Multi-cavity tooling is the topic we’ll be exploring in today’s SkillCoach Plastics Playground. Now I’m not referring to picks, scrapers, or the high-pitched rotary tools used to make quick work of a menacing cavity wreaking havoc on your molar. Rather, I’m speaking of an injection-mold tooling configuration.Multi-cavity tooling helps optimize the production of plastic parts. Instead of an injection press spitting out only one plastic part per cycle, multi-cavity tooling enables the injection press to pump out oodles of parts in a given cycle! The net result, more parts in less time. As they say, “time is money!” So, if you’re needing to find a way to shave a few…

We all know how a guitar works: put your fingers on the strings across the frets, use your other hand to strum the strings, and BAM, you’re creating music. But what if you could change how one of those elements works entirely? Anthony Dickens’ Circle Guitar (created by engineers Jacob Boast, Luke Perkin, and Marie Tricaud) looks very similar to a conventional guitar… that is, until you reach the body. Located at the center is a special device designed to strike specific guitar strings at a specific time and rate. In essence, it introduces multiple other fingers to strum, allowing an entirely new sound to be generated which would otherwise…

I bumped into a 3D print accessory I’d never heard of, and think it’s a pretty good idea. The accessory is “Plastic Repellent Paint”, distributed by Slice Engineering. They are a reseller of unusual components for 3D printing since 2017, and their product line consists of a few exotic hot ends, replacement parts, accessories, and nozzles. One of their products is Plastic Repellent Paint, and while I haven’t tried this yet, I believe it could be a tremendous way to avoid major damage on desktop 3D printers. The problem being addressed here is a certain type of 3D printer failure, in which a large amount of material is deposited on…

My family and I do our best to use recyclable bags for grocery shopping whenever possible. And while it’s a great way to save some pennies and tossing excess plastic bags, it’s a pain to stash bulky bags and a hassle at checkout. It needs to change and Nanobag aims to do so. The Small, Adjustable Shopping Bag Nanobag 4.0 is the newest lightweight shopping bag from TipTop Things. You would think, since the bags are a mere 0.05 mm thick they would rip as soon as you drop a head of soggy lettuce into it but no, these babies can carry up to 66 lbs (or 30 kg) easy.…

How do all those selfie-shootin’ video pros snag that smooth video? Well, outside a tripod or a wall and roll of duct tape, they’re likely using a fancy gimble device to steady their on-screen antics. While you can find a few in the $120 price range, you could also just make your own. *gasp!* Yes, but don’t worry, Louis Desmarchelier (aka Loud3D) has the perfect setup that (if you already have a 3D printer) will only cost a small amount of time, material, and support removal to achieve stable, multi-axis, video shootin’ bliss. The smartphone stabilizer design is a pretty standard multi-axis gimble with a handle and a threaded rod…

We love well-designed toys here at SolidSmack but still, you may be thinking, “This is just a plastic turtle”. Well, believe it or not, this wee plastic turtle is a toy… and a bit of a dark, foreboding, guilt-laden memorial to all the marine life killed off by mindless waste disposal. But more than that, it’s turning waste into a beloved turtle toy for a child or your own collection of turtle memorabilia. Shaken by the number of animal deaths caused by oceanic waste and the theory that, in 2050, there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish, Claire Matthews created Greta The Great – a plastic turtle…