plastics

[Sridhar Ayengar]

Chuck Guzis wrote:
>> Almost none of it is.  ABS is one of the most common plastics, but 
>> you'll find others, including PVC, glass-filled nylon, polypropylene, 
>> HDPE, and more.
> 
> There are some filled plastics used during the 90's (probably ABS) 
> with what seems to be a too-high proportion of filler.  These tend to 
> be almost fragile now, shattering into many small pieces when 
> subjected to any force at all.   I've resorted to fiberglass mesh and 
> polyester resin to repair and reinforce these, finishing up with a 
> coat of paint.  Doesn't look bad, but is hardly original.
> 
> I played with the idea of making a mold from the old pieces and using 
> acrylic resin to cast a duplicate, but there were too many details 
> (mounting bosses, ribs, tabs, etc.)  on both sides to assure success.

I have rapid-prototyping equipment here, which is capable of creating 
small parts like those.  The only problem is that I currently have no 
way of scanning anything in 3D.  I have to take measurements and 
manually generate a CAD drawing.  It makes it less than convenient.

Peace...  Sridhar