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Hi All from australia
This topic contains 24 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by 
Hi all Australians who are apart of the precious plastic community. I would love to meet with fellow Asutaralians to create networks and resources that are relevant to us, so that we can then share a curated resource with everyone in the community feel free to email me to get things started. I would love to speak to all machine builders especially because this the start of the process.
Hi Mark,
I’m Australian too. Not sure if I’m what you’re looking for because I’m hoping to use my precious plastic learning to help my adopted community in DRCongo but I could sure use someone to talk to about how we can use this technology to turn leavings into livings.
🙂
Penny
Hi penny great to see fellow aussies using that fair go spirit to help others.I’m looking for peple who have some knowledge mainly about building the machines so that I can then put a trouble shooter together for others. Have you made any machines yet? or what is your experience so far with plastic product making.
Hi Mark,
No machines yet, just a lot of reading and video watching! I’m hoping to use Dave’s plans to get machines built in the Congo and we can all play with them together when I’m there in January. I’m trying to think of at least one product that the machine can make because I’m not sure my Congolese friends will understand my enthusiasm for making plastic as such. The simplest saleable product would be a plastic plank. Only trouble is, I’m not sure about fire safety. It would be great if I could get my local men’s shed interested in tinkering so I could practice here 🙂
I live in Cooma, NSW, where are you?
Hi Penny
I would be looking at things that are practical like tools. Like handles for knives or things that can help that need durability. I would then work from there. As far as buildings go, fire is a huge risk and I dont have an answer for that but I have been interested in the sam thing. I would like to make tiny houses for the homeless using recycled materials. So far I am looking for a fire retardant that i can put into the plastic so that i can meet building regulations as well as it not be toxic to occupant who is staying in house.
Hi Mark,
Let me know if you find any answers about building stuff. Knife handles are only useful if you have blades and my folk could only access them by breaking off the existing handle, which seems a bit futile.
Most small plastic things can be bought so cheaply from China that we couldn’t compete so I wish we could make water pipes and tanks which cost much more to shift.
Maybe we have to work up to that size of machinery!
‘ello – also from Oz (Sydney) – just thought I’d say hi- I am approaching this from a 3d printing & art angle (I don’t have the tooling for the machines unfortunately but hopefully some practical commercialism will see them become available in our neck of the woods soon =))
Hi Jon,
Nice to meet you! Your emphasis on the product is interesting to me. I’m very grateful to the engineers who make the process work but I need a product to catalyse the reaction between those who have funding to offer and those who profitable work.
I just found this cool arty plastic-y page 🙂 http://time.com/4358434/world-oceans-day-art-marine-plastic/
Hi Mark and other Australian’s
I have only just started as well. I would like to build the machines and have access to most of the equipment to make them. I’m based in Sydney (inner west). I have not started making them but would be keen to start with someone who is interested. The welding, drilling etc is fine as I can do this stuff. Has anyone in Sydney made a machine yet?
Mark
Hi Penny
ok so the knife idea is no good what about in order to make pipes you have 2 tubes one inside each other and a funnel at one end which would distribute the plastic throughout the mold and made into sections. With the tank idea a flat sheet made with compression machine and then rolled and pop riveted together this would create the wall section or form a tube then for the bottom and top a disc for each end and joined somehow. I know this is really crude but im working with “in principle” obviously there needs to be alot more designing amd testing. what about ironing plastic shopping bags together and then bags and other items can be made.
Hi jon
Good to see you here . The machines should be available next year sometime theres alot of bugs to iron out.I have reached out to other aussies to pull together to make this a reality.
Hi Fellow down under recyclers, I am after a plastic shedder as well, though I found getting the parts laser cut here was way to expensive. I happy to work together with others or buy one from some one. I have been reading on these forums, the biggest obstacle to starting is the shedder.
David from Sydney
David,
I wonder whether other methods rather than laser would work for the shredder blades? I’ve been attending a local TAFE college to do welding. The edges acheived by plasma cutters is very good. Laser cutting gives the best edge however maybe if we tried a different method it may be cheaper than laser. CNC Plasma cutting is normally cheaper than the laser as the edges are a bit rougher, I suspect the rough edge may actually not be an issue for the blades. I have not priced the costs of getting the blades plasma cut yet.
Mark
Hi there
I’m in Brisbane QLD and just starting with building machines. Laser cutting is a pricey in Aus so the shredder will be around $900 for these parts alone. The rest of the machines should be a lot cheaper as it’s mostly fabrication and machining.
I’m more than happy to chat more. I’m a fitter/machinist with a well equipped shed and keen to help out where I can.
Cam
Hey Mark,
It’s nice of you to be still thinking about my puzzle!
That crochet thing is very neat. Maybe the tourists might be short of a hat or bag.
Ironing sheets together is wonderfully low tech but I’ll need to think of a product- maybe something origami?
Those sound good “in principle” approached to pipes and tanks. I think a narrow pipe might be the place to start. It would be nice for it to be continuous, instead on short lengths but then what would hold the centre wall support central?
🙂
Penny
Hi Cam,
Welcome aboard 🙂 Sounds like you are likely to be the first of us actually geared up to recycle some plastic. Wish you lived closer than Queensland!
🙂
Penny
Hi penny
The whole fusing sheets together thing is about quick and easy making of a raw material. I thought it would be useful so that the sheet would be heated to fit around something that then could be molded into a useful thing like a bucket or rolled around a log to make a crude type of a pipe who knows they might even perfect it and you have solved a major problem. Can you give me more of an idea of what you might be expecting or some info on what the place is like. I want people to succeed so I’m more that happy to help.
Hi David
I just rewatched the shredder video Dave mentioned water jet cutting and plasma. I think the cutting faces dont have to be too precise but the faces that go against the spacers are meant to be precise because they have to fit inside the box structure. I hope this helps let me know how you go.
HI ALL!!
I am a Program Coordinator for the National Sustainable Living Festival (SLF), and I love Precious Plastics! Recently, I was talking with Dave Hakkens to bring him out to Australia for SLF next year, but unfortunately due to scheduling issues, he cannot come. However, he is trying to make it to Australia for SLF 2019. Fingers Crossed!
In the meantime, I really want to start a Precious Plastic community in Australia! The team at SLF have a relationship with RMIT University, and we have been chatting about building some PP machines and potentially hosting a PP workshop for SLF’s 2018 festival in February. We also have a private benefactor who is interested in helping us to fund the build of the machines, which would thereafter be owned by SLF (for insurance purposes), but be made free to the community to use. We are still playing around with ideas, but perhaps these machines will be donated to a council area in Victoria after the Festival.
ANYWAY, I am contacting everyone because I would love to have a meet-up with any Aussie’s who would like to help start a Precious Plastic hub in Victoria! I would really love to start an Australian PP movement!
Please reply if you would like to meet up, and I will try my best to organise a group meeting.
Hope you all have a great day!
Tahli Kornhauser
slf-apply.org/
Attachments:
Hi all,..i have just finished making the shredder..see photos.
lots of hours and some problems,.but it is all going now.
Attachments:
Hi all,..i have just finished making the shredder..see photos.
lots of hours and some problems,.but it is all going now.
Ken
From Tasmania.
G’day all, interesting about the work in Africa. There is a project in South America that is already building low cost housing from plastic waste, they have their own custom extruder for the outer shell pieces, they might be worth a look at. Also I have seen houses made out of PAPERCRETE/FIDOBE which is a mixture of shredded paper products and either cement/sand/clay. Very fire resistant material and has very good insulating properties, the manufacturing process would also be very familiar to the locals as it is the same as for mud brick. As to plastic recycling you could look at practical items such as buckets, furniture, plates, cups, etc. start with small items and when they get to see what you are on about then work up to the big stuff. Merv
Hi everyone,
I’m in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, & am keen to contact other plastic recyclers! I’m impressed with the progress already made! I’m more of a helper than an initiater, but am happy to promote Precious Plastic in the mountains, & to assist in any way I can.
Cheers, Fi
Hey ken. Ate you going to start selling these. And the rest of his designs.
Im after the shreeder. Box for making rubbish bins and extraction machine for a proj6im starting in Indonesia.
[email protected]
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