# Back at it with HDPE



## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

This one is for a member on the forum. It's my first right hand hold shooter. If you see anything I should change let me hear it! Thanks for lookin.


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## ryguy27 (Nov 8, 2013)

It Looks Great, And I Bet It Shoots Great Too. I Really Like The Blend Of Colors In This One.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Awesome!


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## Lee Silva (Feb 9, 2013)

OOooooOoaHhahaHooooOO!!! Ohhhooweeeee!!! Thank you Easter Bunny!!! He'd be a FOOL not to be absolutely retarded by such an awesome gesture!!!! Soooo coool, Matt!!!


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Cool Looking shooter....So My friend how does it shoot?~AKAOldmiser


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## sharp eye (Jun 3, 2014)

I really like the color blend. Great job!


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

Looks great!


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## kwinpr (Sep 25, 2014)

Sweet!


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## Bulls-Eye (Aug 7, 2014)

It's very pleasing to the eye!!
As I mentioned before I am interested in trying HDPE. How did you lay up your colors in the oven to achieve this color pallet in the plastic? And what items did you use to get such vibrant colors? I just want to learn more before I start by first batch.


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

Bulls-Eye said:


> It's very pleasing to the eye!!As I mentioned before I am interested in trying HDPE. How did you lay up your colors in the oven to achieve this color pallet in the plastic? And what items did you use to get such vibrant colors? I just want to learn more before I start by first batch.


This shooter is made from what I like to call an Unholy Union of buckets from Home Depot AND Lowes. HD is the orange and Lowes is the blue and silver. I melted this blank twice. I wasn't satisfied with the original result so I added a few more layers of HDPE and remelted. Here is a shot of a new blank with a similar layout mid melt. The pan is 8" X 8" and the strips are about 1 1/2" wide.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

That is one sweet looking shooter!! The colors are great (and I like the unholy union part of it :naughty: ), but I love the shape. And the low forks make it look so small and ready to hide in a pocket.

Todd


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## E.G. (Mar 27, 2014)

Very nice!


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## Volp (Aug 25, 2014)

Cool!!!!!

Volp


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Cool shooter as always 
Is this a knew screw on system ? Looks perfect ! Would like to see more of it 
Cheers


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

"Unholy Union of buckets from Home Depot AND Lowes"... lol... best one I have read in a while!  Nice job on the shooter.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

It really is fantastic and *great work*!!


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## Byudzai (Aug 31, 2013)

nice man, that's taking the HDPE thing to a new level, a really polished looking piece. Inspiring!


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Nice !


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## Urban Fisher (Aug 13, 2014)

Man that is nice!! You definetly have taken the whole HDPE thing to the next level (as Byudzai already mentioned). I just started working with this stuff and actually really enjoy it. Your an insperation to me and I'm amazed at what you can create with recycled plastic!


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

So sleek! Super nice work! I'm sure this "Lee", whoever he may be, would be a fool not to thoroughly enjoy this shooter.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

how do you get the HDPE so shiny? do hit it with a flame after sanding?


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## JohnKrakatoa (Nov 28, 2013)

Cool ! The clips are awesome


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

The Gopher said:


> how do you get the HDPE so shiny? do hit it with a flame after sanding?


Sanded to 400 grit then hit with a heat gun. Sanded again followed by another bout with the heat gun. Repeat until desired effect is achieved or you get bored/run out of beer/the wife starts complaining that you've been in the shop all day. Also I found to emboss the lettering it was better to heat the plastic and not the branding iron.


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

Thanks for all the feedback everybody! When my neighbor gave me the "did a skunk just walk by" face upon hearing I was going to a Slingshot gathering it's easy to lose one's motivation.


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## Davidka (Jun 8, 2013)

Nice shooter. Inspiring.


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## Bulls-Eye (Aug 7, 2014)

Thanks for the picture!

As long as it is a no stick pan... easy release?

Do you spray pam or oil the pan?

Does the plastic contract as it cools?

Do you clamp wood over the pan to compress the melt as it cools to dimish air imperfections?

And thats all I need...Oh and do you transfer the plastic to a wood mold when it is melted or leave it in the pan?

An inquisitive mind can be a terrible thing...


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## Bulls-Eye (Aug 7, 2014)

Obviously your skunk faced nighbor knows nothing about Joy in Life or having a blast!!!


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Very nice!


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

Bulls-Eye said:


> Thanks for the picture!
> 
> As long as it is a no stick pan... easy release?
> 
> ...


here is the pan I've been using.

http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Nonstick-Square-Cake-8-Inch/dp/B008BULGNG/ref=sr_1_13?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412969790&sr=1-13&keywords=calphalon+8+inch+pan

I got mine at Marshall's for around $10.

No spray needed. At least I don't use any.

I like this pan because it has relatively plumb sides. Making a plywood top is much easier. With a tapered pan it's difficult to cut the top to the right size. The size would vary depending on how much HDPE you used. As far as release is concerned I do wax the plywood lid before it's first use.

The plastic does contract as it cools and I do clamp to help reduce air pockets and voids. If using a pan like this one would need to have a plywood base to put between the bottom of the pan and the clamps.

As for transferring from pan to mold or not I have and do both. There are benefits and detriments to both techniques. I'm liking the ease of use and the ability to control the pattern better with in pan compression. The form I use generates a more uniformed blank resulting in less milling.

Please take all this with a grain of salt as I've only been doing this for five or six months.


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## Bulls-Eye (Aug 7, 2014)

Grain of Salt!?!?!? You just put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I would have been before your generous instruction!! Thanks so much, I will be trying it this weekend. I was wondering obout the letters pressed in the plastic but saw you already covered that in another post. Where did you get your Branding Iron for lack of a better name?? I wondered if leather stamping letters might work. They are not that deep and the backing square might destroy the clean look but not heating the letters would be prefered. Great!! Thanks for sharing your hard earned experience. I hope I can contribute at a later date as well. How could you not be excited about all the possibilitys!!!


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

This is what I use.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Barbuzzo-BBQ-Branding-Iron-with-Changeable-Letters&i=782876&r=view&cvsfa=2586&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=373832383736&kpid=782876&gclid=Cj0KEQjwh96hBRCnsefbvZrKrpcBEiQAF7oMdPhSFTg2q_itGFrkR4R2FXUeL0c6lOrRLlzzJZjSWS4aApbD8P8HAQ


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## Bulls-Eye (Aug 7, 2014)

How funny...Brand your beef after the hide is off!! Thanks


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## joffy01582 (Sep 11, 2014)

very nice


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## stinger (Jul 6, 2014)

Sweet manufacturing/melting set up bud.... Oh and the sling is awesome!


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Stunning!


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

:bowdown: :thumbsup:


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## Themexicanshooter (Mar 12, 2014)

Really cool and nice colors


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## New dog old tricks (Jun 13, 2013)

It's the colours of my home football team.


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## you'llshootyereyeout (Apr 5, 2014)

New dog old tricks said:


> It's the colours of my home football team.


You spelled colors wrong and I think you mean "soccer". HAHAHAH just kidding! What's your team?


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## New dog old tricks (Jun 13, 2013)

you'llshootyereyeout said:


> New dog old tricks said:
> 
> 
> > It's the colours of my home football team.
> ...


 Well in Australia and the rest of the English speaking world it's spelled "colour" and I mean "football" being "national rugby league". Like your gridiron but for real men who don't need armour.


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## New dog old tricks (Jun 13, 2013)

But all jokes aside, my team is the Newcastle knights. And it's a slingshot worthy of sporting the mighty knights "colours"! Well done mate.


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## hainfelder (Oct 19, 2014)

nice striping and colors ...

still waiting for my mixed colors HDPE granulate


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