Dialogue

Shot Type

Folder Status

Hey everyone! 

White Wall

Mould, skateboards and extruder out in front of me

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This video is for the 2022 Hackaday Prize, a big shout out to Digi-Key and Supplyframe, for making the challenge happen. 

Logo on screen

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The theme of the challenge: Reuse, Recycle, Revamp

Hackaday Backdrop

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It is all about tailoring a project to make use of existing resources and keeping material out of the landfill rather than contributing to it.

Plastic / Landfill

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Our chosen resource to focus on is plastic waste. 

Plastic / Landfill

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I'm not going to spend too long talking about the scale of the plastic waste problem, everyone knows by now it's a big problem, if you want to know exactly how bad you can read in our project profile (Its alot) link in video description

Lots of plastic, drone, zoom out

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Our solution is a manufacturing system that allows people to make skateboard decks from recycled plastic. The most unique part of our system is the mould as previously it did not exist, and has been the focus of our development. 

Wide shot of system

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Wide Shot of mould, 

Plain background

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We are working to dissolve the economic, technical and social barriers that prevent people from getting recycled plastic products into the world.

Build footage from Mould video

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In its essence our project is all about increasing accessibility to recycling equipment and hence enabling more people to recycle, and hit the street! 

Wide shot of using mould

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Skating

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In our last video we showed you how to build our mould, all the information you need to build it is online for free, 

Build footage from Mould

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In this video we are going to share lots of details about how to use it to make 100% recycled plastic skateboard decks. 

Close up Clip from this video 

1

Intro

You are going to need:

Extruder shot, white background

2.1

An extrusion machine (also open source, link in description)

2.1

Some tools:

o   Four small cold chisels

o   Four big cold chisels (25mm diameter or bigger)

o   A ½ inch socket wrench

o   a 30mm socket, and one or two long ones if you      have them available 

o   An Impact Driver

o   A ½ Impact driver adapter

o   A drill

o   M4 Drill Bit

o   M10 Drill Bit

o   Large Adjustable Wrench 

o   Pliers

o   Set of chisel

o   Set of Flat Head Screwdrivers

o   Car Upholstery Remover Tools

o   Spatulas

Top Shot

2.1

o   Heavy hammer

o        4 M20 x 80 hex bolts    

o   Some silicone oil 

o   Hanging Scale

o   Chain hoist

o   1,5m lifting strap

o   Two crowbars

o   A ½ inch driver offset handle

o   an extension handle

o   A beam made from the same material as the decks

Top Shot

Some safety equipment:

o   Overalls

o   Steel toe cap boots

o   Glasses

o   A face shield

o   3M mask with an ABEK2 filter or higher

o   Heat proof gloves

2.1

Two cooling fans

Perspective shot

2.1

A ventilation system

Perspective shot

2.1

and of course, a mould! 

Mould shot, white background

2.1

Preparation

Before making decks, make sure that you have a source of plastic ready, we found polypropylene works the best for decks, it has a nice pop, it is one of the least dangerous to work with, and doesn't stick to the mould.

With plastic in hand

2.2.1

You need it shredded into flakes <5mm, ideally ~3mm. 

Caliper shot

2.2.1

A great machine for doing this is a granulator. 

Bloft footage. 

2.2.1

The final deck weighs about 1.75 kilo but it's best to have a minimum of 2.5 kilo of the material available, you don't want to be running out half way through! …if something goes wrong 

Scales

2.2.2

Were going to start by opening the mould, before doing anything, make sure all 4 breaks are on.

*Angle 1 *Angle 8

Close up

2.2.2

And that you are wearing your safety boots 

Close up

2.2.2

The fastest way to open it is with the impact driver and the driver offset handle. Use the Impact driver to loosen the bolt from the bottom whilst holding the nut in place using the offset handle from the top.

Close up

2.2.2

The socket nicely catches the nut and washer so you can lift it out without it dropping. So that you don’t lose them; you can keep them in the pocket in the top support structure.

Close Up

3 Bolts

2.2.2

If the impact driver is not strong enough you can loosen them with the socket wrench and offset handle. When using the socket wrench it's better to use the long 30mm socket to give you a bit of extra length.

Close Up

1 bolt 

2.2.2

If the bolts are really stuck you can use extension handles to get a bit more leverage.

Metal Tubing

1 bolt 

Then final easy

2.2.2

Once all the bolts are removed, lift off the top support structure and place it to one side.

Lift by hand, place on table

*Angle 8 (Placing shot?)

2.2.2

Using the lifting strap and the chain hoist, lift off the top face of the mold.

Lift

*Angle 8

2.2.2

Apply a layer of silicone oil to the inside faces of the mould.

Close up

2.2.3

The easiest way to make a gradient in a deck is to sprinkle a bit of plastic near the entry hole, then when you extrude over the top it will spread it along the entire mould. 

2.2.3

Lower the top face, using the chain hoist, re-install the top support structure and the bolts.

Wide shot lowering

*Angle 8

2.2.4

Arrow Shot

Notice it has arrows on the top, these show direction of the flow of the plastic so you know which way round it should go. 

When tightening the bolts start with the middle two, then one end, then the other end.

Close up mould top

*Angle 2

2.2.4

Use the impact driver and offset handle to tighten them, in the same way you loosened them.

2.2.4

To ensure the mould is tightly closed, use the socket wrench and the offset handle with the extension, applying as much force as you can by hand to fully tighten the bolts. 

Close Up

2.2

PPE

Before turning on the mould or the extruder make sure to turn on your ventilation. We used some oven hoods, directly above the mould

*Angle 1 Close Up, Ventilation

2.2.5

Now plug in the control boxes of the mould and the extruder.

Close ups

*Angle 1

2.2.5

Switch them on, using the green switch, making sure the emergency stop is released. 

Close ups

*Angle 3

*Angle 4

2.2.5

Set the PID controllers to the required temperature. For this video we are going to use Polypropylene, so the temperatures and speeds shown are to work with this material, but if you change plastic type you may need to change them. 

Close ups

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*Angle 4

2.2.5

On the extruder, set the first PID controller slightly less than the second two

All three next to each other. 

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*Angle 4

2.2.5

Now wait for the mould and extruder to heat up. It should take around 15 mins for the extruder and 30 mins for the mould. 

Clock sped up

2.2.5

While they heat up you can prepare your plastic. You can and about 20% of a pure color to white or transparent and still get a very strong tone.

If you want to test the material to see its color or how it melts, now is the best time. 

Melting out of nozzle, Gradient

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2.2.6

Place a bucket of cold water under the hopper. 

Extrude in to bucket

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2.2.6

Wait until five minutes after all the PID controllers have reached their temperature. 

5 mins Clock sped up

*Angle 4 PIDS 260

2.2.6

Add your plastic to the hopper

Extrusion

*Angle 1

2.2.6

Set the potentiometer on the motor control panel (Arrow on screen) to the lowest setting

Close Up VFD

*Angle 4

2.2.6

Then press the green button on the motor control panel to start the extrusion screw.

2.2.6

Slowly turn up the potentiometer on the motor control panel until it reaches around 15.

2.2.6

To make sure the plastic doesn't get stuck in the hopper stir the granules using a beam, ideally made from the same material that you are extruding as sometimes bits get broken off the end by the screw and sucked into the barrel. Alternatively you can use wood, but not metal. 

Semi Wide

*Angle 1

*Angle 7

2.2.6

Under any circumstance do not put your fingers into the screw otherwise they can get broken too! 

Sticker

2.2.6

Watch as the plastic comes out the end of the nozzle to see if it is melting correctly and that you are happy with the color. Let the plastic collect in the bucket. You can re shred it and use it later. 

Melting out of nozzle, Gradient

2.2.6

Finally press the red button on the motor control panel to stop the extrusion screw

Close Up VFD

*Angle 4

2.2.6

Whilst the mould is preheating you can prepare to attach the nozzle to the extruder. 

Two Nozzles

Close up

Close up

*Angle 5

2.2.7

You’ll notice we added a tap to the mould, this is to quickly lock in the plastic when the mould is full without losing any pressure and without any plastic leaking out. 

Tap Shot

*Angle 5

2.2.7

We found that a ½ inch tap is the best. ¾ inch is too hard to release and ¼ inch breaks too easily. 

3 Taps X tick X

2.2.7

We put a tap on the exit hole also, as this one doesn't take much pressure it can be smaller, ¼ inch is enough. It should be left open when filling the mould. 

Close Up

2.2.7

The tap must be opened to fill the mould.

Gently try and open it, don't force it, it can break, 

If its stuck it most probably has plastic inside

You can use a heat gun to soften it and try again

Once it sopne you can use a drill bit to clean it, use the m4 drill to make a pilot hole and the m10 to clean out the bulk. Be careful not to drill the threads, or the aluminum block and make sure the tap is open. 

Thumbs up shot

2.2.7

If there is any leftover plastic debris in the thread fr, you can use a heat gun and a flat head screwdriver or spatula to clean it. 

2.2.7

Check your PIDS to see if they have reached temperature, if not, wait a bit. 

PID Reaching Going Up Slowly

*Angle 4

*Angle 3

2.2.7

Once the PID controller on the mould has reached temperature, wait 5 minutes and give the bolts on the mould one last tighten using the socket wrench and offset handle, before attaching it to the extruder. They can become loose in the heating process. 

*Angle 2

*Angle 3

Clock sped uo

2.2.8

Line up the nozzle of the extruder with the nozzle of the mould

Using the handles, attach the mould nozzle to the end of the extruder. 

Attaching nozzle

*Angle 5

2.2.8

If necessary, move the adjustment bolt, with the socket wrench, to align the mould  nozzle to the end of the extruder.

*Angle 1 Wide shot height adjust, close shot them aligning

2.2.8

When it's fully tight, lock the wheels of the extruder with all 4 breaks. 

Close up

2.2.8

Filling the mould

To fill the mould start by adding your plastic to the hopper

Top down pouting in to hopper 

2.3

On the motor control panel, set the potentiometer (Arrow on screen) to the lowest setting

Close Up VFD

*Angle 4

2.3

Then press the green button to start the extrusion screw.

2.3

Slowly turn up the potentiometer on the motor control panel until it reaches between 5 and 10.

Let it run slowly for the first five mins to clear out any plastic from the entry to the mould without building up too much pressure.

2.3

After five mins you can turn the potentiometer up to around 30. 

2.3

Continue to add plastic to the hopper. Don't let the hopper empty at any point otherwise air will get pumped into the mould and you will get air bubbles in the deck.

Hopper run dry X on screen

*Angle 7

2.3

Remember to stir the plastic

Every few mins check to see if plastic is coming out of the exit hole. 

Wides shot, close up exit hole

*Angle 6

2.3

Once you see the plastic coming out of the exit hole, close the exit tap

Closing tap

*Angle 6

2.3

Continue to extrude into the mould for ~3 mins after plastic starts to exit the mould, to build up pressure inside it. 

Wide shot extruding

2.3

Finally press the red button on the motor control panel to stop the extrusion screw and immediately close the entry tap to lock the pressure inside.

Close up VFD

*Angle 4 VFD (40-0)

*Angle 5 Nozzles

2.3

Unlock the breaks on the extruder. 

Close up

2.3

Using the quick release handles, unscrew the mould from the nozzle of the extruder. 

Close up separation 

*Angle 5 Nozzles

2.3

Immediately put a threaded end cap in each end of the mould whilst it is still hot to keep any overflowing plastic out of the thread. 

End Cap

*Angle 5 Nozzles

2.3

Once the cap is in place you can also open the tap again to make it easier to clean after.

*Angle 5 Nozzles

2.3

Now that they are separate you can turn off both the extruder and the mould using the green switch on the control box. 

Switch off green button

*Angle 4

*Angle 3 (Use reverse of into at 40)

2.3

Move the extruder away, position your cooling fan in place, and turn it on. 

Wide shots

*Angle 1 Whole Set

2.3

With active cooling, like this, it takes around one hour for the mould to cool down. If you leave it to cool without a cooling system it takes 3-4 hours, so we highly recommend getting one.

Close Up Clock, 

Cooling system

2.3

Opening the mould

You can check that mould is cool by turning it on briefly to see the temperature on the PID, or by using a thermometer. If it is less than 60 degrees it's ready to open.

Phone camera

*Angle 3 Control Box

2.4

Once it is cool you can start opening the mould using the same technique that you used to open it at the beginning of this video, with the impact driver on the bottom, which catches the nut, and the driver offset handle on the top. 

Semi-Wide Opening

*Angle 2 

2.4.1

Again, so that you don’t lose them; you can keep them in the pocket in the top support structure.

2.4.1

If the impact driver is not strong enough you can loosen them with the socket wrench and offset handle.

2.4.1

Again, if the bolts are really stuck. You can use an extension handle to get a bit more leverage.

2.4.1

Once all the bolts are removed, lift off the top support structure and place it to one side.

Wide Shot (

*Angle 1 

2.4.1

Run the lifting strap through the middle two handles on the top face and hook them on the chain hoist. Lift the top face to see if it lifts off without any more work. Be careful not to lift the whole mould too high if it doesn't open immediately as it may separate in mid air and fall onto your feet (its 380kg).  If this is all it takes to open it, great! 

Hoist Mould

*Angle 8

Close up of mould top

2.4.1

If not, don't worry, there are a few things you can do to help get it open.

Talking in to camera

*Angle 8

2.4.2

You will notice a small slot around the edge of the mould between the C beams and the horizontal plate. 

Closeup

2.4.2

1. Take the crowbars, and try to lever the mould open in the same spots, between the handles. If you have a friend around, ask them to help you. Sometimes this is all it takes so you can try again to lift it open. Once it has opened a bit you can easily slide the cold chisels in to prevent it from closing again. 

Sem-Wide

*Angle 8

2.4.2

If this doesn't work

*Angle 8

2.4.2

1. Take 4 small chisels and hammer them into the spaces between the handles to release the mould a little bit. Then Repeat with the 4 big ones. 

Semi-Wide

*Angle 8

2.4.2

When trying either of these techniques do not lever from the ends as this puts a lot of stress on the end bolts connecting the aluminum deck face to the steel horizontal plate, and may tear the threads. 

Show doing wrong

2.4.2

1. Finally there is a 3rd method you can try, there are 4 m20 threaded holes in the horizontal plate, These are release holes. Take 4 m20 hex bolts and tighten them by hand in the holes. Now take the socket wrench and turn each of them a ¼ turn, at a time, in rotation, to slowly lift up the top face. This method should only be the last resort as it puts a lot of wear on the mould. 

Close up of M20 Holes/

Quarter Turn

*Angle 2

2.4.2

Once you have freed the top face fully and lifted it fully, release the breaks and move the mould out from underneath it, revealing your deck. 

Hero Shot

*Angle 2

2.4.3

You can lever the deck out of the mould with a flat tool, we found these which are designed for removing car upholstery. Use something soft, like plastic.

Lever

*Angle 2

2.4.3

Never use anything metal otherwise you will scratch the mould. 

Screwdriver chisel X

2.4.3

You can also try using suction cups. 

Semi-Wide

*Angle 2

The deck should easily lift out, as the plastic shrinks a little bit as it cools. 

Cutting little plastic bit

*Angle 2

2.4.3

Place the deck to one side on something soft

Wide, putting deck down

*Angle 2 (Placing shot)

2.4.3

Clean any flash plastic off of the mould with a hammer, chisel and spatulas. Make sure the top face is clean. 

Scraping

*Angle 2 

2.4.4

Apply a layer of silicone oil to the top and bottom face of the mould.

*Angle 2

2.4.4

Position the mould back under the top face and lower it using the chain hoist to keep the top face of the deck protected. 

Lowering Wide

*Angle 8

2.4.4

If you are going to make another deck right after, remember to put the next batch of colored plastic by the entry hole for creating the gradient. 

*Angle 8

2.4.4

You can also place the top support frame on top of the mould and re-insert the nuts and bolts in the mould so that they don't get misplaced. This also keep the inside of the mould clean. 

Speed up semi wide 

*Angle 8

2.4.4

Now the deck has been shaped there are a few last things you need to do to finish it. 

Talking in to camera, Workbench 

*Angle 9

3.1

Grip

The first thing is to clean and grip the deck. 

Talking in to camera, Workbench 

*Angle 9

3.2

You are going to need:

Top Shot

3.2

·         A hand drill

·         A 5.5mm drill bit

·         A small countersink

·         A de burring tool for sheet metal

·         A fine half round file

·         Hand Sanatizer

·         Clean rag ·         Spray mount

·         Grip Tape

·         Alan key

·         Wrench

·         Ruler

·         8 M5x40mm countersunk bolts (Two a different color) 

·         8 M5 Locknuts

·         Some raiser pads

Top Shot

3.2

Start by drilling the truck holes. 

*Angle 9

3.2

You’ll see eight pilot holes, take the hand drill and the 5,5mm drill bit and drill them from top the bottom face of the deck to the top face.

*Angle 9

3.2

Now take the countersink and countersunk the holes on the top face of the deck so that the hardware sits below the surface. 

*Angle 9

3.2

Next, using the metal deburring tool, give the edge of the deck a radius. 

Close Up

3.2

To make sure that grip tape sticks well, we are going to apply a layer of spray mount to the deck.

*Angle 9

3.2

Stick the grip tape to the top of the deck, starting in the middle and working out towards the nose and the tail. 

*Angle 9

3.2

Use a half round file to remove the excess grip, by running it at 45 degrees along the edge of the deck. 

*Angle 9

3.2

Be careful in the dip at the beginning of the transition to the nose and the tail, a lot of the time the grip doesn't stick well here, sometimes it needs an extra spray of glue. 

*Angle 9

3.2

You can also use a razor blade to remove the excess grip, but it really helps if you mark it first with the file. 

Close Up

3.2

Trucks

Finally we are going to install the trucks

*Angle 9

3.4

You need longer bolts than normal decks, we use 40mm.

Close Up Bolts

3.4

We suggest using soft riser pads to protect the plastic from the sharp metal edge of the trucks. We found these, Niks Originals, made from cork, a link is in the description to this video.

Holding up to camera

*Angle 9

3.4

Install the trucks, the deck has a nose and a tail, the nose is longer and higher than the tail, you can check by using a ruler. 

You can also tell by the arrows on the mould. The arrow points to the nose of the tail, or the direction you would skate it. 

Close Up of Calipers

3.4

You can differentiate the two by putting two different colored bolts at the tail of the deck.  

2 bolts different colors

3.4

Tighten the nuts, and your deck is done!

Talking in to camera, Workbench 

*Angle 9

3.4

Now it's time to hit the street!

Holding up finished deck 

*Angle 9

3.4

RPSD is a non profit organization publishing open source plastic recycling research online for free.

 If you would like to support the development of this project follow the URLS below to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, join our mailing list, make a donation and become a supporter on Patreon. 

Sharing our posts and spreading the word about our project opens a lot of doors for us! We are also very keen to hear about any collaborations or opportunities you guys see! https://linktr.ee/projectRPSD

Thanks for watching! 
See you next time

White Wall

Mould, skateboards and extruder out in front of me

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