Synopses & Reviews
At last, here is the book that simplifies this technology making it possible for you to inexpensively injection mold small parts from common recycled plastic.
You get complete step-by-step instructions revealing the secrets of building a small inexpensive table-top injection molding machine capable of molding up to a half ounce of plastic. Although a half ounce may not appear to be much plastic, the truth is, that it is more than enough to produce many small useful items.
Best of all you'll be molding with plastic recycled from milk jugs, soda pop bottles, plastic oil cans, and more. Your raw materials are free and plentiful.
You will learn the basic principles of injection molding and how to design and make your own molds. You will start by making a simple mold to test the machine. Then you will mold a plastic knob for the machine itself. Next, you'll progress to a mold that creates a small plastic container with a snap lid.
Before long you will be creating new products of your own design. You will be able to cast replacements for broken or missing parts, or you can make copies of plastic components. The possibilities are endless. The moldings are incredibly professional in quality. Your friends will never understand how you were able to do it.
This is the usual top quality info that Gingery Publishing produces. You get detailed step-by-step how-to, great drawings, sources of supply and more. You'll build a small, simple machine that will get you going off on a new adventure. Once you have built your first molder and have learned to use it, you'll probably dream of building a larger one. (knowing you, probably the size of a house...)
This machine molds thermoplastics, not thermosets. In other words this will NOT mold phenolic (also known as Bakelite). This is a machine that uses plastics that can be remelted, and thus, recycled, such as old milk bottles. Surprisingly, recycled 2 liter soda jugs produce very hard, durable moldings. Polyethylene milk bottles produce a softer, waxier type of moldings. You'll see once you get started.
You can machine precision metal molds if you have a machine shop, or you can produce simpler molds with castable epoxy (expensive) or, believe it or not, plaster of paris. Vince has done it.