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Thread: New, Alternate Materials for construction, hobbies etc.

  1. #1
    thinBasic MVPs kryton9's Avatar
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    New, Alternate Materials for construction, hobbies etc.

    I thought I would start this thread for us to post finds in new materials used for construction or for hobby projects of all kinds.

    I am old enough that my childhood was pre-computer era. I was also lucky enough to live in a neighborhood in Ohio with nice woods, a big apple and cherry tree in our backyard and passed the woods what became an American staple, the shopping plaza. So as kids we would get sticks and downed trees and build lots of things. And the plaza was a gold mine with all that they threw out. So I always had a love for making things from scrap.

    I love computing and since moving to Florida got into making virtual worlds, learning 3D programs, paint programs etc and with the help here in other forums getting into 3D coding. But lately I missed building in the real world, but apartment life does not really allow for it. I got into my dome tests with pipe cleaners and paper cutouts and lastly with bendable soda straws, but I soon saw, there is no room in an apartment to keep these things around or to even buy any real tools. So I will head back to the virtual world for now.

    But I still love to watch videos on different materials and processes and lately have been interested in small CNC machines (Computer Numerical Control). They usually are 3 axis tables built with parts from old printers and scanners. I noticed a lot of hobbyists cutting on plastic sheets, not acrylic but pvc type material. Finally I found out what they have been using. Here is a link to some of these neat new relatively inexpensive materials that make from great projects.

    I hope others post neat materials here to or videos showing the neat materials being used.

    I'll get it started with : http://www.ocip.com/plastic_sheet/expanded_pvc.htm
    Here is a project with a cnc making a cnc. http://revision3.com/tbhs/cncmachine if you look at the video track bar, there are 3 longer sections. The first and last long section are for the cnc. During these times in his show he had a longer project that he would show in the middle section. Luckilly, at least in the latter episodes he moved away from this annoying format.

    Here is another material I used while in Ohio, it is really cool stuff and does what it does really well, my brand I used was different something available local to me, but it works just as this video shows. My Mom had mice coming into her house, so I used this spray to fill all gaps anywhere I found, and it solved the problem. It cuts really easily too and you can find videos of sculpters using it as well.


  2. #2
    Super Moderator Petr Schreiber's Avatar
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    Kent,

    thanks for posting this! Some years ago, I experimented with the expanding foam, but the problem was it created hard, solid surface, which made the sculpting quite unpleasant (breaking the surface damaged the internals, if one was not patient).

    It seems the current generation is more than suitable for creating sarbitrary 3D stuff, I need to check it out again


    Petr
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  3. #3
    yes the apartment life like the life in the jail, or inside a space capsule, from my apartment i see a little from the street everything blocked by another new building.
    1- super insulating foam:

    Man Burns Magnesium Thermite (8k+Degrees) in his Bare Hands:

    http://george4title.blogspot.com/
    2- balsa wood a very lightweight material with many uses, i have some pieces of it. used in the small models of airplanes powered by rubber band or as a glider.just google balsa wood toys
    blocks of Balsa Wood - Giant Pack
    the balsa wood is fun by itself even without using it for anything. but be carefull when cutting it, its powder causes me severe flu years ago.
    3- about cutting matterials i have buyed recently a cheap "angle grinder" just to feel its incredible rotational speed 11000 rpm, compare it to the drill speed 1200 rpm. but i have found that it is very dangerous tool because its incredible speed and until now i havn't used it to cut anything, normaly it is used to cut the steel, plastic, some people injured too much when they tried to cut a wood, the wood needs much more slower speed such as 1000 rpm and not 11000 rpm. the angle grinder disk are not sharp but thick, it cuts metal by friction using the high speed.
    in youtube there are many videos about angle grinder.
    i am thinking how i can use it, not for cutting, but utilizing its rotational speed. the problem is that anything i may attached to the disk will fly away like a bullet causing injury, also will make the grinder unstable and kick back to the user. realy it is a formidable machine.
    4- don't forget the peizoelectric material i have played recently, it can be obtained from any cigaret lighter
    peizo1.jpg
    peizo2.jpg
    how to extract one and installing it on a piece of wood:

    it is producing high voltage more than 1000v when the material subjected to pressure. inside the cigaret lighter there is a small hammer which hit the peizoelectric crystal inside.
    use it to produce sparks, but it can cause very painfull experience if we clicked it with bare hand. also touching the insulating wire are not sufficient to protect from electric shock
    one usage of it is to charge the electroscope (how to make a simple electroscope)

    the positive wire are the sole wire, while the base is either negative or mostly neutral.
    using the positive wire, it is very efficient to charge the simple electroscope.
    how to extract one peozoelectric igniter and installing it on a peice of wood:

    again be carefull from the severe electric shock.

  4. #4
    thinBasic MVPs kryton9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petr Schreiber View Post
    Kent,

    thanks for posting this! Some years ago, I experimented with the expanding foam, but the problem was it created hard, solid surface, which made the sculpting quite unpleasant (breaking the surface damaged the internals, if one was not patient).

    It seems the current generation is more than suitable for creating sarbitrary 3D stuff, I need to check it out again


    Petr
    Can't wait to see what you come up with Petr. If like your other creations, I am sure it will be a treat!

  5. #5
    thinBasic MVPs kryton9's Avatar
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    Zak, that insulating foam is amazing. I have seen videos where thermite burns through a whole engine block... that is insane.

    I was looking it melting aluminum cans in home made forges. That foam would be great for such a project I would think. You just use a metal paint can and a soup can and this foam and you are all set.
    he uses compressed air, but I most guys use an old hair dryer with a cool setting or any other type of higher speed fan you might find. Also you see guys using propane torches, but I like the idea of using charcoal instead.

    That angle grinder sounds dangerous be careful.

    I am going to watch the piezo igniter video now. Thanks for the links.

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    thinBasic MVPs kryton9's Avatar
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    Transparent Aluminum

    This is cool, Transparent Aluminum. http://blog.makezine.com/2012/01/17/...rent-aluminum/

  7. #7
    thinBasic MVPs kryton9's Avatar
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    Sugru, make your own silicon like parts, dries in a day

    This is interesting. It is a putty you can attach and fix many things with. It dries to a nice grip feel like silicone.
    http://sugru.com/

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