How-To: Homemade Plastics Recycler / Extruder

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By Sean Michael Ragan
Posted 2011/09/09 @ 1:00 pm
Category 3D Printing, Tools

Interesting homemade tool from Instructables user Random_Canadian. The melt chamber consists of a length of 3/4″ iron pipe, the piston head is an off-the-shelf socket wrench, and the piston rod is a socket extension. A temperature controller, a couple of eBay cartridge heaters, a few tufts of fiberglass insulation, and some odds ‘n’ ends make for a heating system. And a brass hose barb serves as the extrusion nozzle.

Bits of recyclable thermoplastics go in the end of the pipe, and continuous extruded filament comes out the other end. I wonder if RepRap-style FDM printers, which accept plastic filament as feedstock, could use this garage-recycled material?

In the Maker Shed

13 Responses to How-To: Homemade Plastics Recycler / Extruder

psmay on September 9th, 2011 at 8:36 pm said:

Sounds like it could be the Mr. Fusion of the RepRap world.

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psmay on September 9th, 2011 at 8:36 pm said:

Sounds like it could be the Mr. Fusion of the RepRap world.

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AMalePoet on September 9th, 2011 at 8:43 pm said:

I have more of a question. Could this be hacked into a Maker Bot for “green” 3D printing?

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- Caleb Jamison on September 10th, 2011 at 12:05 am said:
  
  I would think that directly mounting this to the maker bot/reprap/whatever would be a bad idea. Instead, you would want to extrude the recycled plastic into filament and then print with that. A 3d printer relies on a very consistent diameter to the plastic for a good print.
  
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Anonymous on September 9th, 2011 at 9:02 pm said:

sooo.. I could use this to make a 3d printer?

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Anonymous on September 9th, 2011 at 9:23 pm said:

Would the fumes pose a (serious) hazard?

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- Caleb Jamison on September 10th, 2011 at 12:02 am said:
  
  That depends on the type of plastic, any plastics used in 3d printers should be safe, as this is a similar processes at least as far as the plastic is concerned.
  
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Anonymous on September 9th, 2011 at 9:24 pm said:

Ya know, I wonder if a crayon could work just as well for artistic pieces?

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Anonymous on September 10th, 2011 at 3:58 am said:

This is fantastic. In the future we will recycle things into new things at home!

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Eran Gal-Or on November 12th, 2011 at 9:35 am said:

Looks cool!

How accurate is the filament diameter during long extrusions?

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David Matthew Dalleinne on November 18th, 2011 at 6:29 pm said:

i wonder if you can add color to it …the way they add colour with a sharpie to 3mm plastic for the 3d printers…just milk a sharpie for enoguh to colour a batch…then use in a ultimaker or reprap…and move to hati or india and become a king..

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Matt on June 13th, 2012 at 9:16 pm said:

how do you make it?

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Craig on November 2nd, 2012 at 5:15 pm said:

This is a wonderful idea. extruding into water would keep the diameters more consistent I’d think. Been wanting a makerbot but put off at the expense of the filaments….just another case of printer manufacturers offering cheap tech, and then having to sell your soul to purchase the consumables. Where is the metal makerbot?? That’s what I’m waiting for!

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