Plastic molding with grocery bags

Step 3 Molding

After a few second molten drops of plastic will drip off of the end. Let these drip over your mold. Continue until the mold is full. It may take more than one bag. Let the plastic and the mold cool for at least five minutes

Comments

[Ma Barley]

I am in dire need of discovering a way for the poorest of the poor that I minister to, to find a way to either COMPRESS or MELT plastic bottles and/or bags into blocks, bricks or tubes that they can use to build with....CAN ANYBODY HELP ME OUT???

[masterochicken]

I saw a video on youtube in which a man in Kenya was making fence posts from plastic bags and they turned out to be strong enough to use as support beams.
www.youtube.com/watch

[gernboken]

depends on what you want to build, and what you need to make. if you've got something else you can use as a support structure you can make rope with plastic bags. with rope or cord you can weave fabric which you can use as covering. it's not suitable for clothing (too rough) but you could make a tent or a lean-to. if you don't have a support structure you can make one with rope by tying it off (to trees or bridges or lamp posts or whatever) then hanging fabric from it. you can also make cord from plastic bottles and chain from cans. there are instructables for how to do that.

[boinx]

No, the plastic will start to degrade and leak poison everywhere. this is not suitable as a building material.

[freerunnin1]

and on a hot day they will start to go 'smushy' and squash down... after a few years they will have lost alot of height :S

[porcupinemamma]

http://www.homedesignfind.com/green/7-coolest-recycled-shipping-container-homes-offices-buildings/
might this be of help MaBarley? or this (I love this one!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9JkPk0CIo4

[Ma Barley]

Thank you for your effort, the need is very serious. The video is cool and if the poor had access to raw materials like that it would be great. Keep sending ideas!!

[snowpenguin]

Just make a block-shaped mold out of plywood or anything really. Then melt plastic bags in an oven and dump it into your watertight mold.

[thumbs5]

Ma Barley - do a video search on "Mopti's ecological pavestones". Wherever you are in the world, some people probably sell and use manual concrete block makers. I think you could use one of those as a mold. If you are not sure where to get one, find someone with a concrete block house and ask them where they got the blocks. Then find the block dealer, and ask him where they make them, and then ask them where you can buy a manual block maker. It looks like you will want to invest in some breathing masks.

[Ma Barley]

When you say "blocks" you mean concrete blocks? The islanders make each block by hand. Please help me understand how concrete equipment can be used to recycle plastic water bottles into blocks???? Thanks.

[sharlston]

make a mold out of wood then melt your plastic down into the mold then remove them

[thumbs5]

Did you do the video search? It shows the process pretty well. It is basically as simple as snowpenguin mentioned. The plastic trash is heated to a goopy mixture, sand is added, and the plastic/sand mixture is poured into a mold normally used to make concrete blocks. Do the islanders use a mold when they make concrete blocks by hand? That same mold could be used, I imagine.

[verbatin01]

Good one - This has got to be great for your lungs, not to mention for the environment. I guess the proximity of the diy'er to it might be a fair tradeoff for everyone else, though.

[annchanted]

I tried this instructable this past weekend and I must be doing something wrong. I never got any plastic to drip. It would only shrink and ball up and turn into an ooey gooey mess, but nothing liquid-like would drip from the flaming plastic bag. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

[LinuxH4x0r]

I guess its just the type of plastic you use. Another thing that helps is if you roll it up tightly.

[xenongamer]

does it need any sort of mold release?

[LinuxH4x0r]

I don't use any but you might want to to get cleaner edges