58 replies to this topic

[merlinski]

this thread is kinda old but it's still on page one and I have an important contribution
http://nobel.scas.bc...tic/plastic.htm
that page includes instructions on how to make plastic from milk

To make that into an actual clip you'd need an exteremly large amount of milk and vinegar, as well as a very powerful stove and a large pot. It seems more applicale to patching holes in air tanks, depending on how well it bonds to polyvinyl chloride.

[Langley]

Was it ever confirmed that airtech tanks are made of PVC?

[merlinski]

I'm assuming so, since pretty much every part of every nerf gun (except the springs) is made of PVC. PVC doesn't just mean pipe - it's an incredibly common plastic.

[The Inventor Guy]

Yes, but for every product it's made for, it has a different 'grade' which determines its weight, strength and colour. It's also made with different additives which will determine how flexible it is and whether it can take a good bit of pressure such as in pipelines. For example, most electrical conduit is made of uPVC (Unplasticised PolyVinyl Chloride). This means it's desgined to be resistant to weathering to an extent and is resistant to most chemical corrosion. Reading that, I shouldn't have to explain what cPVC means and does.
And yes, PVC is a polymer-based plastic, so it's cheap, easy to make and is quite popular as a result.

Reading that makes me realise how much of a nerd I really am...

-Tidge.

Edited by The Inventor Guy, 10 July 2005 - 07:19 PM.

[LordoftheRing434]

That milk plastic thing is really helpful. Sounds like a rather nasty process, and keeping the plastic together while it dries may be a doozy. In this case, it would be tough to form to precision as well. As TIS said, it would be really helpful for repairs. I guess I should consider having 2 stock clips a valuable priviledge.
Good find!

~Rings

[Black Wrath]

I doubt you could be that precise with clay.

I remember somebody on either this site or NHQ saying they had a plastic molder thingy machine (I don't really remember what it was called, but it made stuff out of plastic). They wanted to make their own guns out of plastic and sell them in place of Nerf. Obviously they weren't too faithful about Nerf staying around for long. Anyway, would this type of machine work in making a clip for a PC?

Thats a vacuum forming machine, I think. Make a plaster mold, then suck the plastic onto it? Yeah.

The plastic the guy used was made of melted orange juice bottles and popbottles with some colouring.

It would work pretty well, and the plastic would be light.

[murakumo32]

A vacuum forming machine would be perfect. How about those machines that use 3-D images to cut things?

[Tarius]

Another idea is to use Stirien(I think that is how it is spelled) it is a this plastic craft sheet used to make different crafts, it would probably work better, And it works well to hold PVC barrels inside a large space.

Edited by Tarius, 11 August 2005 - 08:34 AM.

[kirb13]

I know it has been brought up several times in this thread, but find a rapid prototyping machine that you can use for a while, make a modeal of a clip in CAD, and use the CAD model to make a clip in the prototyper. Rapid prototyping machines are expensive, and slow, and the ones that I have seen use ABS plastic which is applied in layers like 1/1000 inch thick. It takes about 45 minutes to make a 1/2 inch bolt that is about 2 inches long, so expect many hours for a clip, but that is the only way I can think of to make a decent, lightweight powerclip. However, prototyping machines are expensive (like $45,000), so the fee to use it will be high. Try a university or something.