SchizophrenicMC]

This just gave me several ideas, most of which will never reach fruition.

I can definitely see the Nerf applications, especially when it applies to people who can't get their hands on plexi. Making new surfaces inside of, or cleaning up cut-out areas of blasters in the process of modification...

Looks like people can clean up their mods now, non?

[death by cheez]

Wee (sp?) I definitely see your point Schizo, I get really tired of my NF handle stabbing my hand each time I use it.

[TantumBull]

Same goes for the household oven, although one that has a self-cleaning cycle reaching 900F would probably take care of it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I very well may be, but isn't the intent of that to kill bacteria? Are you sure extreme heat will remove chemical residue like it will remove bacteria?

Once again, I'm may be completely wrong, so don't take me as an ass for this question.

[CaptainSlug]

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I very well may be, but isn't the intent of that to kill bacteria?

No.
Cooking food thoroughly though-out its interior above 140F kills bacteria.
The self-cleaning feature is used to cremate any food particles that have spilled into the bottom of the oven.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 11 June 2009 - 09:16 PM.

[TantumBull]

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I very well may be, but isn't the intent of that to kill bacteria?

No.
Cooking food thoroughly though-out its interior above 140F kills bacteria.
The self-cleaning feature is used to cremate any food particles that have spilled into the bottom of the oven.

Alright, thanks for the correction. But would that also do away with any chemical residue?

[SchizophrenicMC]

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I very well may be, but isn't the intent of that to kill bacteria?

No.
Cooking food thoroughly though-out its interior above 140F kills bacteria.
The self-cleaning feature is used to cremate any food particles that have spilled into the bottom of the oven.

Alright, thanks for the correction. But would that also do away with any chemical residue?

Assuming the self-cleaning temperature is high enough, yes. However, the fumes of said chemical residue breaking down may or may not be a problem.