I wasted my money on a Blendtec blender to grind PLA, the plastic jar broke in about 15 minuted of use. If they made a glass jar instead of plastic it would have worked. I've tried 5 other blenders and all of them broke, either the blades broke off or the gears stripped. Haven't found one yet that is durable enough to grind PLA.
You mentioned you wanted to use more recycle material and I’m glad you followed through. I would like see to the limits of 3 cubic INch volume, maybe different molds to show the drawback and where not to go when designing a piece
Ive been thinking of recycling un reinforced garden hose. Ive got 100ft of the stuff, Its really flexible and has great pull strength. I have no clue what plastic it is though, its not rubber so...
While this is an interesting topic to me, this thing looks extremely dangerous as it is and I would not want to have a machine like this in my house. I have two little kids, who are very curious about all the things that I work with and if i built something like that, I would implement two safety features. I mean not only for others but also to prevent myself from doing something dumb: First, a lid, that prevents reaching into the machine when it's on and prevents it from turning on when open. And second, two operation switches with some distance between them, that need to be held with both hands to turn it on. I know this makes it harder to work with but I rather work harder, than have something bad happen to anyone.
Recycle plastic video? I think Ryan made this machine to get rid of that scooter motor, not to recycle plastic. Next we need a video on re-using scrap aluminum molds to make a Tesla. Great video Ryan!
I see a very good modification potential with the blendtech blender, install that filter right under the blades, then you can have a hole underneat it and a collection tray. this way you tecnically dont need to be lifting it up all the time to pour, you get finished grinded plastic the size you need them to be from the getgo pouring out by themselves
It would have been better if I had removed the nozzle and cleaned out the material in there before switching to another type of plastic and color but since these were all just tests I wasn't that concerned. You can watch the cleanup video here. It's the MK1 but the process is the same. th-cam.com/video/_xt9IpcRtrc/w-d-xo.html
I let them partially cool in the mold but not all of the way. The more important thing I think is to keep pressure on the mold initially after a shot when it starts to cool to prevent shrinkage.
Can you make filament with this ?, I know about the pulltrusion versions , but want to find another way to make filment from ground up scrap prints and bottles that you can't normally cut .
Here in 2024 you can if you shred it fine enough put it through an Artme3D extruder. It does have a bit of trouble with feeding shreds so you may want to build a palletizer, grind up the first pass of filament, and re-run it to get a consistent diameter. Beware that PE and PP are tough to print successfully (PE being also difficult to extrude due to its viscosity) and 3D printing plastics must be well dried before being melted in the Artme3D.
Hi Ryan. Did you experiment with HDPE or PP in the Blendtec? I've been using a credit card shredder for HDPE with similar results as yours. My machine is a little better at separating the chips, but like in your video, the pieces are larger than I would like them to be. Appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.
I didn't try the HDPE but did try the PP. The problem was it was a little more flexible so it knocked it around more than it chopped it. I was trying pretty large pieces. Maybe I should have tried smaller ones.
Did you try a slower cycle? Because if you blend too fast then materials will.just bounce off the blades. The Blendtec tends to be extremely fast and depending on what you are grinding could run too fast.
I've used is only a few times now since I haven't accumulated that much 3D printer scraps but so far so good. I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new machine to do it but it's been holding up so far.
@@sigma9102 Thank you for your comment.. i am now going to cut sheets of metal and silicone glue it to its sides for reinforcement.. i purposely bought this blender for PLA breakdowns to remelt it again for usefulness.. perhaps you can fix yours as well i hope.
@gladiatormechs5574 I returned it. They sent me a replacement jar and I tried bending some thin metal as a sleeve to line the jar, your idea might work better because I found PLA would get trapped behind the sleeve I made and eventually suck the metal sleeve into the blade. I really wish someone would make a glass jar because everything else about the blender is robust enough to grind up PLA.
i printed in 100 % SOLID PLA... am i screwed in converting this 100 % pieces of PLA..... I need a melter... anything you reccommend ?.. can i convert it back into 1.75 size filament that is used in 3D printing ?
If you break the pieces down small enough they can be fed into a filament extruder. There are a bunch of DIY as well as purpose built machines online for this purpose. Might need a cost analysis to see if it's worth doing it but it is possible.
If you check out my channel you should be able to see a few videos when I talk about 3D printed molds. Here is one where I make them. th-cam.com/video/qJnGCyYruQ8/w-d-xo.html
@@trustyourforce4041 Ah cool, yep I guess they'd be your regular silicone ones then. I'm just thinking of melting all my waste into little giveaways for folks who buy my actual products. Cheers!
I have done a little of that to. It's kind fun, I bought silicon grilling gloves to be able to handle it right out of the toaster oven, it's still pretty hot and you have to be careful but you can make some fun things with it.
This is a great video! Would you be willing to share the 3D printer files for the chute and cover you built? I purchased the same shredder from DIY Chen and I’m currently getting it set up for regular safe use. Thanks!
Sorry I just saw that I missed this. You can find all of my STL files here. It's been a while so I can't remember if I had to tweak anything in the end but it should be a good starting point if you need anything. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WBpaUYxft1ey7d_Bq-StePDGK6V4B8ch?usp=sharing
One would think that if you put on safety goggles when using a closed blender you would put on chain guards for your drive but one would be wrong. May the little fingers stay safe!
Cool, looks like the perfect machine for the job, well maybe a cutting type tool rather than grinding would be better for softer plastics. Someone on youtube made a 3d printed shredder using the same type of design, and it surpsingly worked pretty good, to shred expired vegetables... but could easily shred plastic if you put some metal inserts on the teeth I was thinking, maybe even razor blades would be enough. I tried using a low powered blender and the fumes were surprisingly noxious off waterbottle caps and poor cuts due to softness put me off from going further, but this video inspired me to try again with a higher powered blender, and perhaps only with pla for now. Thanks.
I am so jealous of you.. like, green eyes, worst of humanity, I'm a bad person, actually jealous of you. It's going to be a long time till I can build one of your machines but that's going to be a very happy day for me.
No matter how much I recycle steppers alley h channels petg tubing heaters controllers etc.. I Will cost 200 in Australia just for a auger bit a the tube to house that as the extruder... It's so fkn expensive to build one even with half the parts 🤬🤬🤬
So I know exactly what I need to to but man it just isn't cost effective diy in Australia .. better of buying a felfil kit or something for $700 it ends up cheaper and I literally had almost all the parts required .
AndysMachines made a video to DIY an augur bit it's titled "Making an Auger (feed conveyor) from Washers ...and mathematics!" It requires a welder so it may not be an option. Maybe you could use some JB weld in place?
@@ttf1re man thankyou I was kind of thrown so much by that auger bit pricing I hadn't even considered that haha.. and yeh that's an option mate I'll get onto it thankyou so much !!!!
Unfortunately, it is another of the many videos showing how to recycle filament while spending a huge amount of money. Another video that is useless. The final recycled product must always be cheaper than the purchased one. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense.
That’s great. Now how do we convince you to design an simple diy extruder to make our own color mixes/filaments.
I wasted my money on a Blendtec blender to grind PLA, the plastic jar broke in about 15 minuted of use. If they made a glass jar instead of plastic it would have worked. I've tried 5 other blenders and all of them broke, either the blades broke off or the gears stripped. Haven't found one yet that is durable enough to grind PLA.
I personally bought a $20 blender just for secondary processing.
You mentioned you wanted to use more recycle material and I’m glad you followed through. I would like see to the limits of 3 cubic INch volume, maybe different molds to show the drawback and where not to go when designing a piece
Ah yes finally a way of me getting hold of any plastic material in the UK lmao
Ive been thinking of recycling un reinforced garden hose. Ive got 100ft of the stuff, Its really flexible and has great pull strength. I have no clue what plastic it is though, its not rubber so...
I have been looking for some good methods like this for a while! Thank you for your suggestion!
How do you buy holes on a grilling pan?
While this is an interesting topic to me, this thing looks extremely dangerous as it is and I would not want to have a machine like this in my house. I have two little kids, who are very curious about all the things that I work with and if i built something like that, I would implement two safety features. I mean not only for others but also to prevent myself from doing something dumb: First, a lid, that prevents reaching into the machine when it's on and prevents it from turning on when open. And second, two operation switches with some distance between them, that need to be held with both hands to turn it on. I know this makes it harder to work with but I rather work harder, than have something bad happen to anyone.
Chill....
Only one thing to say. CHAIN GUARD!!.
Great video. Keep up the good work.
Wow. Two of the same comments in the same day, might need to look into that one day.
Recycle plastic video? I think Ryan made this machine to get rid of that scooter motor, not to recycle plastic. Next we need a video on re-using scrap aluminum molds to make a Tesla.
Great video Ryan!
Maybe next time ;)
The video is very good. I wonder how many grams of plastic can this machine melt? Can you help me?
That MK3 version of my machine can handle around 48 grams.
I see a very good modification potential with the blendtech blender, install that filter right under the blades, then you can have a hole underneat it and a collection tray. this way you tecnically dont need to be lifting it up all the time to pour, you get finished grinded plastic the size you need them to be from the getgo pouring out by themselves
Not a bad idea.
Nice video as always! Is there any additional steps should I do before switching materials when injecting?
It would have been better if I had removed the nozzle and cleaned out the material in there before switching to another type of plastic and color but since these were all just tests I wasn't that concerned. You can watch the cleanup video here. It's the MK1 but the process is the same. th-cam.com/video/_xt9IpcRtrc/w-d-xo.html
You don't worry about warping from not letting the plastic cool slowly in the mold?
plastics that are suitable for 3d printing are generally low shrinkage since high shrinkage materials will warp too badly to stay on the print bed
I let them partially cool in the mold but not all of the way. The more important thing I think is to keep pressure on the mold initially after a shot when it starts to cool to prevent shrinkage.
Can you make filament with this ?, I know about the pulltrusion versions , but want to find another way to make filment from ground up scrap prints and bottles that you can't normally cut .
Here in 2024 you can if you shred it fine enough put it through an Artme3D extruder. It does have a bit of trouble with feeding shreds so you may want to build a palletizer, grind up the first pass of filament, and re-run it to get a consistent diameter.
Beware that PE and PP are tough to print successfully (PE being also difficult to extrude due to its viscosity) and 3D printing plastics must be well dried before being melted in the Artme3D.
Hi Ryan. Did you experiment with HDPE or PP in the Blendtec? I've been using a credit card shredder for HDPE with similar results as yours. My machine is a little better at separating the chips, but like in your video, the pieces are larger than I would like them to be. Appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.
I didn't try the HDPE but did try the PP. The problem was it was a little more flexible so it knocked it around more than it chopped it. I was trying pretty large pieces. Maybe I should have tried smaller ones.
Did you try a slower cycle? Because if you blend too fast then materials will.just bounce off the blades. The Blendtec tends to be extremely fast and depending on what you are grinding could run too fast.
What about PET?
how is that BLENDTEC blender holding up as a PLA SHREDDER... do you still recommend it as capable of doing the job of breaking down the PLA.
I've used is only a few times now since I haven't accumulated that much 3D printer scraps but so far so good. I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new machine to do it but it's been holding up so far.
I wound not recommend it, the plastic jar on mine broke after 15 minuted of use. The thin wall plastic jar they use is the weak part.
@@sigma9102 Thank you for your comment.. i am now going to cut sheets of metal and silicone glue it to its sides for reinforcement.. i purposely bought this blender for PLA breakdowns to remelt it again for usefulness.. perhaps you can fix yours as well i hope.
@gladiatormechs5574 I returned it. They sent me a replacement jar and I tried bending some thin metal as a sleeve to line the jar, your idea might work better because I found PLA would get trapped behind the sleeve I made and eventually suck the metal sleeve into the blade. I really wish someone would make a glass jar because everything else about the blender is robust enough to grind up PLA.
Amazing work, Ryan! It blends!
Thanks Markus!!!
I personally struggled but I used a cheap blender not wanting to ruin an expensive machine.
What is the model name and number of the blendtech blender?
I was a model ES3
i printed in 100 % SOLID PLA... am i screwed in converting this 100 % pieces of PLA..... I need a melter... anything you reccommend ?.. can i convert it back into 1.75 size filament that is used in 3D printing ?
If you break the pieces down small enough they can be fed into a filament extruder. There are a bunch of DIY as well as purpose built machines online for this purpose. Might need a cost analysis to see if it's worth doing it but it is possible.
do you have stl for hopper?
You can find all of my .stl files here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Vc42xZ00JaMltt8HcjH7avQ5lDAO1t_G?usp=sharing
You mentioned that the mold could be 3D printed. Could you provide more information about it?
th-cam.com/video/qJnGCyYruQ8/w-d-xo.html
If you check out my channel you should be able to see a few videos when I talk about 3D printed molds. Here is one where I make them. th-cam.com/video/qJnGCyYruQ8/w-d-xo.html
I remelt my PLA in resin molds using a toaster oven. I make things like pendants, shot glasses and coasters.
That's a good idea. Any special resin or just regular 2-part silicon mold resin?
@@ausfoodgarden Just oven proof molds I got from Michaels.
@@trustyourforce4041 Ah cool, yep I guess they'd be your regular silicone ones then. I'm just thinking of melting all my waste into little giveaways for folks who buy my actual products. Cheers!
I have done a little of that to. It's kind fun, I bought silicon grilling gloves to be able to handle it right out of the toaster oven, it's still pretty hot and you have to be careful but you can make some fun things with it.
But the real question is: will it blend?
Very informative... great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
It will blend ? :)
Sure. If you don’t mind a plastic smoothie.
This is a great video!
Would you be willing to share the 3D printer files for the chute and cover you built? I purchased the same shredder from DIY Chen and I’m currently getting it set up for regular safe use. Thanks!
Sorry I just saw that I missed this. You can find all of my STL files here. It's been a while so I can't remember if I had to tweak anything in the end but it should be a good starting point if you need anything.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WBpaUYxft1ey7d_Bq-StePDGK6V4B8ch?usp=sharing
Excellent
Thank you!
Did you do any other change to the wiring besides adding the potentiometer? What channels did you connect it to?.
I hooked the potentiometer to the throttle cables on the scooter speed controller. This is the controller that I used. amzn.to/3Drcp9F
Theres a gold mine of plastic at your local landfill 😸💕
For sure. Even better just think about all of the stuff we all have laying around our own homes that could be put to better use.
please print a chain cover in the cam view fingers so close. otherwise I love this
I agree they look close in the video but they really are not. Who's never had a little fun with a little danger? Raise your hook hand!
One would think that if you put on safety goggles when using a closed blender you would put on chain guards for your drive but one would be wrong. May the little fingers stay safe!
More then one have mentioned it. I still have all finger as I write this but could use a chain guard I suppose.
When do you start a radio show with a smooth voice like that
As soon as they call and I can quit my day job. 😎
Cool, looks like the perfect machine for the job, well maybe a cutting type tool rather than grinding would be better for softer plastics. Someone on youtube made a 3d printed shredder using the same type of design, and it surpsingly worked pretty good, to shred expired vegetables... but could easily shred plastic if you put some metal inserts on the teeth I was thinking, maybe even razor blades would be enough. I tried using a low powered blender and the fumes were surprisingly noxious off waterbottle caps and poor cuts due to softness put me off from going further, but this video inspired me to try again with a higher powered blender, and perhaps only with pla for now. Thanks.
Yeah the PLA worked crazy good in the blender. I was somewhat surprised by how good it did. Just look out to not go too fast and just make dust.
how much mk3 injection machine? and where to buy it?
You can find all of the info over at www.busterbeagle3D.com
I wish grocery bags could be recycled into filament. It's some sort of HDPE.
I feel like I have seen people do that before. Not exactly sure where I have seen it but it sounds familiar.
Man this is so cool.
Thanks!
Good video, please put a belt guard on that thing your fingers are right there 🤕🫣
Great info, Ryan!!
Filament smoke, don't breath that 🤣
Breathing filament smoke....zero stars....would not recommend.
I am so jealous of you.. like, green eyes, worst of humanity, I'm a bad person, actually jealous of you.
It's going to be a long time till I can build one of your machines but that's going to be a very happy day for me.
No matter how much I recycle steppers alley h channels petg tubing heaters controllers etc.. I Will cost 200 in Australia just for a auger bit a the tube to house that as the extruder... It's so fkn expensive to build one even with half the parts 🤬🤬🤬
I ran a machine making bubble wrap and it's essentially the same machine extruder wise
So I know exactly what I need to to but man it just isn't cost effective diy in Australia .. better of buying a felfil kit or something for $700 it ends up cheaper and I literally had almost all the parts required .
AndysMachines made a video to DIY an augur bit it's titled "Making an Auger (feed conveyor) from Washers ...and mathematics!" It requires a welder so it may not be an option. Maybe you could use some JB weld in place?
@@ttf1re man thankyou I was kind of thrown so much by that auger bit pricing I hadn't even considered that haha.. and yeh that's an option mate I'll get onto it thankyou so much !!!!
@@daniel-is6zf Glad to help! I just saw the video last night in my research. I hope it turns out well for you!
👍👍👍☝️☝️
"non-descript fish hook"
exactly
Time to become even more broke I guess...
si pero el gasto en moldes es lo que para la compra de esta maquina
Unfortunately, it is another of the many videos showing how to recycle filament while spending a huge amount of money.
Another video that is useless.
The final recycled product must always be cheaper than the purchased one. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense.