PolyMorph/ MultiMorph

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

Hi all

Just a suggestion really.

Look up PolyMorph or MultiMorph on the web or on Amazon. Both names are used by the same firm for a thermoplastic supplied in pellet form which softens in hot water. Once soft it can be worked like modelling clay to form moldings which set in 10 minutes to a hardness similar to nylon. It's quick and clean and handy for making replacements for broken plastic parts etc. It is also reusable, if your first attempt is not good then put it back in the hot water and try again. The usual colour is white but some packs contain dye packets to colour the plastic and the set plastic can be painted. It is also useful for making "soft" packing for holding awkward shapes in the vice or chuck for machining, and if it's a one off job then the packing can be re-softened and re-used. The sellers suggest it can be used for making jewellery, but I have not tried that! Usual disclaimer.

Regards

Rod

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

A useful thermoplastic material

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

And Imprint horseshoes..       

 

Have you seen Sugru too ? Looks good stuff

Edited By Hacksaw on 06/01/2017 18:57:07

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I must play with polymorph, I think it would give best results if you used it with a mould.

On instructables someone has come up with 'oogoo', various amounts of cornstarch (cornflower) mixed with silicone sealer to make a sugru substitute that rapidly cures right through because of the moisture in the starch.

I have no experience of whether it works or not.

Neil

[BWParticipant @bw]

Could you use it to make a plastic zero backlash nut similar to the evanut idea ?

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

I have used polymorph to make a small hammer head to form copper sheet. I have also used it to hold small things to work on them.

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

This thermoplastic sounds about what I need….

I need a new fan for a vintage drill I still refurbishing…..I can make a mold to form a new fan but the type of molding plastic eludes me….

My only concern is the low temperature required for forming…..if the drill becomes too warm, the fan may melt!

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Sugru works well to temporarily repair a car rubber mat where a shoe heal has worn through.

[Rod RenshawParticipant @rodrenshaw28584]

Bill

I have not tried to make a nut but I think it would work well.. Unlike silicone, epoxy or Sugru etc, Polymorph does not bond very much to other materials. It just sets in a block in whatever shape it has been formed into. It is not a glue. One would have to form the "nut" inside a housing which had an internal shape or keyway to prevent the Polymorph moving within the housing. A release agent like a thin oil, graphite or even talc might be a good precaution on the screw, just in case. One of the beauties of this stuff is that one can experiment, and reuse the material if it does not work in a particular application. It should be a lot easier than trying to squeeze a nut out of nylon etc.

Regards

Rod

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

John, Polymorph is available in two temperature ranges, 40 and 60 degrees-ish from memory. If your fan is running over 60 degrees, you may have other problems.

Rod, Polymorph is a glue if you heat it too much, very much like the stuff used in glue guns. Don't ask me how I know…

It is very good for making irregular shapes. When I taught in a school for handicapped children we often made custom grips for pencils and other such things, to suit the needs of children with limited dexterity.

George

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by John Rudd on 06/01/2017 20:32:29:

This thermoplastic sounds about what I need….

I need a new fan for a vintage drill I still refurbishing…..I can make a mold to form a new fan but the type of molding plastic eludes me….

My only concern is the low temperature required for forming…..if the drill becomes too warm, the fan may melt!

.

Sounds like an ideal job for 3D printing. I have printed a few in ABS which will hold up but these where for the motor rewinders and I'm limited to a max print of 5" so many they would have liked fall outside this size.

Having said that the rewind trade has spawned various suppliers of generic parts and fans are one of them.

I don't know the name of any, I don't get involved on that side, they source all their parts but I could ask on Monday ?

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