Styro-Fail (Recycled Styrene Recording Blanks?)

[Kat]

Re-read the patent, looks like the T-shirt press would be good for the pre heat stage but not the final press. Looks like I’ll be doing some budgeting in the meantime to get everything together.

I could get custom CNC’d parts for the book mold but I’d like to see what improvisation could be done too.

[nikc]

Hi.
This thread is amazing! Did you get anywhere with the polypropylene? Let us know if you have any new developments. I'd love to be able cut with recycled non pvc blanks.
Best wishes
Nik

[Kat]

Hi.
This thread is amazing! Did you get anywhere with the polypropylene? Let us know if you have any new developments. I'd love to be able cut with recycled non pvc blanks.
Best wishes
Nik

Thank you so much! and thanks for your interest! I do have some updates to provide actually!

I picked up a Presto K8 that looks to be in good shape, the cutter sounds promising even without an amp yet. Good call. Kinda frustrating it took two recordios for me to figure out where cutting is really at but they look cool and I know how to re-cap now so I can’t really complain.

I’m also going to be trying out what markrob did with the Emory Cook process but cutting a few corners initially by borrowing a shop press and stealing my own PID control box from myself. That just leaves me with having to buy needles, some practice blanks, some heating elements, some laser cut molds, and an amp.

Planning to test both polypropylene and polystyrene but hopefully I don’t need to use PS cause it’s stinky and polypropylene sounds better anyway from the few tests I’ve done. Very excited to get this moving.

- Kat/Rai

[nikc]

Hi Kat,
Great, lets us know how the cuts go and good luck with your new Presto K8, and buying the rest of the gear. Good to know that you think polypropylene seems to be the best option

Best

Nik and Dom

[Kat]

It works it works it works it works. The Presto was all ready to go when the amp arrived, I just needed to throw on a disc. I started out with a couple CD records to test. Then I used a steel cutting needle with a recycled styrene record and was able to crank up the volume enough to escape the noise floor.

So they’re REAL, I just have to figure out how to make more discs and then I’m diving headfirst into production.

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[farmersplow]

Fascinating! Congratulations on the success!

[Angus McCarthy]

Awesome. And congrats!

[Kat]

I have made some progress on my Emory Cook inspired press for making my blank discs.

I have a steel plate with some angle brackets bolted on to make the shape of a 7” square. This will be sandwiched between a 7” pusher plate and two heated aluminum blocks and placed in a shop press.I just got done drilling and tapping holes for the bolts, PID controller circuits will be next.

I’m imagining the plastic needing a preheat before pressing or maybe just using smaller flakes so it doesn’t fly out of the mold.

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[farmersplow]

And the story continues!
Glad you've been working to develop this process further!
Good luck and keep showing us how it develops!

Thomas