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Made in us
Assault Kommando





Has anyone any experience with recycling sprue by melting/heating it in a liquid or semi liquid/plyable state?? I have used it (melted) in limited quantities to make rock/jump points for my jump pack troops, but has anyone ever melted down sprue to use as a resin subsitute?

I say this because I have an inordinant amout of the stuff and do not want to see it in a landfill, but my GF says it has to get gone fast.

Anyone?

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not." 
   
Made in gb
Regular Dakkanaut





Never done it.

But a friend of mine has and recommends adding a little soap.

I have no idea why.

I am currently taking commissions.

http://www.facebook.com/EastgatePaintingStudio
 
   
Made in gb
Monstrous Master Moulder





Essex,, England

Doesn't melt down well at all, it is thermosetting plastic which means that as it was done under immense heat and pressure, it's chemical state has changed and will no longer melt, only burn.


 
   
Made in gb
Fully-charged Electropriest





Hereford, UK

winnertakesall wrote:Doesn't melt down well at all, it is thermosetting plastic which means that as it was done under immense heat and pressure, it's chemical state has changed and will no longer melt, only burn.


This. ^

The only thing empty sprues are good for is rubble/scenery and making the place look untidy (the latter of which isn't really helpful).

IIRC GW use them to make bases, as that is all they can do. I seem to remember at Gamesday (UK) the have huge bins full of empty sprues so maybe you could take it there if you really didn't want it going to a landfill.
   
Made in au
Fresh-Faced New User




Basically as said above, the plastic is not designed to remelt...otherwise our minis would be constantly melting from being left in the sun...

That said, the plastic will melt given enough heat, however i doubt it will ever melt into a useable substance...

-kizzap
   
Made in gb
Ichor-Dripping Talos Monstrosity






Personally I use sprue as the framework / basing tool for scratchbuilds to get round that 50% of the model must be GW product rule for in store use

   
Made in gb
Monstrous Master Moulder





Essex,, England

Oh and by the way, it also gives off poisonous fumes when you try and melt it, possibly a failsafe put in by GW, so I wouldn't recomend melting it at all for two reason:

1. Poison fumes
2.Doesn't work

Although it is handy stuff to have, you can use them in modelling, for framework, rubble, making basic buildings ect.


 
   
Made in au
Anti-Armour Swiss Guard






Newcastle, OZ

It's NOT a failsafe PUT IN by GW.

It's a chemical side-effect of the compound reacting to heat.
It's a property of the styrene plastics group.

I'm OVER 50 (and so far over everyone's BS, too).
Old enough to know better, young enough to not give a ****.

That is not dead which can eternal lie ...

... and yet, with strange aeons, even death may die.
 
   
Made in gb
Monstrous Master Moulder





Essex,, England

I was joking, merely a lighthearted jab at GW marketing techniques


 
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Master with Gauntlets of Macragge





Boston, MA

Melting plastic is a bad idea. Do not melt plastic. Unless you really like toxic fumes that is, in which case knock yourself out.

Check out my Youtube channel!
 
   
Made in us
Khorne Veteran Marine with Chain-Axe





San Diego.

chromedog wrote:It's NOT a failsafe PUT IN by GW.

It's a chemical side-effect of the compound reacting to heat.
It's a property of the styrene plastics group.



I seem to remember that styrene can be dissolved by gasoline. I wonder if the heat changed that too?

   
Made in us
Bloodthirsty Chaos Knight





Washington USA

ChaosDave wrote:
chromedog wrote:It's NOT a failsafe PUT IN by GW.

It's a chemical side-effect of the compound reacting to heat.
It's a property of the styrene plastics group.


I seem to remember that styrene can be dissolved by gasoline. I wonder if the heat changed that too?


Um, isn't styrene + gasoline = napalm?

“Yesss! Just as planned!”
–Spoken by Xi’aquan, Lord of Change, in its death throes  
   
Made in us
Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






nectarprime wrote:
Um, isn't styrene + gasoline = napalm?


no

Godforge custom 3d printing / professional level casting masters and design:
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Made in gb
Krazed Killa Kan






Newport, S Wales

nectarprime wrote:
ChaosDave wrote:
chromedog wrote:It's NOT a failsafe PUT IN by GW.

It's a chemical side-effect of the compound reacting to heat.
It's a property of the styrene plastics group.


I seem to remember that styrene can be dissolved by gasoline. I wonder if the heat changed that too?


Um, isn't styrene + gasoline = napalm?


More or less yes...

Great, we've gone from cheap resin substitutes to weapons banned by the geneva convention...

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Made in us
Khorne Veteran Marine with Chain-Axe





San Diego.

Leigen_Zero wrote:
nectarprime wrote:
ChaosDave wrote:
chromedog wrote:It's NOT a failsafe PUT IN by GW.

It's a chemical side-effect of the compound reacting to heat.
It's a property of the styrene plastics group.


I seem to remember that styrene can be dissolved by gasoline. I wonder if the heat changed that too?


Um, isn't styrene + gasoline = napalm?


More or less yes...

Great, we've gone from cheap resin substitutes to weapons banned by the geneva convention...



See even sprues can be useful. Recycling is the name of the game, only with this you get to recycle with fire!

   
Made in gb
Noble of the Alter Kindred




United Kingdom

There was a thread with some good scratchbuilt terrain made from sprue as a more constructive and non flouting of Geneva Convestion type of way.

I have chopped it up soaked it in liquid poly cement and made a filler, but tbh it is just easier to use superglue and talc.

 
   
Made in us
Assault Kommando





Maybe I need a blendtech blender, powderize it and make "rubble/rocks/" for scenic bases?

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not." 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka






On a boat, Trying not to die.

Or a meat grinder for, like, 30 bucks.

Every Normal Man Must Be Tempted At Times To Spit On His Hands, Hoist That Black Flag, And Begin Slitting Throats. 
   
Made in us
Three Color Minimum





West Coast of the USA

From everything I am reading, and this is the internet so who knows what is right, the Geneva Convention and international law do not prohibit the use of napalm on military targets. They only prohibit the use of napalm and similar incendiary weapons on civilians and in general should be employed to just cause unnecessary suffering to individuals. Even then there are stipulations to that.

This is the best read I found so far was this: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/incendiary-legal.htm even if it is a bit slanted to a USA view of things, IMO.

So it sounds like flame on to me!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/08/02 22:31:51


 
   
Made in us
Khorne Veteran Marine with Chain-Axe





San Diego.

Synchro wrote:From everything I am reading, and this is the internet so who knows what is right, the Geneva Convention and international law do not prohibit the use of napalm on military targets. They only prohibit the use of napalm and similar incendiary weapons on civilians and in general should be employed to just cause unnecessary suffering to individuals. Even then there are stipulations to that.

This is the best read I found so far was this: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/incendiary-legal.htm even if it is a bit slanted to a USA view of things, IMO.

So it sounds like flame on to me!


Since we are civilians here(i.e. none of us is representing a military force or government) the Geneva convention wouldn't actually apply anyway. Ownership and use of napalm or other flammable materials would be a local government thing as each country would have its own laws for this.

   
Made in gb
Drop Trooper with Demo Charge





Maidstone, Kent

Brother SRM wrote:Melting plastic is a bad idea. Do not melt plastic. Unless you really like toxic fumes that is, in which case knock yourself out.


Quite literally.

Just my two pence.

1500pts- Cadia 126th/122nd [ashamed]150pts painted

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Made in au
[MOD]
Making Stuff






Under the couch

Connor McKane wrote:Maybe I need a blendtech blender, powderize it and make "rubble/rocks/" for scenic bases?

I've used an electric spice grinder to grind up old sprue for rubble and basing grit... it's a lot of work though, and rips the grinder to pieces eventually.

 
   
Made in gb
Fixture of Dakka







Brother SRM wrote:Melting plastic is a bad idea. Do not melt plastic. Unless you really like toxic fumes that is, in which case knock yourself out.

Litera...
Will20017 wrote:Quite literally.

Damnit!

   
Made in ca
Crafty Clanrat




Frozen Wastes of Canada

Not sure what your options are in the US, but up here we can put the sprues in with the plastic/metal recycling and somewhere, somehow I hope it becomes something better...
Otherwise, I second the numerous recommendations above to re-use for rubble, structural support, painting support, etc...
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Master with Gauntlets of Macragge





Boston, MA

Will20017 wrote:
Quite literally.



Reminds me of the guy who wanted to do snow basing and was going to crush up lightbulbs for the snow. I don't think I need to explain why powdered glass is never something you want to spend much time near...

Check out my Youtube channel!
 
   
Made in au
Anti-Armour Swiss Guard






Newcastle, OZ

nectarprime wrote:
Um, isn't styrene + gasoline = napalm?


No.

Napthalene+Palm oil is NaPalm. Napalm2 is a gelled gasoline (new, improved, even more sticky.) "... and napalm sticks to kids ...".

Styrene + gasoline is a stabilised gel form of gasoline. It's also carcinogenic.
It's also a good way to ensure that the local firies don't just "let it burn" when the old wooden shed has drums (44ga) of the stuff in it. You've never seen them move so fast.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/08/03 01:12:57


I'm OVER 50 (and so far over everyone's BS, too).
Old enough to know better, young enough to not give a ****.

That is not dead which can eternal lie ...

... and yet, with strange aeons, even death may die.
 
   
Made in us
Gangly Grot Rebel





Make spruecrons.

Seriously, if done right they make convincing necron models. And they're getting a revamp, right?
Why not have the new op army for essentially free?

They're in there with their bear.
Proper grammar. Learn it, live it, love it.
 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut






Pa, USA

...I'm quite sure there's 3 different conversations going on right now on this 1 single thread. More internet excellence...

Anyway: Nah, not napalm, just an Anarchist Cookbook wanna-be version of the stuff. I would get a cheap blender from the local dollar store, and go nuts. Broke it?
Twas only a dollar.

Melting plastics doesn't release any fumes, as long as you're only melting it (change of state). Soon as you start burning it (change of chemistry), THEN you've got crap on your hands. Thus a thermosetting plastic is gonna be pretty crappy.

Crushed glass for snow? Why haven't I thought of this?!
It would be so shiny! Oh wait...(*insert copious amounts of blood here*)

Why is it that only those who have never fought in a battle are so eager to be in one? 
   
Made in us
Mighty Gouge-Horn






Brother SRM wrote:Melting plastic is a bad idea. Do not melt plastic. Unless you really like toxic fumes that is, in which case knock yourself out.


And the puns keep coming...

But yah do not melt it down

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Made in us
Crazed Spirit of the Defiler





Portland OR USA

I LOVE THE SMELL OF SPRUE IN THE MORNING!


And why argue about how napalm is made.... here educate yourselves. LOL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm

Depraved's Workbench (Chaos, Ork, Tyranid, conversions, terrain) http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/396886.page 
   
 
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