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Crafts from polypropylene pipes or LEGO for adults

I once watched children build towers out of LEGO bricks, and next to them were polypropylene bricks. pipes and fittings that remain redundant after arranging the water supply in the house. And then an amazing idea came to me: why not use them as parts of an “adult” construction set and make useful household products from them? When I started creating, I got carried away to such an extent that I had to buy more materials, but read on to find out what came out of it.

Motivation

I note that using plastic pipes to assemble various functional structures is far from my invention. People everywhere have been following this trend for a long time and quite successfully, not limiting themselves to using such a wonderful material for installing pipelines alone.

But I want to tell you what exactly prompted me to take this step, in addition to the type of children playing described above:

• Low price implementation. Polypropylene pipes are relatively inexpensive, and you may still have some left over after installation. communication systems houses that have nowhere to go anyway. Moreover, for the implementation of many ideas, already used samples are quite suitable;
• No toxic emissions, which allows you to design crafts for children without fear for their health;
• Simplicity and high speed assemblies. Well-known ease installation work when installing a polypropylene pipeline, here you can also do without soldering, since there is no need to maintain high tightness of the connections. By the way, this also makes it possible to implement quick dismantling without causing damage to the structure itself;
• Attractive appearance. White color, correct shapes, which can be changed if desired, all this has a positive effect on the final appearance of the manufactured product. Usually, after finishing the work, you don’t even need to paint it;

• No corrosion processes. You can not only build street structures, but even completely assemble, for example, a raft, since neither rain nor direct constant contact with water will have any negative effect on the plastic;
• Good strength properties. The walls of plastic pipes are thick enough to withstand pressure in water supply systems, and structures made from them are sufficiently resistant to any mechanical stress;
• Little weight, which gives the finished object mobility, and also makes the process of its assembly even more accessible;
• Long service life , amounting to at least half a century.

The impressive list of advantages, which I personally added for myself with the opportunity to once again feel like a little child creating “castles in the air,” turned out to be convincing enough to get down to business without hesitation.

Construction games

Greenhouse

It’s difficult to call a greenhouse just a craft; rather, it’s almost a building. But, nevertheless, plastic pipes do an excellent job with its construction. The finished arched structure will decorate the site and provide you with invaluable assistance in growing many types of plant crops. In general, every gardener will understand what we are talking about, and here I want to describe the features of the installation process itself.

That such a building is not suitable for year-round use, since it will not withstand harsh winter weather conditions. So limit yourself better period spring-autumn.

Main elements of the structure:

Construction instructions:

1. To begin with I made a basic drawing, in which he noted the most important parameters of the future structure:

• Length – 5 m;
• Width – 3 m;
• Number of arches – 6;
• The distance between the arches is 1 m;

1. Leveled the surface selected area;
2. Marked the pipes with a diameter of 25 mm and cut them to:

• 10 meter sections for the side elongated sides;
• One three-meter section for the back wall;
• 2 x 110 cm and one 80 cm to create a passage on the front side;
• 12 three-meter ones - to create arches;
• One six-meter fragment, which will become a rib connecting the top of the arch;

1. Now connected all the pieces around the perimeter, except for those prepared for arches, using couplings in the form of crosses, so that at the place of each connection there is through hole. For the corners I used similar rotary fittings;

1. Thin metal rods were driven into the holes so that they fit tightly into the ground, but at the same time rise about 15 cm above the laid out plastic frame. With their help, it will be possible to securely fix the structure in one place and strengthen its base;
2. Now into the same holes, only now placing them on steel rods, I inserted arch pipes;
3. I'm on top of them also connected with crosses, into which then passed a six-meter pipe as a stiffener;
4. Installed aisle frame. For greater convenience, you can even build a door, but since it’s not for the whole year, I just made do with a thick retractable film curtain;
5. At all connections between fittings and pipes screwed in short screws;
6. Covered the finished “skeleton” with film. Polycarbonate is also well suited for this purpose.

As a result, I received a wonderful summer greenhouse, which I safely dismantled in the fall and hid in the utility room until next spring.

Onion

This idea will appeal not only to children, but also to adults, since the finished onion will have a fairly high lethal force. Personally, as a lover of medieval themes, I was very glad to have the opportunity to recreate such a bright representative of it.

Main elements of the product:

Implementation process:

1. I took a half-meter piece of pipe, marked the center on it, from which I then retreated 50 mm in both directions, where I placed marks;
2. Then heated one side to the marked place with the help of a construction tool until it becomes pliable. You can, of course, use other melting methods, but I consider this the most convenient and safe, since the presence of an open flame is excluded;

1. I squeezed soft plastic with the help of two boards in such a way that the edge of the pipe becomes a semicircular flattened shape, and closer to the center it expands again;
2. I did a similar manipulation with the second side;
3. Then also reheated the middle while still untouched and, while it was soft, but not burning, he grabbed it and squeezed it with his hand, forming a comfortable handle;
4. Now I warmed up the edges again and turned them in the opposite direction;
5. After the plastic has hardened again, made slits for the bowstring, put it on and, with childish delight, fired the first shot with an arrow prepared in advance.

Hanger

This simple and yet incredible useful thing household items have many options made from the material in question. Depending on your imagination and what you want to receive in the final form, you can collect either complex design, as in the photo, or a floor structure with a stand, but I will describe to you the simplest and easiest option, which I used myself:

1. I took a meter-long piece of polypropylene pipe and cut it into three parts:

• One is 400 mm long;
• Two 300 mm long;

1. Passed it through the resulting plastic cylinders piece of rope, folded them in the shape of a triangle and tied the protruding rope ends together;

1. Outgoing edge of the rope tied to a metal hook, borrowed from an old broken hanger.

Chair

I will not indicate the dimensions, since using a similar technology you can make both a children’s and an “adult” chair or stool. So it’s better to take the linear parameters from a regular purchased sample and use them as a guide. I also note that you can build a table or even a small single bed in a similar way.

The assembly instructions look like this:

1. First of all, as in the options described above, I marked the pipes, in accordance with taken dimensions, after which he cut them into the required pieces;
2. Then he took the crosspiece, which would later be under the seat and soldered four short pieces to it leading to the legs. Instead of soldering, you can use glue; self-tapping screws will not look aesthetically pleasing, but all joints must be strengthened, since the product must subsequently withstand the entire body of a child or an adult. A little about soldering technology:

• Place the soldering iron on a level place, screw on the mandrel and sleeve required sizes, set the thermostat to 260 degrees Celsius, plug the plug into the socket and switch the power switch to the working position;
• After the nozzles are properly heated, we install the edge of the pipe and the corresponding coupling into them;

• We wait a few seconds, after which we remove the products and join them strictly at an angle of ninety degrees and now wait for them to harden;

1. I welded a tee onto the free edges of the tubes;

1. I attached legs to the lower holes, and inserted plugs into the lower ends of them;
2. Assembled two handrails:

• I welded it to the corresponding tubes on one side along the bend, and on the other along the tee;

• I soldered another short section to the fittings going in one direction;

1. The resulting products installed on the sides prepared structure on top of its legs so that the edges with crosses are on the back side, where the back is planned;
2. Assembled the back:

• I took the tube corresponding to its top and welded it to both ends along the bend;
• I attached sections half the length of the back to the turns;
• I soldered tees to their edges, which in turn were connected by another tube, thereby creating a stiffening rib. Depending on the size of the chair, you can make several of them;
• Using two more pieces the length of the second half of the backrest, I attached the resulting polypropylene rectangle to the crosspieces of the railing;

1. I screwed pieces of plywood to the seat and back with self-tapping screws, which I then covered with foam rubber and covered with fabric.

If you complicate the design using a similar assembly technology, you can get, as I noted above, even a bed:

Organizer

Here's another incredibly simple and original method Applications of plastic pipes:

1. From the remains of pipes of different diameters cut a few neat pieces so that one of their sides is beveled at the same angle. In this case, the length for each was chosen in accordance with stationery, for example, larger for pens and pencils, and smaller for a scraper;
2. I cleaned all the edges with a file.. This was especially necessary for pieces with a large cross-section, which had to be cut with a hacksaw rather than scissors;

1. Then I placed them on a flat surface in a “flock”, but so that all the bevels were turned in one direction, and glued all touching walls together.

Using the same method, I made an excellent organizer for the bathroom, only here I no longer made the slanted edges:

I would also like to note that using a similar technology, that is, by gluing tubes to each other with walls, you can create amazingly beautiful objects furniture interior in modern original style as shown in the following photo:

Table lamp

The first thing I did here was take care of the electrical part:

1. Disassembled old lamp and took it out inner part: wires, switch and base;
2. Cut some pipes and prepared fittings according to the creative idea;
3. The edge of one of the segments was coated with glue and put a socket in it, having previously threaded it through the inside of the wire;
4. Then assembled the lamp body itself, which can take the most unexpected form. Here are some ideas as examples:

• Robot. My daughter was simply delighted with this idea, although she had to tinker with the design:

• Snake. If you want something simpler, but equally unusual, then by connecting the tubes with different rotary fittings you can get a very cute reptile:

• Alien life form. If, on the contrary, you want to unleash your creative impulse to the fullest, and you have time for this, then you can even build a very unusual alien:

1. I connected the switch and the cord with the plug, after which the work was completed.

Ideas waiting to be implemented

But I haven’t yet managed to make these products from polypropylene pipes with my own hands:

• Shelves. The progress of work also involves the use of a soldering iron, as in the case of creating chairs, beds and tables, but you will also need a hammer drill with dowels to fix the structures to the walls, as well as acrylic paints to make it more harmonious with the rest of the interior appearance. Any form can be invented;

• solar collector. A great way to save water heating costs in country house in summer;

• Fencing. This could be a fence installed around the perimeter of the dacha, or a small fence for a flower bed;

• Swing. Here it is better to stock up on pipes of a larger diameter than those I considered earlier. There are also options for implementation here, because it can be a small hanging seat for a child, or maybe a full-fledged one. Garden swing in the form of a sofa, which I especially like, since store-bought metal models are quite expensive;

• Removable trunk for car. Yes, yes, even your car can be improved with the help of plastic cylindrical products;

• Pool. Of course, here, as in the case of a greenhouse, you will also need suitable sheathing, but assembling a rectangular or round frame from the material in question is absolutely not difficult;

• Sled. It is possible to design not only those objects that are used in summer or indoors, but also those that are suitable for winter conditions. So, for example, your child will be incredibly happy with a cute, comfortable and lightweight snowmobile vehicle, suitable for dizzying slides;

• Clothes dryer. In addition, you can make it multi-level and collapsible for more convenient and multifunctional use;

• Trash can. It is enough to create a small frame for a garbage bag;

• Notebook Stand. If you need your computer to be tilted rather than horizontal, then somewhat connected in a certain way plastic pipes ok they will solve this problem;

• Decorative partitions. Rings cut from polypropylene pipes and glued together by the walls can perfectly zone a room.

Conclusion

You can play LEGO as an adult. Only instead of multi-colored cubes, you should then use polypropylene pipes and fittings. This will not only satisfy your thirst for design, but will also allow you to acquire interesting, original, functional, practical and inexpensive things, which your loved ones will also appreciate. Use your imagination and get down to business!

Rotation on drive shaft band press transmitted from an electric motor, which is connected to it using a belt drive. The speed of movement of the belt mechanism can be adjusted, thereby changing the processing modes of parts. Tape flat grinding machine can be positioned horizontally or vertically, as well as at a certain angle, which is allowed by some equipment models in this category.

When choosing a belt sanding machine model for processing a particular part, it is important to consider the length of the surface that needs to be sanded. It is much more convenient to process parts on such machines whose surface length is shorter than the length of the abrasive belt and work table. If such conditions are met, the quality of processing will be much higher.

The belt grinding machine can have different designs: with a movable and fixed work table, with a free belt. A separate category includes wide-belt equipment, the peculiarity of which is that their work table, which is also a feeding element, is made in the shape of a caterpillar. In those equipment models that have a work table in their design, the abrasive belt is located in a horizontal plane, and in equipment with a free belt that does not have a work table, it can have a different spatial position.

Compulsory structural element any belt sander, including tabletop ones, is exhaust device, which is necessary to remove dust, in large quantities formed during processing. Both a professional and any homemade grinding machine used in a home workshop or garage are powered by an electric motor.

Principle of operation

The main operating parameters of a belt sanding machine include the feed speed and the force with which the belt is pressed against the workpiece. Parameters such as the degree of grain size of the abrasive belt should be selected depending on the material from which the workpiece is made, as well as the degree of roughness that the surface of the machined product should have.

The characteristics of the material being processed, in particular its hardness, primarily influence the grit size of the abrasive belt to be selected. Processing modes that are directly related to each other are feed speed and tape clamping force. So, if grinding is carried out at high speed, but with insignificant pressing force of the abrasive belt, then some areas of the surface of the part may turn out to be untreated. If, on the contrary, you increase the clamping force and reduce the feed speed, you may encounter the fact that burns and blackening of the material may appear in certain areas of the surface being processed.

Another variation of the machine - side view work surface tapes

The results of grinding are also influenced by how well the abrasive tape is glued together. To obtain high quality To avoid problems with the belt machine, do not use abrasive belts that are not glued correctly or have torn edges. When putting the tape on the equipment shafts, it should be positioned so that the overlapping end of the seam does not ride up against the surface of the workpiece, but slides along it. Learn more about gluing tape in the video below.

Any, including a manual grinding machine, must provide the ability to adjust the belt tension, which is ensured by moving a movable shaft that is not driven. Belt tension is very important parameter, when choosing which you should be guided by the “golden mean” rule. If the sanding machine belt is pulled too tightly, this can lead to its rupture during operation, and if its tension is too weak, it will cause slippage and, as a result, excessive heating. The main characteristic for determining the degree of tension of the tape is its deflection, which is measured by lightly pressing on its surface in a tense state.

A manual belt grinding machine can be serviced by one operator, who moves the work table with the workpiece and rotates it so as to bring all areas of its surface under the abrasive belt.

How to make a belt sander

Many home craftsmen and professionals are wondering how to make a grinding machine with their own hands. The reason for this question is quite simple: the high cost of serial grinding equipment, which not everyone can pay off if not used regularly. In order to make such equipment, you will need several main components: an electric motor, rollers and a reliable frame. Naturally, drawings of such a device or a photo of it would not be superfluous. Also at the end of the article you can watch videos on assembling a tape machine on your own.

The motor for belt grinding equipment is not difficult to find; it can be removed from an old one. washing machine. You will have to make the frame yourself; for this you can use a sheet of metal with dimensions 500x180x20 mm. One side of the frame should be cut very evenly, since it will be necessary to attach the platform on which the electric motor will be mounted to it. The platform for the electric motor should also be made of a sheet of metal with dimensions 180x160x10 mm. Such a platform must be secured to the frame very securely using several bolts.

Another version of the bed

The efficiency of a belt sanding machine directly depends on the characteristics of the electric motor that is installed on it. If you are planning to make a grinding machine with your own hands, then an electric motor with a power of 2.5–3 kW, developing about 1500 rpm, is quite suitable for you. In order for the sanding belt to move at a speed of 20 m/s when using such a motor, the drums must have a diameter of about 200 mm. What’s convenient is that if you choose an engine with these characteristics, you won’t need to make a gearbox for your grinding machine.

The drive shaft is connected directly to the electric motor shaft, and the second - driven - must rotate freely on an axis, which is installed in bearing units. In order for the abrasive belt to touch the surface of the workpiece more smoothly, the section of the frame on which the driven shaft is installed should be made with a slight bevel.

You can make shafts for a belt grinding machine with minimal financial costs from chipboards. Simply cut square blanks of 200x200 mm in size from such a plate, drill central holes in them and place them on the axle with a package with a total thickness of 240 mm. After this, all you have to do is grind the resulting package and make it into a round shaft with a diameter of about 200 mm.

Drawings and detailed analysis of some parts of a machine made of wood.

Wood belt sander (click to enlarge)

Table tilt adjustment mechanism Plate block Belt tensioner

When installing indoor water supply, sewerage and heating pipelines, plastic pipes have to be cut in large quantities. It is not recommended to use improvised means for this due to many potential problems in the future.

For cutting you need a professional tool. And it is better to take a special pipe cutter for polypropylene pipes, the use of which guarantees an even cut without burrs.

We will tell you how to choose equipment for cutting polypropylene pipes, describe the device and principle of operation, and also outline the main criteria for choosing pipe cutters.

In stores, tools for cutting polypropylene (PP) pipes are offered in a variety of ways. These are both manual mechanical and electrical devices.

Each of them has its own merits. The most suitable equipment should be selected based on the volume of work and its complexity.

Polypropylene pipes can be cut using scissors or a roller tool - the first option is cheaper, and the second is more efficient in operation

When choosing equipment for cutting polypropylene pipes, the main attention should be paid to two points:

1. The blade must be made of alloy steel.
2. Each pipe cutter model has two indicators - minimum and maximum size pipes. This range should be selected so that it is sufficient to complete the work.

The body material of such equipment is usually made of metal. And it's best when it's aluminum, not steel. A pipe cutter with aluminum handles is light in weight and requires less effort to operate. Soft polypropylene pipes do not require excessive effort when cutting. An aluminum tool will cope with the resulting loads without problems.

A pipe cutter can have replaceable or non-replaceable cutters. Sooner or later they will wear out. In the second case, the tools will have to be purchased again. However, if the cutting apparatus is needed for a one-time job, then it is better to take a cheaper model with permanent equipment.

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Due to inexperience, the slightest tilt in the hands leads to the formation of a crooked end, which then has to be sharpened. And if the pipe is also wrinkled, then it will need to be straightened from the inside with a calibrator.

Pistol pipe cutters with a ratchet mechanism also belong to this type. They are much easier to work with. You have to apply very little effort for cutting, and the cut is more even.

The return of the knife to its original position occurs entirely as a result of pressing a button due to a spring. This best option for cutting polypropylene pipes with thicker and harder walls.

Option #3 – roller

The next type of pipe cutter is a roller cutter. It has one or more rollers in its design. This tool looks like a hook. Inside this hook there are movable wheels on which the pipe being cut rests.

The cut itself is made by another cutting roller-knife, which is pulled out from the handle on a telescopic extension.

Due to the presence of a telescopically extendable cutter in the design of the roller pipe cutter, it can cut pipes of the most different diameters– they just need to be of sufficient cross-section to fit into the hook

Cutting polypropylene occurs as a result of turning the roller pipe cutter around the pipe clamped in it. Here it is important to rotate it so that the cutting line in the plastic does not go away from the starting point.

The cutting roller should end the circle in the same place where it started. If you have to cut thick pipe walls, you will need to make a revolution around the pipe several times, gradually pressing the cutter deeper into the plastic by turning the screw on the handle.

This type of pipe cutter also includes a roller rotary tool with several cutting rollers on a circular clamp, but it is more intended for cutting products made of steel and cast iron

At correct use and accurately holding the knife along the line, the cut as a result of using a roller pipe cutter turns out to be perfectly even. In this regard, it is comparable to a guillotine.

But it cuts pipes much faster, but also costs more. Plus, the slightest accidental shift of the knife to the side leads to the appearance of burrs at the cut site, which must be subsequently removed.

When cutting polypropylene with a roller pipe cutter, do not over-tighten the handle, pressing the blade disc too hard against the surface being cut. Microcracks may form in the plastic, which will reduce the strength of the pipe and may lead to chips at the end.

Everything should be done smoothly and slowly. This is especially true when working with thick-walled and large-diameter sewer pipelines.

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This machine design is for those who want to quickly make a small drilling machine, but do not have the desire or ability to work with iron.

Drilling machine made of plastic pipes has a number of advantages compared to a machine made of iron:

• Easy to make.
• Easy.
• Easily repeatable without any drawings.

It is inferior to iron only in load capacity, although it is strong enough for drilling small parts.
Pictured are the parts you will need. Almost all of them can be purchased at plumbing and hardware stores.
Please note that in addition to the plastic parts, the design also contains two wooden parts. This is the base of the frame and the mounting base for the drill itself.
The parts are as they will be soldered.

What pipe diameter should I use? - You decide. It all depends on the size of your drill. I took the diameter 25 mm.
Let's start assembling the drilling machine.

A movable unit that is attached to the lowering and raising handles. The middle crosspiece is larger in diameter so that it moves smoothly along the pipe. She doesn't get drunk, she just gets ready. Next, we solder the central unit on which the drill will be attached. The crosspieces are taken of the same diameter as the tubes on which it will ride. You cannot take it with a larger diameter - there will be too much play, and in order for it to move along the pipe without problems, the pipe must be ground down with sandpaper.

We assemble the entire structure with the base of the machine.

Springs have been purchased. You can try to find similar springs in an old mattress.

Drill assembly.

The machine is ready. The base is wooden, pre-cut and painted. In the center there is a hole for the free movement of the drill.
The drill is secured with plastic clamps. You can also use a drill with a pistol grip, after holding the trigger.
When soldering the machine, be especially careful: use gloves to avoid getting burned.
This is the small machine I came up with, which is well suited for drilling electronic circuit boards and small metal or plastic products.

IN general use You will definitely find it in everyday life.