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Making bracelets and necklaces from plastic
- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by
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Hi,
My name is Camiel, I’m 20 years old and from The Netherlands.
A little bit about myself:
I traveled a lot the past 3 years to different countries like Mongolia, the USA and Indonesia. And I’m preparing for my next big trip to Bhutan this August. The goal on my travels was to help people a little. It could be helping at a food-bank in the USA or teaching kids the basics on hygiene or English.
A big problem on my travels was the pollution in the cities or even the beautiful beaches I’ve visited. We would organise clean ups and we really made a different! But than we saw that the trash we’ve collected was thrown into a hole or river or was even set on fire. So I started thinking…
Back to the idea:
I came in contact with PP and it immediately connected with the idea I have.
I want to recycle my plastic waste and make bracelets and necklaces with it. My thought on the machine I use is the injection and making a mould that creates balls and then I use a heat-pen to make the holes. I will be shredding the plastic myself with a scissors. In the pictures you can see my prototypes. (they are made from wood)
My goal is to make a lot and sell them to my family and friends and use the money to donate to a project that cleans communities around the world, or maybe start my own.
I will keep you guys updated on my project!!!
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Hi Camiel @camiel1805
In looking around I came across these two videos:
handcrafted beads
beads made in an oven with a (commercial) mould.
Not quite what you are looking for (yet), but at least half-way there…
Hi Donald,
Thank you for the 2 videos. the first one was really helpful!!
UPDATE!!
So I came up with 2 methods:
The one-at-a-time method like in the video
or
The mass production with an Extruder method
I visualized the process in the picture below. Follow the numbers 😉
The one-at-a-time method:
You follow the instructions in the video of Donald.
1. You take some plastic
2. You heat it with a heat gun to a ball
3. You have your bead
Downside is that it will take a lot of time to make a lot of beads. And you need to learn how to do it.
The Extruder method:
1. You put the quantity of plastic in the extruder and let it do its work
2. You must a cutting meganism on the extruder to cut the plastic in the quantity you want (will take some time to get that going)
3. The balls fall in a bucket of water to cool down.
4. You use a het pen to make the holes in the balls
5. You put the beads on a iron pin and use a heat gun to retouch if needed.
6. You have a lot of beads fast
The downside is that you have to invest in the extruder, heat gun and heat pen. The upside is that you have a lot of beads fast. For me who wants to make a lot of bracelets this is the best process.
I’m going to play with the one-at-a-time method and create my own beads. Maybe I’ll get some ideas to do it faster.
Greetings,
Camiel
P.S. In the other picture below you’ll see my design of the bracelet I want to make. What do you think?
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interesting, thanks for sharing. this will get my pet project of doing ‘balls’ for a Abalone game (45E) – the PP way – a little further. I guess ‘go’ is then just next corner, lovely, thanks
@camiel1805
Looks good.
Getting this right would make for a very interesting, versatile product.
I know people making a decent living from making glass beads (incl. workshops).
I wonder if an automated CNC hole drilling setup would also be possible…
Hi, now that I red all your posts, I think he best way would be what I had in my young adulthood, plastic necklaces two spheres melted together. 🙂 Of course back then I did not no – nobody told me – how bad it is for the environment, and it was definitely not from recycled material. Anyway, the way how day make it, it is not hollow. They make tho half spheres, and then they melt it together with the cord.
I am thinking myself to do this, so I gave a bit thought already.
I would love to have them myself … the only thing I am missing for this project is space 🙂 I do everything in my kitchen and my living room haha, till my husband is not gonna put me on the street 🙂 🙂 🙂
So, I wish you luck, and try the spheres 🙂 Maybe it will work, and you only have to melt them in the oven in a mold.
Good luck, and viva la plastic waste around us …. One day we will choke on it.
UPDATE:
I got my heat gun and I started making my first beads. Quick note: It’s harder then it looks like on the video 😉
My first beads were a bid badly formed and I burned my fingers some times. (Gonna use gloves for now on)
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Hi, how is it going with your beads?
Were you able to create smaller beads somehow?
Thanks!
Hi There,
A lot of time has passed and a lot of things have happened, so let’s do a little recap.
I was practising to do the one at a time method like I explained in my previous reactions, but I figured something…. I’m totally not good with my hands.
So. I started looking at the extrusion.. but that won’t make an instant bead and I don’t want to do a lot of work for just one bracelet.
So I was back to nothing and I started thinking about another way.
And I came back to the idea of making an injection machine and use a mould to produce my beads right away. I also want to start making a small production of all kinds of product and I think the injection machine is the right machine to start with.
I found someone who helped me building the injection machine (look at the picture) and I’m waiting for the electronics to arrive so I can finish it.
Right now I’m looking for a company who can help me design and produce the perfect mould (somewhere in the EU and not that pricy). So if you guys know someone please leave it down bellow.
I will keep you updated
Camiel
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