Today I made my first trip to a place that specifically sells all sorts of plastics, Tap Plastics of San Jose, California. They don't have the biggest selection, but they have enough to give the experienced modder a fairly large boner. Observe what I picked up today in the "scrap" bin for $3:
Polycarbonate is a very strong plastic that has a high tensile strength and high impact strength, making it a great candidate for any high-stress jobs. It is used for everything from reinforcements, to trigger catches, to barrel spacers, and much more. "Makrolon" is one of the many names given to it, along with "Lexan" and "Makroclear." It is easily machined with a drill and scroll saw.
Cutting board, or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is just a very comfortable plastic that has many nice properties, including high impact strength, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and near-zero water absorption. Basically, you can leave it outside, drop it, dunk it in water, or abuse it in many ways and it can take it.
Support your local plastics supplier and mod things on the cheap!
~T da B
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