"Polymorph Formable plastic!" Topic

I just got atub of this stuiff from my local Maplins.

I haven't had achance to try it yet, but it sounds useful:-

• The revolutionary plastic that melts in hot water
• Heat up and mould by hand
• Hardens as it cools – strong as nylon
• 101 uses for DIY and model making

Polymorph is one of a new generation of commercial polymers set to have a major impact on model making & prototyping. This polymer has all the characteristics of a tough ‘engineering' material yet it fuses and becomes easily mouldable at just 62°C. It can be heated with hot water or a hairdryer and moulded by hand to create prototypes and solve manufacturing problems currently outside the capacity of other materials.

Uses for Polymorph include:

Prototype mechanical parts
Armatures/frames for models
Specialised components – e.g. motor mountings
Moulding for complete products – e.g. torches
Joining components together
Mouldings for handles & orthopaedic aids
Vacuum forming moulds

link

Anyone actually tried it yet?

Sounds inyeresting theres a Maplins store beside the bus stop on my way home so I will pop in an have a look -thanks for the info

Obviously there are a number of uses for this stuff, but isn't the master for lead minis supposed withstand considerable pressure and _heat_ in the molding process?

Maybe you could cold cast a resin copy of the master and make molds from that…

I can see the "mouldable at 62C" being a disadvantage in other applications also.

I've used this to make one-off linkages for robots and other design projects. It won't hold fine detail well and doesn't take paint well either. Although it's rigid when set the surface is similar to soft plastic miniaures.

I have a vast quantity 'just in case' but I've not come up with a hobby application for it. It's main strength is its re-usability which makes it a good resource for schools etc. but not much use for us.

I thought about getting some of this stuff after I saw it on ebay for making terrain, but I'd be worried about it melting if it ever gets in direct sunlight!

It won't melt in sunlight. 62C is very hot.

Thats alright then! Still wouldn't use it for sculpting though!!!

I have a feeling that a closed car in summer may well get into the 60's Centigrade – so don't leave your kids, pets or Polymorph in the car unattended.

I seem to remember seeing an earlier article about a similar US based product, but you had to buy a wholesale quantity or a tiny 'test kit' of a few ounces.

Bah!

This is just Friendly Plastic, available in the US for years. You can buy it at a lot of craft/hobby stores. Melts in hot water.

It's a low temp thermo plastic. The stuff in the US is popular among hobbyist jewelry makers, comes in a variety of colors/finishes.

Some examples:

link

One thing is it can be stretched into thin sheets, so it may be vac formable. But you can get large sheets of styrene easily.

I take it back. Polymorph is different in that it 'fuses' at 62 C. So it may have many more uses. Once fused, the melting point tends to be higher.

Friendly Plastic is remeltable.

Hot is relative. Your warm water faucet probably gives water much in excess of 60C.

I've worked in a freight container that was in 70's C just because it had been parked on a sunny field. The ambient temparature was in high 20's C, so it's not even an extreme case.

When these parking dials became mandatory around here, a local technical magazine ran a test: They bought several variants, went to Death Valley USA (or somewhere in that neighborhood), left the dials on the dashboards and parked the cars in the sun.

All the plastic ones melted. Not quite liquid, but enough to be seriously deformed. The only one that passed the test was the cheap cardboard one.

And how does this stuff behave anyway? Is it completely rigid until 60C and then suddenly softens, or does it soften gradually?

link

Gerk, wrong again, here is the US version. Same idea.

It softens gradually, you have to knead it together. Once it's a solid (after you've used it) it takes greater heat to melt it again because it has a smaller surface area than the granules.

There are much better products to make things for our hobby from.

Maxxon, whats a parking dial?

As is so often the case, I bought a jar but haven't tried it yet. My plan is to use it for a quick mold to make Sculpy copies of some small piece which would then be baked to harden. (No need to start on the legal issues, we've already been there ;-)

I hadn't thought of using it for a mold. That might work.
Thanks Chris.

We have a system where some parking spaces are free, but for limited time only, e.g. 2-hour parking or whatever.

In order to be controlled, you must leave a dial showing time of arrival on your dashboard when you park there. If you don't, you get a ticket just as if you'd exceeded the time limit.

Naturally, there are regulations what a proper parking dial must look like, you can't just leave any old note or whatever.

This system was introduced in early 90s.

It's roughly 4"x6", blue and has a rotateable clock face in white. The plastic ones double as ice scrapers.

(Next someone from asks what's an ice scraper…)

I was planning on using it for small run moulding, if I need to reproduce something when sculpting a range of figures etc.

Also I thought it would be quite useful for making heavier armatures for bigger pieces before sculpting over them. As it sets "harder than nylon", which I have turned on a lathe before, so I am fairly familiar with it, I think it would work fine for supporting other materials.
Obviously if I have added materials over it I probably would not be able to re-use it.

Also these pieces would be designed for resin casting rather than putting them through the vulcanising process (which it clearly would not withstand).

I know what an ice scraper is, dagnabbit! I just have NO IDEA AT ALL why they sell them in Houston, Texas during the winter! A guy in the auto department at Wal-Mart told me that he had sold 10 of them, though… to a guy who was going to use them to patch some holes with plaster! True story.

Now, back in El Paso you needed those darned things…

Hi, just thought you might like to know Polymorph has been selling on EBay for a fraction of the price that of Maplins and similar shops. Take a look at c-d-c-shop.com/polymorph.htm there is a movie demonstrating how to use it. Fantastic for making Kite parts too. Download the PDF and read much more. I'm hooked on the stuff.

Anonymous writes:

there is not enough information and there is no need of having other peoples opinions.