Polymorph Pellets - Heat Mouldable Plastic Pellets

By **jpwise**. 11/01/11, 12:58 am

Just saw this on an email from Jaycar. Not sure how big a 100g bag is, but could be useful for people wanting to make smaller props.

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=NP4260

Quote :: Polymorph will change the way you make parts. It's a commercial grade thermoplastic that softens enough to be formed into any shape at around 62 - 65° C. You simply heat the pellets in hot water or with a hair dryer. It hardens at room temperature to form a tough plastic material similar in consistency and colour to Nylon. It can be drilled, sanded, ground, machined or heated and reformed again and again. Endless uses in model making, craft, single part manufacture, prototyping, engineering, science, lab, clinical applications and more.

Supplied in a 100g bag of 3mm pellets.

Would probably take a bit of trial and error working with it for the first time to see what it can do, but from the description even if you have to cut chunks off to tidy it up after moulding, you can always reform the chunks into something else. :p

Edit: I just googled it and found a video. Stuff looks pretty wicked. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfcBWnOqr6s

**Guest** Guest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9TkpoTzFMo&feature=related

Adding colour is as easy as kneading some powdered paint into it during the moulding process. Looks great.

**Guest** Guest

Wow, that does look cool Very Happy

By Squishy blob. 11/01/11, 02:51 am

That stuff looks awesome!

...and if you screw up molding it, you can just heat it again and start over 8D.

By Le_Saboteur. 11/01/11, 03:36 am

Oh, wow! That looks great! I'd love to get my hands on some of that stuff.

By Mandie_Chan. 11/01/11, 04:37 am

Oh wow! That is awesome~
Thanks for the link JP

By **Tamoo**. 11/01/11, 05:58 am

Ooooh~ I was looking for some stuff like that as a substitute for wonderflex. Thanks Jp!

By Grassangel. 12/01/11, 09:16 am

I was actually looking at some props made with that stuff the other day and wondering if it was availble here. So the news that Jaycar has it? AWESOME.

By kyokyogirl. 12/01/11, 11:53 am

Wow that is incredible! Now to do a costume that requires the use of it XD

Or I might just get some to play with regardless...

**Guest** Guest

I totally bought a packet yesturday and got it today! Very Happy

Yay!!

This is how big they are:

Spoiler:

Gunna have a go in a minute ;D

By Rikki-Leigh. 18/02/11, 08:34 am

Tempted for some for making my ATs. Might just buy a pack to give me something to play with and learn how it works.

By Highlander. 18/02/11, 10:47 am

Yeah, can you get wonderflex in NZ?

I was gonna buy the electronics at JayCar anyway, so it would be convenient!

By RainbowMoonDust. 18/02/11, 11:34 am

I wonder if this would be okay as part of a weapon. :think:

I need to make a large crystal spearhead and I'm wondering if this would be suitable. :think:

I would like it to look clear like a crystal would and am thinking of using some sort of plastic.

By Rikki-Leigh. 18/02/11, 11:39 am

^ This is the other thing I've been considering. It'd be good for smaller weapon parts.

By RainbowMoonDust. 18/02/11, 11:41 am

Quote :: ^ This is the other thing I've been considering. It'd be good for smaller weapon parts.

Except that this weapon part will be quite large, roughly half the size of my head, I'm wondering if these pellets might be too heavy or not suitable for something of this size. :think:

By Rikki-Leigh. 18/02/11, 12:00 pm

Yeeeah. That's the only thing I've been worried about as well... Maybe if you made a base for it or something and then moulded the PMP around it

By Highlander. 18/02/11, 12:02 pm

They look like they are white not clear?

Also that much of a solid plastic is gonna be heavyish. I wonder if it may be possible to rig up a rotomold, make a hollow head. It would also help minimise the amount you need, as it's not a lot in a packet, for over $10. Assuming it is strong enough?

Also Karrianna, how hard is the finished surface?

I was gonna do something smaller, and hence have to think of something I can mold it around/in and still heat it up on.

Although I even have instructions to electroplate wood now. So many options.

By RainbowMoonDust. 18/02/11, 12:15 pm

Yeah I'm worried about the weight too. 8/ It won't be/doesn't have to be completely clear, it will be light blue anyway. Razz

What the heck is a rotomold anyway? :think:

By Highlander. 18/02/11, 12:25 pm

Well basically you make a hollow mold, then you spin put the pellets in it and mount it in a frame. Then you apply a heat source (electric fan heater, gas heater, etc). The heat melts the pellets. Now here is the rotating part. The frame must rotate, turning the mold over and over on it's axis. AND it must also rotate the mold at 90 degrees to it's axis at the same time. A frame within a frame. But this means the melted plastic flows over the whole inside of the mold. Once you are sure the mold is hot enough long enough to melt the pellets remove the heat source, and continue to rotate and fan cool air over it. When it's cool open the mold and trim imperfections off.

Will take a little experimentation. Maybe I should make a small roto machine sometime that people can use.

Anyway this stuff looks like you should be able to heat it up over top of a mold, and add more to the hot edge. Maybe?

**Guest** Guest

Ok, I can answer some of these Questions...

It dries White, but you can put colour in it by rubbing Powder Paint in to it while its Drying.

They weight is light, but it would get heavier as the object got bigger.
One bag will go a long way, I have a giant blob that is made up of no more than 1/4th the bag Very Happy

By Highlander. 18/02/11, 02:55 pm

Karianna wrote:: Ok, I can answer some of these Questions...

It dries White, but you can put colour in it by rubbing Powder Paint in to it while its Drying.

They weight is light, but it would get heavier as the object got bigger.
One bag will go a long way, I have a giant blob that is made up of no more than 1/4th the bag

Whats the surface like? I suppose it can be sanded anyway. Could you keep an edge hot, and keep adding more plastic to the side while doing a larger piece?

What did you use to mold it to shape, I assume you did this while it was still hot?

**Guest** Guest

The Surface kinda takes in your figure prints as you mould it, but I'd think you could sand it down...And you can add to it, but if you don't sand it it'll love like sugar honey iced tea.

Yeah, I did it while it was hot, and since the piece I was making was for my arm so I used that Very Happy

lol

By Tails. 27/02/11, 01:02 am

Yay you can get stuff like this in NZ! Definitely getting some Very Happy

Thanks for the link JP!

By damian. 14/03/11, 05:48 am

Aside from using powdered paints to color the plastic, has anyone tried painting it? I know Friendly Plastic pellets hold acrylic paint fairly well. (Not sure if it's the same thing, some forums say it is, some say it isn't pfffftttt. I reckon they shouldn't be *too* different, but hey I wasn't the best at chemistry...)
I haven't had the time to go look in the art store for powdered paint pigments since I got the PMP (and when I went in for craft foam last month it completely slipped my mind) and I don't really relish the idea of having to remake these small fiddly bits XD

If not, I'll mess with painting my PMP with acrylic paint this weekend or the next Very Happy

~~no i don't have any acrylic paint atm either...~~

By Pura. 14/03/11, 10:48 am

tangent wrote:: Aside from using powdered paints to color the plastic, has anyone tried painting it? I know Friendly Plastic pellets hold acrylic paint fairly well. (Not sure if it's the same thing, some forums say it is, some say it isn't pfffftttt. I reckon they shouldn't be *too* different, but hey I wasn't the best at chemistry...)
I haven't had the time to go look in the art store for powdered paint pigments since I got the PMP (and when I went in for craft foam last month it completely slipped my mind) and I don't really relish the idea of having to remake these small fiddly bits XD

If not, I'll mess with painting my PMP with acrylic paint this weekend or the next ~~no i don't have any acrylic paint atm either...~~

I plan to paint some with arcyrlic paint (... or nail polish if that doesn't work, lol. NAIL POLISH: THE NEW PAINT). But I won't be ordering for around two weeks xD

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