Friendly Plastic - Where can I buy this?

By saffron. 06/05/12, 09:14 am

I am looking for friendly plastic - maybe it's called something else in NZ 'cos all the craft store people just look at me blankly or show me plastic basket-weaving stuff.

Friendly plastic is (of course!) a fairly stiff plastic that becomes very pliable and formable when placed into hot water for about 30 seconds. It comes in a range of colours and finishes (matte, glossy, petrofoil, neon) .

Because it is so moldable, if you have a suitable former you can easily replicate the same design/size time after time. Some friendly plastics even do a passable leather-like appearance when dried out which is great for those finishing touches.

Thanks!

By Highlander. 06/05/12, 10:24 am

Depends how much you want. Jaycar have packets for a reasonable price, but there isn't much in the packets. I know you can order it in from America in larger jars, but it works out more expensive. It seems to come in pellets as it is a low temperature thermoplastic, intended to be melted and poured into a mold I assume, although you may be able to heat it and stick it together.

There are some alternatives that may be closer to what you want, ie, sheets of plastic you can form with minimal heat, or maybe even vacu-form. ABS can be found from somewhere in Auckland which I forget. And the Wonderflex has just started to be imported here by Kiwi Kal El (CNZ name). Maybe Kiwi Kal El can also look at if friendly plastic in bulk. I mean this is plastic after all, it should come in 20Kg bags, not 20 gram bags. Then the bags can be split for market.

By **jpwise**. 09/05/12, 12:28 pm

As Highlander said Jaycar carry it under the name 'Polymorph Pellets'. It's in pellet form rather than strips etc, no options on finish type.

Kiwi Kal El is from Trinity Treasures and they now carry Wonderflex and Fosshape. - http://www.trinitytreasures.co.nz/

Really depends on what you're trying to make.

By Mischa. 21/05/12, 08:05 am

http://zigzag.co.nz sell it for $3 a strip

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