We imitate soutache or filigree from polymer clay

Technical features of extruders

The device consists of several parts, and is divided into three sections:

1. The first is responsible for receiving raw materials,
2. In the second, plasticization and compression occur,
3. In the third - pressing.

Grain processing in industrial extruders occurs at high temperatures: from 110 to 180°C, and pressure above 40 atmospheres. Such conditions are necessary for the breakdown of fiber, proteins and starch contained in whole grains. The whole process takes only a few minutes, which means the split protein does not have time to coagulate.

Another advantage of extrusion is the production of clean and safe feed: almost all types of bacteria and fungi die during heat treatment.

The grain extruder is equipped with a special chamber in which the products are pressed. It also contains a shaft with screw pressing, intermediate and feeding elements. The power of the device depends on the engine and rotor, which is responsible for the operation of the cutting unit.

Do-it-yourself extruder for welding

This idea arose more than 60 years ago, so until today it has undergone many different changes and has become almost ideal. A huge number of mechanisms have appeared that differ in the technique of influence, but are almost uniform in terms of the resulting structures.

How is the base of the proposed part heated? Everything is quite simple: as a result of mechanical procedures, thermal energy is generated, which contributes to additional heating of the plastic. External thermal influences cannot be excluded. In this case, the process depends to a large extent on the initial structure of the extruder.

Manual welding extruder: working principle

The extruder is not a difficult tool to operate; there are three versions:

• cold forming;
• hot extrusion;
• heat treatment.

Types of homemade extruders

Industrial models of the device start at 45,000 rubles in price, which is not always acceptable for small farms and private farmsteads. To prepare complete and healthy feed for livestock and poultry, many farmers have learned to assemble the device themselves. There are several ways to make an extruder with your own hands:

• For large volumes of raw materials,
• From spare parts for agricultural machinery,
• From a vacuum cleaner.

Before you start manufacturing, you need to find diagrams and drawings. They will help you understand the intricacies and nuances of fastening and location of the main working units.

A homemade extruder will not only be cheaper. It can be made in a size suitable for the needs of the farm, equipped with additional figured knives or several matrices.

We imitate soutache or filigree from polymer clay

Difficulty: medium

Working time: 2 hours

Materials: polymer clay, extruder, cabochons, paste machine, glass, acrylic, iron, clay, knife

According to the author. Good day everyone! Not long ago I was captivated by jewelry using the soutache technique. How I wanted to try to do something like that! But how? I don’t know how to sew or embroider, I don’t have beads...but I do have clay! Polymer clay. It was decided, I thought, I will make soutache. Approximate soutache!

This idea really amused me, but I didn’t stop, made a couple of products, and decided to share with you, dear participants! MK will be designed mainly for beginners (because an experienced person will figure out how to make such jewelry even without MK), so there will be a lot of photographs, descriptions and repeating steps!

So where to start? First we need to draw an approximate sketch of the product we want to receive. It is extremely difficult for a person who has never studied soutache to do this. Therefore, to begin with, I propose to be inspired by beautiful works: (found on the Internet. If it contradicts the rules, please write in the comments, I will delete and select other inspiring pictures)

So, we looked, got inspired, had patience and started drawing a sketch: (I got the following)

To create these earrings we will need the following materials:

1. Extruder.

2. Extruder attachment for creating “ropes”. The photo shows a nozzle with 7 holes, technological holes; I replaced it with a smaller one, where there were 9 holes.

3. Toothpick. Required for laying “ropes”.

4. Cabochons. Quantity and material - any. I had glass and acrylic. Please note that when acrylic cabochons are heated in the oven together with PG, with the correct heating (110-130 degrees) and time (about 10 minutes), acrylic cabochons do not melt. But I still advise you to remove them before baking.

5. Rhinestones for decoration. Again, I have glass and iron (for modeling nails). The rhinestones have an adhesive base, so I didn’t need glue; when heated, they stuck tightly on their own.

6. The clay is white. (Sonnet)

7. Chinese clay. Why Chinese: the fact is that the “grade” of this clay is very soft, viscous and sticky. Everything sticks to this clay very well, and therefore I don’t need to use gels and glues to glue the ropes. Moreover, when heated, this clay first melts, melting everything nearby, and then hardens.

8. Gel "Fimo". This is a transparent adhesive gel for gluing parts together. (Needed in case you don’t have Chinese clay on hand).

9. Paste machine or acrylic roller.

10. Modeling board. I use ceramic tiles. There is no need to move the product from place to place, and it is convenient to work on it.

11. Texture sheet or silicone mold with texture. (Optional)

12. Stationery knife.

Knead the blue clay well for the base of the product. China is well suited for this. Soft, sticky, stinks when baked.

We pass the piece through a pasta machine:

As you can see, it is viscous, as a result of which it turned out uneven. I decided to apply a design to the reverse side using a silicone mold (or a stamp. I honestly don’t know what it is. I bought it in a creative store).

Carefully, using a utility knife, remove the layer of clay and turn it over. This will be the surface with which we have to work. Please note that if the surface gets dirty, it’s okay. The flagella will hide everything.

You need 2 earrings. Therefore, we lay out 2 cabochons, determining the approximate size of the earrings. These cabochons will be the center of the piece. We remember that my clay is Chinese and sticky. I recommend that you lubricate a sheet of clay with Fimo gel.

Now we take an extruder, fill it with clay and press those same flagella. A small life hack for those who have an extruder similar to mine (not makins, without threads): it’s almost impossible to squeeze clay out of something like this with your bare hands, so a sealant/glue/silicone gun comes to my aid. We insert an extruder into it and press it - I don’t want to)

Let's return to cabochons. Take a white flagellum and place it in a circle. I advise you to simply throw it approximately around the cabochon, and use a toothpick to move it to the desired shape.

Like this:

We remember that there are two earrings, so we work in parallel with both.

Let's take a look at the sketch we drew of the masterpiece. It is necessary to place rhinestones around the cabochon. Using a toothpick, carefully place them where we need them, while lightly pushing the rhinestones under the flagellum:

Don't forget about the second earring. In the end, this is what it should be:

We put a rhinestone on top of the flagellum. Again we put it on the rhinestones with a slight “drop”. It will give the impression of “sewn-in” beads.

To enhance the effect, we throw a blue rope on top in the same way:

Now we need to insert another cabochon. To position it correctly, throw the tails of the bundles to the side.

We insert the cabochon, take a toothpick in our hands and carefully guide the tourniquet around the cabochon. First blue, then white. We cut off the excess and tuck a little under the cabochon. We repeat the procedure on the other side and with the second earring.

This is what it should look like. If suddenly the length of the flagellum is not enough, then simply cut a small piece of string and add it. The canvas itself can be mercilessly dirty and leave fingerprints. This will not be visible.

Let’s make “straps” from two small pieces of rope and cut off the extra tail:

We look at the sketch and put the harnesses on the sides. It is worth taking them as long as possible. It’s better to cut it off one more time than to redo everything else.

Similarly, add a white tourniquet:

Now we put rhinestones on the sides and wrap the strands like around the cabochons:

Let's add a couple more touches. We carry out the same procedure with the second earring:

As you can see in the sketch, we have rhinestones not only below, but also above:

We apply rhinestones, circle them with a tourniquet, and trim off the excess.

I want to place the next squiggle “above” the product. Therefore, we apply the harnesses over the workpiece. White first:

Then blue:

We insert the rhinestones and bend the cord. It turns out that we bend it from top to bottom.

This is what it should look like (or better than mine):

We put another strip of tourniquet on top of the product:

Insert rhinestones along the central top of the product:

We apply two tourniquets at each edge.

We remove the central rhinestone, insert the rhinestones on the sides, bend the strand, cut off the excess, and return the central rhinestone on top of the strand.

Repeat the same with the second earring:

We returned the product down and circled the lowest cabochon with a tourniquet:

Now you need to make a border around the product. We simply outline the entire product, from start to finish, with a blue rope (the color of the base). I think by now you are doing a great job with a toothpick. This is where she will help:

Result:

I added a couple more touches:

Now we take a knife in our hands and carefully cut off the excess background. We remove everything unnecessary and put it in the oven. Let's go have some tea ourselves. For a change, you can go back to the beginning of the post and see how much work you did. Be sure to praise yourself, you are just great! Did you remember to admire the soutache decorations again and gain a little more inspiration?

We take the product out of the oven and attach the accessories! Woo-a-la - you have beautiful winter earrings in your hands!

This, of course, cannot be compared with real soutache, but I still think it has a right to exist!

I hope you liked this post and was useful to at least someone!

Thank you for your attention!

Source

Extruder for large volumes of feed

This device consists of:

• Receiving bunker,
• Motor and drive,
• Frames,
• Gearbox,
• cuff,
• cutting unit,
• Dosing screw with drive,
• Cylinder.

The chamber of the pressing unit is a cylinder into which the injection screw is inserted. The auger is divided into three parts: initial, middle and outlet. For greater strength, each of them is secured with a stud with a left-hand thread. The unit is covered with a casing made of steel sheet.

The frame is welded from a corner or pipe sections. The dimensions depend on the planned volumes of processed raw materials and the length of the cylinder. The pressing unit is installed on the frame and secured with several bolts. Next, we begin to manufacture the receiving hopper. Usually it is welded from steel sheets, and a hole is made in the lower part under which a tray is placed. Through it, the raw material flows from the receiver to the supercharger screw. To move the grain, longitudinal recesses are made in the lower part of the body. At the end of the screw section, a cutting unit is installed to regulate the size of the granules. It includes:

• bow hull,
• Matrix,
• Knives.

The knives are pressed against the matrix by a spring, and the shaft rotates using a drive and a driver. The finished product comes out through the holes in the matrix and is cut with knives according to the specified parameters.

The feed extruder processes grain only at high temperatures created by the operation of the motor and gearbox.

They are connected to the shaft and bow housing by a chain drive and attached to the frame. For safety, the electrical assembly can also be covered with steel cuffs. Temperature regulation is carried out by changing the position of the matrix, and control is carried out with a thermometer. Install it next to the cutting element.

Design and operating principle

A manual welding extruder is a thermomechanical device that sequentially carries out two processes - heating a low-melting plastic to a viscous state, and then squeezing the mass onto the surface in the joint area. There, HDPE, PVC and other low-melting plastics solidify, forming a strong weld.

For compactness and ease of use, the equipment in question is usually designed in the form of a pistol with a handle (in which the drive electric motor is mounted) and an upper nozzle for heating the working mixture. The welding extruder consists of the following components:

1. Electric motor.
2. Feeder.
3. Extrusion chamber.
4. Crushing screw device.
5. Chambers for melting plastic.
6. Thermal heater.
7. Welding nozzle.
8. Control systems.

To operate, the device is pre-filled with a filler rod made of the material that will be used for welding. The process goes as follows. On the top panel of the extruder there is a receiving sleeve with a hole through which the filler rod is passed. The filling must be such that the free end of the rod falls into the area where it is captured by the auger. When the electric motor is turned on, two processes occur: heating the filler rod with a concentrated stream of hot air, and - after some time, which is determined by the device sensor - feeding the rod into the grinding zone.

There, a rotating auger crushes the plastic rod, turning it into a granular mass. The latter melts when heated, and, moving further, enters the melting zone. In this zone, the granulate is already mechanically and homogeneous. Under the influence of pressure from the screw, it passes into the welding zone, enters the welding nozzle and, in the process of pressing against the surface of the products being welded, is squeezed out into a uniform strip, the width of which depends on the configuration of the nozzle. Since the external temperature is much lower than that created by the thermal heater, the material of the filler rod instantly solidifies, forming a welding seam.

In less compact but more productive extruder models, the filler rod is heated using an external thermal heater, and air is supplied there from a small compressor. There may also be design differences in the method of heating the filler material: sometimes heating is carried out by ring heating elements coaxially placed in the thermal heater body.

The manual welding extruder control system performs the following functions:

• Pre-setting the heating temperature, which is determined by the melting temperature of the plastic (as is known, HDPE melts at 120...130ºС, PVC - at 150...220ºС, and polypropylene - at 170...190ºС).
• Turning on the thermal heater;
• Starting the drive of the auger grinder;
• “Cold start” blocking, when the screw can move still heterogeneous filler material;
• Switching off the thermal heater while the auger is still rotating, which eliminates the adhesion of granulate residues in the welding chamber.

Extruder made from spare parts for agricultural machinery

To make this device, you must have:

• Electrical engine,
• Gears from a tractor gearbox,
• Rod, diameter 5 mm, from a hydraulic cylinder,
• Wire, 8 mm thick,
• Sheet metal.

To make a cylinder, several gears are welded together. The result should be a screw with a diameter of about 6.25 cm. Next, a wire is wound onto it at variable pitches. The step width gradually decreases from 2.4 cm to 2 cm. All elements are welded, and the seam is cleaned with a grinding machine.

The next stage: turning the axle boxes on a lathe. One is made for the auger, the second for the gear shaft. When the elements are ready, the parts are welded together in the following sequence: shaft, axle boxes, bearing, auger. The extruder head is attached to the latter using a die.

The assembly of the feed extruder begins with welding the frame on which the motor is mounted. It is connected to the working unit and the starting element using a chain drive. A loading hopper is placed on top: it can be either a bucket or a box welded from iron. At the opposite end, a form is installed to compress the processed mass. Passing through the die, the grain is pressed through the holes and enters the dispenser.

A grain extruder operates on the principle of a meat grinder, and the size of the granules depends on the shape and size of the holes in the die.

Top 7 homemade equipment for plastic processing (PET, PVC)

Today we will talk about recycling waste in the form of plastic bottles and other polymers. This topic is relevant both in terms of building a business and in terms of improving the environment. Therefore, it concerns each of us.

It is impossible to cover all the nuances of working in this industry in one video. The purpose of this issue is to explain in accessible words how things are in this industry and at what stages money is made here.

The cost of industrial equipment for processing plastic bottles (PET, PVC) amounts to millions. We understand that this is not available to everyone. Therefore, we tried to make this review using the example of people with direct hands, who, without having multi-million dollar budgets, manage to take their small place in this industry with the help of homemade equipment.

Let's move on to the top:

Collection of raw materials and pressing

The plastic recycling process begins with the receipt of raw materials. No special license required.

Many stop at this stage and start a full-fledged business. It consists of collecting raw materials, pressing them and then selling them.

Garbage is actually only conditionally free and not everyone has access to city landfills. Therefore, if you do not do this on an industrial scale, you can try to exclude the landfill administration from this chain and receive raw materials directly from people and enterprises.

This can be done either through collection points or by installing special boxes around the city for collecting plastic bottles.

People throw bottles into such boxes for free, because they understand that in this way they are making their small contribution to improving the environment. You can also work with people’s awareness by hanging explanatory signs on such boxes.

To place such a box in the courtyard of an apartment building, you should first coordinate this issue with the management company or a representative of the HOA. The argument for installing a box is to help keep the yard clean.

You can also agree on the installation of separate boxes (for plastic, paper and glass) in the offices of large enterprises. Thus, the enterprise will not only receive an “eco-title” and free waste removal, but also additional funds for small consumables.

Subsequently, bottles from such points are removed and pressed into bales. For pressing you need a press. The most budget option is a manual press, which you can take with you when collecting raw materials. But for greater productivity, you need a hydraulic press.

Crushing with a shredder

The next step after collecting the raw materials is the process of obtaining flex (crushed plastic).

At this point we would like to introduce you to Dave Hakkens. Who, with the help of his YouTube channel, is trying to make the plastic recycling process more accessible.

Dave shows us how he builds a mini shredder in his garage step by step.

To obtain high-quality flex, bottles must be sorted by color and separated from caps before crushing. The lids are made of PVC material, which has different properties and is processed separately.

After sorting, the bottles are crushed using a shredder, washed and dried. In this way, you can get high-quality flex, which is in demand both domestically and abroad. The most valuable is flex from colorless bottles.

Granulation using an extruder

To get one step closer to the final product, flex can be processed into granules. This is done using extrusion. Dave also shows how he assembles a small extruder in his garage.

Crushed plastic is poured into the extruder, which moves inside the housing using a screw shaft (like a meat grinder).

The case is equipped with a heating system, which ensures the melting of the plastic. Next, the plastic is squeezed out through small holes in the form of rods.

The rods pass through a rotating knife and granules are obtained - a finished product for the production of various plastic products.

Homemade plastic recycling line

An example of the processes described above can be seen in the video from Oybek Kosimov’s channel. Where he reviews a homemade line for converting plastic into pellets.

Here the plastic also goes through a grinding process, washed, dried and fed into the extruder. The rods obtained at the exit from the extruder pass through a bath of water for cooling, are fed to the cutter and finished granules are obtained.

Injection molding machines (TPA)

The resulting granules are widely used in the production of products using injection molding machines.

It is difficult to name at least one industry where small plastic parts are not required. Therefore, the use of injection molding machines is very extensive.

Skillful hands manage to assemble them in their garages. We can see this in an example from a video from Grigory Uryvsky’s channel, where he demonstrates his homemade injection molding machine.

The granules poured into the injection molding machine are melted and the plastic is pressed into the prepared mold (matrix). The output is a finished product.

Making molds also costs good money, so only producing products in large quantities will be profitable.

Since we decided to cover this topic using the example of homemade equipment, then we will show several examples of the use of recycled plastic in handicraft production in India.

Polymer sand production

Using an example, we can see how crushed plastic mixed with a sand base is poured into the extruder. The output is a dough-like mass, which is placed in a mold. Next, the mold is placed under a hand press and after compression the finished product is obtained. Depending on the prepared form, the same polymer sand tiles or paving slabs can be used in this way.

Making building blocks

Here you can see how Indians use a homemade installation, similar to a heated concrete mixer. Some kind of slag is poured into it, plastic bottles are added and stirred until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The finished mass is placed in a prepared mold, pressed and cooled. The output is a finished building block.

Ropes made from plastic bottles

The video shows how you can make ropes from plastic bottles in your own garage:

Bottle brooms

In the video you can see how brooms are made from used plastic bottles:

Machine tools for small businesses in the garage:

Extruder from an old vacuum cleaner

For production you will need:

• Housing and motor from a vacuum cleaner,
• plywood sheet,
• Steel blank for knives,
• Metal disk,
• Wooden pins,
• Fasteners and bushings.

This device is not very powerful, so it is most often used to prepare feed for a small number of poultry, rabbits, piglets or small cattle.

How to make a grain extruder: a square is cut out of a sheet of plywood - a base with a side of 30 cm. A motor is installed on it so that the shaft is 4 cm below the base. For the manufacture of knives, steel grade STZ or higher is used, or they are machined from car holders. The thickness of the knife should not be less than 1.5 mm, and the length and width should not be less than 20 * 1.5 cm. The knife should be sharpened in the direction of the rotating axis. For greater efficiency, the workpiece is shaped like a propeller or the angle of the corner edges is changed.

To attach the cutting element, a hole is drilled on the motor axis, and a regular bushing acts as a fastening element. The working chamber is made of metal sheet. Container dimensions: 70*6 cm. The sheet is bent into the shape of a cylinder, and the upper and lower parts are bent outward. Flanges 1 cm wide should form. They are needed to secure the chamber and hold the sieve. Three pins are installed at the bottom of the cylinder.

The mesh size of the sieve determines the size of the finished granules. The smallest is used to obtain feed flour. A receiving hopper with dampers is welded above the working chamber. With its help, you can regulate the volume of supplied raw materials.

DIY clay extruders

To make a simple extruder for clay, you will need a regular plastic bottle of any shape.

Such extruders are called sculpting extruders. With their help you can work with a variety of clays and plasticine. These extruders allow you to make various parts and shapes. For example, you can make human hair or clearly draw grass.

The basis for this extruder is a simple transparent plastic bottle. It must be washed and dried well, and the lid too.

You need to remove the plate from the inside of the cover. This can be done with a needle or pin. Next, you need to make a hole in it from which the clay will be squeezed out. Its diameter should be the same as the thickness of the desired lines. This is done using a sharp knife. The edges of the hole are made smooth.

Next you need to take a metal disk to which you need to attach a handle in the shape of the letter “T”. The resulting extruder should look like a syringe. The plate must be made of durable material so that during operation it does not change its shape under pressure.

Recommendations for use

The grain extruder is installed on a flat, flat surface. It is advisable to use the device in a room with low humidity and good ventilation. The grain is fed evenly and constantly, otherwise the compartment with the press will be overloaded. To adjust the size of the finished granules, change the sieve or tighten the matrix bolt.

Finish the work by gradually reducing the speed. After each use, the device must be disassembled and washed to avoid clogging of the working and cutting units with particles of dried food.