Thoughts on the Neo-Plasticene

[Dave Z]

Thoughts on the Neo-Plasticene

One of the ubiquitous and useful materials that will be abundant in post-cataclysmic everywhere will be plastic.

PVC, for example, can be softened, reshaped and cooled to harden. Uses include weatherproof (archery) bows and crossbows, springs, latches, triggers, and structural members. While PVC is UV sensitive, it suffers zero corrosion.

Here's a starter playlist, but shop around for ideas and methods that suit you:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmZjohx-3PZkSoIf9SLPi8f1XowYnmQXk

Polyethylenes (e.g., some waterpipe) and UHMDs (e.g., cutting board plastic) are slippery and UV resistant, and make excellent skids, fairleads and chafe gear. Polyethylenes make reasonable hinges and can be sewn up as sheaths. UHMDs, usually, but not always in plate form, are extremely versatile for boxes, mountings, work surfaces, skid buttons, wheels, etc..

Many standard plastics can be melted and cast as bricks and shingles.

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If there are any chemists reading this, would you consider posting a procedure for thinning melted plastics with volatiles (especially ones that can be DIYed from wood or other common Grace Period substances)? Turpentine would be one example of a DIY thinning candidate.

In particular, I am interested in the ability to join plywood panels (scrounged from semi-intact buildings) with so called tape and glue methods. These use a fabric tape bonded with a resin glue (and here I'm thinking recycled, melted and thinned plastics) for an extremely strong, waterproof joint. We used this type of joint to build MUSTELID.

[url]MUSTELID viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2194&p=4741#p4741[/url]

A simpler alternative is to use unthinned, melted plastics in 'welding' technique, which would be fillets without the tape, preferably on opposite, inside corners. This would be less strong and have a lower threshold of failure, but might be useful nevertheless.

Dave Z