This is a tweetroll following my progress plastic extruding/recycling.
6/1
Well, I lost a day trying to braze aluminum without removing the bearing first (big mistake).
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 2, 2020
Filament pelletizer works now.
Now I just need some rollers to automatically feed the plastic.
I think the end goal is to eventually have a start-to-finish plastic recycling system.😁 pic.twitter.com/zeImO7URS0
6/3
Next phase this week is working on the plastic extruder
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 4, 2020
(homemade injection molding machine project).
Bought the barrel+screw but it still requires a lot of machined parts to fit thermocouples and bearings and stepper motors.
Basically this turns raw plastic into filament. pic.twitter.com/xnon5TxBWP
6/4
A few freshly-machined parts over the week for the homemade plastic injection-molding extruder.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 4, 2020
Thermocouple clamp, boring out+keying a pulley, and a few misc parts to fit the bearing.
It's good practice as I'm still fairly rusty as a machinist. pic.twitter.com/KsQskAwmQG
One of the harshest lessons this week has been drilling hardened steel (prehardened extruder barrel).
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 5, 2020
HRC60 steel was invented by a masochist.😱 pic.twitter.com/wywPjsR9Px
6/6
Injection molding project update:
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 6, 2020
Working on a stepper motor bracket so I can drive the extruder screw.
The mill is a Tormach 1100 with a few bells+whistles.
(I spent many years working with a baby drill-press-sized mill to build some skills and learn how the process works) pic.twitter.com/t6RpHdhcfg
6/7
Continuing work on a plastic extruder: Machined the remaining features for the motor coupling and made another coupling for the barrel side.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 7, 2020
Also did a 'smoke test' to make sure everything will run once mounted.
The 3d printed coupler worked OK but did not last long.🔥 pic.twitter.com/NXONcQx2St
6/8
Last bracket finished, finally testing the homemade plastic extruder.😁
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 8, 2020
I keep getting a 'plug' of semi-molten plastic near the extruder that stops everything up after running for ~20min.
Looks like I'll have to add some kind of heat sink similar to what 3d printers use. pic.twitter.com/VXyna9NziP
6/10
So the plastic extruder I've been working on has been suffering from the 'pizza roll problem'.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 11, 2020
You know when you try to cook pizza rolls and they come out black on the outside but frozen on the inside?
It keeps melting plastic in some spots but not others…🧐 pic.twitter.com/Bb0UO0mjev
6/11
Fixed the extruder's heating problem by machining some aluminum 'heat-blocks' to help distribute heat more evenly along the barrel.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 11, 2020
Test run today was a success, I'm getting close to being able to make my own filament.😁https://t.co/TP1xxJLEPl pic.twitter.com/PKv1VLCJSb
6/13
Picked up a heavy crosscut shredder to continue with the plastic recycling/injection molding project.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 13, 2020
It ate through some bottles and leftover 3d printer scraps without much effort at all.🔥👍
I do need to mill out the feed area so it's not so tight a fit though. pic.twitter.com/KdZzjDz8iP
6/22
Plastic recycling project update, and a #protip.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 23, 2020
If you're not sure something's gonna work, there's nothing wrong with cobbling an experiment together out of garbage.
It works well enough to prove the concept.
(Just don't touch the hot wire🤫) pic.twitter.com/ebbbeToJxf
6/23
Hacked a paper shredder into a plastic shredder and added a 3d-printed hopper to help it feed easier.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 24, 2020
It bogs down a bit, but still seems to do a good job.
I've been feeding it old 3d printer scraps and a broken plastic pallet I found on the side of the road.😋 pic.twitter.com/A1pBHPOEZa
6/24
Homemade plastic extruder prototype is working so-so, but still needs some tweaking.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 25, 2020
Managed to wind a few dozen feet of 'roadside plastic pallet' brand filament before it ran into a snag.
(Pretty bad quality, but you can't beat the price😋) pic.twitter.com/3jqPmImqge
6/25
Time to work on building a proper box to house the homemade plastic extruder's electronics.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 26, 2020
Way too much exposed wiring just waiting to arc over
(Don't tell OSHA🤭😅)
I'm liking the 'TARDIS Blue' color pic.twitter.com/fgOtMEmmAn
6/26
Heating controller came out good. Very professional looking.
— Hakasays (@Hakasays) June 26, 2020
I still need a few more pieces to control the extruder motor, then the electronics *should* be done.🤓https://t.co/snkyYIGzRY pic.twitter.com/wp3xo3ChJL