Turning Trash into Timber: Exploring the Eco-Friendly Side of Recycled Lumber!

What is one to do when supply is low and global demand is high? In our new series with Andy from @htme, we’re exploring if household recyclables can be turned into a lumber substitute.

[MrEzPc]

Looks weird seeing those shelves and tools on the wall just after your last vid on your channel. Seeing all that stuff as it was and then ash. Keep on doing what you do. 👍🏻

[someoneudontknow]

It probably needed more plastic to act as a binder in the process also might have helped to have layers of the three ingredients mixture and a layer of just plastic in between other then that it was a decent result in the end

[__Rodrigo__]

Its good to see you doing things again, i wish that you never give up because you do something amazing that we dont see often... Or dont see at all those days, thanks ~

[garethbaus]

A weak board that crumbles isn't too much worse than OSB, whenever I try to use OSB it tends to want to fall apart especially when it has been exposed to moisture. Also in the wood/plastic composite, you should probably think of it as plastic with a cellulose filler rather than wood with a plastic binder more plastic will give you a tougher material.

[VGInterviews]

I'm guessing this was the last video filmed before the fire considering many of the tools used here were the ones that appear in the latest HTME video showing what was destroyed by the fire

That sucks man, sending hugs to all the crew

[HepCatJack]

At 5:12, you could mix the cardboard & sawdust with some coffee grind and inoculate with mycelium. Wait a couple of months for the mycelium to grow then squish it into a board.

[JB-tvwq]

I'm surprised it does not appear you used any binder/resin for any of your attempts. Without any binder, your use of melting plastic alone, as a binder, I'd expect would never hold significant structural strength.

[abdulgrier]

I used to make injection molded trays, utensils, humvee parts. We used grinders resembling wood chippers to recycle rejected parts. A cheap wood grinder with sharp blades might be your answer. Run the material through 2X for smaller particles. Since you're not extruding into a mold and adding back pressure you should probably consider more heat, more glue eventually distributed, and maybe vacuum forming.

This a great idea. I hope you revisit it again.

[billpfeifer]

After working in a saw mill where we sold off some waste wood to a company making what you were trying to make. I enoyed seeing yu try to achieve the same results
We installed a sawdust dryer then ran the sawdust through a flour mill making the as fine as bread flour. then shipped it off to the plant where they used an epoxy type plastic to mix with the wood flour.
All of this required lots of heat and fires were a big problem for our sawmill and we fought lots of fires in our storage bins. we managed but the company the produced the finished product burnt to the ground and we mothballed the flour mill I was very happy when that happened as it was a maintence nightmare

[johnvonachen]

Try this. Instead of melting plastic, take styrofoam and dissolve it in acetone. Then mix the powdered cardboard with the glue like polystyrene suspended in acetone and put it in a mold made from 3D printed polycarbonate. Put clamps on it and design lots of little holes in the mold parts so the acetone will evaporate out of it. Wait till it’s full evaporated and you might have something.

[walterrutherford]

I saw a video of homemade fireplace logs from sawdust. I think it just used heat (to break down the lignins) and a hydraulic ram. That would probably work even better with the addition of melted plastic.

[TheJCJexe]

Curiosity Stream help our brother out with the shed repair, the insurance didn’t cover it sadly.

[dmyers]

I think the composition plastic to wood ratio has to be higher, more plastic. Plastic is the binder. Think wood fill pla plastic filament. And yes, finer could not hurt on the plastic. A little grain on the wood could provide strength, think osb (oriented strand board). To big on the wood can cause jamming in the extruder. Cardboard is just a filler.

[kz]

Great example of perserverance and resourcefulness, thank you!! I think this is how great things/inventions start!

[thomasbermea]

Mycelium lumber is something being worked on. would be a good project to try. And would probably be easier than having to mix plastics and sawdust/cardboard aggregate. I've heard that reishi mushroom mycelium is one of the strongest that has been tested so far....

[iamoztaurus]

Have you seen the precious plastic project ❓
They have blueprints for machines to recycle plastic, including a great shredder and an extruder.
They only use plastic but you might be able to adapt it to include the cardboard or sawdust

[brianharden]

When you melted the plastic in the barrel, you should have continued heating it and added the filler to that and mixed it. Then poured that molten goo into your form. that will help to coat the fibers with plastic and glue everything together.

[BusterNut]

He should have tried more plastic and less sawdust, would probably be more durable

[MyChrisable]

I think you need a bit more plastic.. also the type of plastic is very important, go for bottle caps and milk jugs!

[HepCatJack]

For what you're trying to achieve with the plastic, you would need a majority of plastic with a little bit of fibers to strengthen it. A little bit like when you mix concrete you mostly have cement as the primary ingredient with a little bit of stones and a couple of rebars. Once you have your melted goo, put your fibers on it, fold it, put a little more fibers, fold it. Once you've done it a few times, twist it (like how people make candy canes). Then put the twisted plastic in the mold and press.