There is a lot of development and awesome things being made by the Precious Plastic community. Mould, machines, products. We spot updates all over the place. Youtube, twitter, instagram, websites and mails that people send us. We use an internal (slack) channel to share new updates, however they are interesting and relevant for everyone here so we will do it here!
This topic is to share all (cool) updates from our members around the world. You can upload your own big updates, but also feel free to collect and share updates from others.
came across this chess game made by Trasholicious in capetown, south africa. Board made from old bags fused together and the pieces with injection machine. nice mold!
I generally don’t mix plastics myself. I have mixed PP with HDPE but I find they don’t completely bond with each other, I used the PP more as a filler of different colour just to add interest.
I’ve tried toggle clamps and vices for holding moulds closed, but yes bolts are best. I like to use cap head screws and recess the head into the surface of the mould. I usually also use dowel pins to align the mould halves, but for simple moulds bolts can provide enough registration on their own. With the tile moulds the only cleanup needed is removing is the small gate from the sprue, visible on the left of the blue tile above.
@andyn
The tiles look great. I’ve often wondered about mixing PET with other plastics, but the general consensus seems to be never mix plastics. PET is everywhere and hard to work with on it’s own. What is PP policy on this?
Also, I like your mold designs. Bolts work way better than clamps for most of us. I’ve been injecting HDPE at very high pressures with my pneumatic PP injection machine. The parts are perfect right out of the mold, no flashing to remove.
@zsazsa
Yes, interestingly they are mixing PET, HDPE and PS all in one tile which seems to work well despite the different melting points and produces some nice patterns. They have also made tiles entirely from plastic bags. All of the plastic has been collected from streets and beaches so I suppose they are just using what they find, they seem to have settled on a certain ratio in the mix which probably works better.
I gather the tile panels have now been completed and I should have some pictures soon.
Yes, I can make a mould for you, feel free to contact me when you have your workshop set up.
Oh wow, as a tile designer I am stunned. I work in The Netherlands, and of course in the city Tegelen, which means ’tiling’. It is beautiful your work. I also work on my own workshop, and I was just thinking not to get problems with the government (I have to work 1246 hours in my workshop, otherwise I am not a allowed to many beneficial things as a entrepreneur). Maybe it is possible for us to create your tiles. Is it possible to buy your mold maybe? And when I am so far I can start our own workshops, we can produce it as well. Right now I only have an oven for real ceramic tiles But I am about to purchase/built all Dave’s machines in the future. But I have to do it under my own business VAT number anyway, only with a different company name. Very nice work, and waiting for the new pictures. Buy the way, the content of the tile, if I read it well, is it from three sort of plastic? Mixed? Anyway, very nice to meet you.
I’ve been working with a group based in Maputo, Mozambique. They have the PP injection machine and I have made them moulds to produce tiles. The city council have approved a tile wall in one of the main avenues and it is going to be an environmental awareness mural of 3000 plastic tiles covering an area of over 20 square metres. Each tile is 10cm x 10cm and they have recycled over 100,000 bottle caps, nearly 2000 PET bottles, and also polystyrene take-away containers to make the 3000 tiles. The wall is currently being prepared to attach the tiles and the unveiling is planned for later this month. I will post an update when it is complete.
The tiles are based on the ‘Metro’ design with bevelled edges, but are square rather than rectangular.
From a 24 year old kid (paul) in US. Not sure how they do it, but food and recycled plastic is always tricky because its hard to trace where all plastic comes from. Doable, but you just need to be careful. That said, still good process and learning. Specially interesting to see the website they made for this one product. Good way to communicate https://www.earthwormproject.online/
Reinforced injection machine from @talleresferica in Spain. They needed more power to fill up all the little details with plastic in their impressive sunglass mould.
Board made from old bags fused together and the pieces with injection machine. nice mold! 
lot of beautifull stuff right here…
But I am about to purchase/built all Dave’s machines in the future. But I have to do it under my own business VAT number anyway, only with a different company name. Very nice work, and waiting for the new pictures. Buy the way, the content of the tile, if I read it well, is it from three sort of plastic? Mixed? Anyway, very nice to meet you. 
