HDPE sheet

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Max
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Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:14 pm

HDPE sheet

Post by Max »

Hi,
I've been trying to get some thin HDPE sheet (around 1-2mm, maybe one of each) but can't find anywhere to get it from. There is none in that kinda thickness on ebay and on direct plastics whilst the prices are really cheap the delivery costs about 5 times as much as the sheet! I don't need that much but at the prices on direct plastics would buy a 50x50cm sheet as it is so cheap.

Where do you guys get it? Do you just have to put up with the postage from direct plastics?

Thanks
Remote-Controlled Dave
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

Id like to know this too. I used to just put up with the postage from direct plastics but they charge even more to deliver to northern Ireland and I'm running low.
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BeligerAnt
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by BeligerAnt »

Rather unhelpfully I've only ever used Direct Plastics for HDPE and bought a 50 x 50cm sheet which does indeed last ages!
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Hogi
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by Hogi »

i've always used direct plastics. i agree, the postage is horrendous but if you find ways to make the sheet last you don't have to order more that often. i currently have both 1mm and 2mm. 2mm is much easier to work with and i should imagine an ant spinner would be able to smash it's way through a 1mm HDPE pannel with ease but for the sub antweight classes ( flea and nano ) i have found that 1mm is just about strong enough unless your fighting divinity or ickle in which case a thick layer of duct tape can be used to completely evade damage. :) 1mm does tend to bend and flex a bit if your melting it together with a soldering iron hence why fleadom fighter's scoop is dipped in the middle. in my experience 2mm is a lot less prone to that but like any material, the greater the thickness the better the rigidity.
Daniel Jackson.

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Rapidrory
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Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 9:54 pm

Re: HDPE sheet

Post by Rapidrory »

I'm looking into using HDPE more in my ants, though I'll probably get it from old plastic oil drums that I've got around the farm rather than buy fresh stuff. Comes in at about 1-1.5mm thick and I've got orange, white or black ones. For anything thinner and I just use bits from old milk bottles (though only for Nanos and Fleas so far). Mostly gonna stick to polycarb though, as I can get sheets of any size and thickness I need off ebay with free postage. Comes in cheaper than buying HDPE from DirectPlastics..

(http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLEAR-POLYCAR ... 2a0415be52 if anyone's intrested)
Rory Mangles - Team Nuts

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AntRoboteer
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:01 pm

Re: HDPE sheet

Post by AntRoboteer »

Is that the stuff that you folded to make Bulldozer because if it is, I would be very interested in that.
Rapidrory
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by Rapidrory »

Almost all my robots are made from an A2 sheet of 1.5mm polycarb that I found in the shed when I first started. 1mm is a bit flimsy, 2mm is a bit too tough to work, but good for armour plates (I just bought some). 1.5mm you can cut with scissors and cold fold like cardboard, but is pretty rigid, spinner proof, and nice and light. I love it to work with as I can just work out the robot's design on cardboard, then just trace that to the polycarb and fold it into shape. No joints to break as you can fold it from a single piece if you design it well. Also means you can design and build a bot in about half an hour.

I dunno where my stuff came from, but this should do the job: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEXAN-POLYCAR ... 53e5d55427
Rory Mangles - Team Nuts

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AntRoboteer
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by AntRoboteer »

That's fantastic! Thanks a lot; I's sure I and many other roboteers will find that very useful. If it is really required, I could just put an extra armour plate on the front so no problems with strength.
Rapidrory
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Re: HDPE sheet

Post by Rapidrory »

Lionel, BullyDozer and Flailwhale all have 1.5mm polycarb scoops; Lionel's has taken a bit of a beating from anticyclone over the last few events, but it still works fine, and all the rest are undamaged. I've only ever used 2mm poly on my latest bot, as the flipper is a large flat sheet which would flex a fair bit if it was made from 1.5mm.
Rory Mangles - Team Nuts

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