wasfast
Well-known member
...entertaining for sure but what happens to the solvent now that the foam is dissolved?
...entertaining for sure but what happens to the solvent now that the foam is dissolved?



You dont eat the styrofoam? I always eat them, that why they call them peanuts right. Guess that's why I haven't pooped in awhile.
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Wasfast, it looks like the solvent is still there but it appears the Styrene plastic floats on top. If I push down on the top, the solvent comes back up. Has California banned the sale of lacquer thinner? We can still buy it in Florida and mixed with Styrofoam it might be an effective treatment for red tide....entertaining for sure but what happens to the solvent now that the foam is dissolved?
Dan, you might be on to something. My only worry comes from my childhood model airplane experience. Setting a plastic airplane afire and sailing it out my second floor bedroom window produced a lot of wispy black smoke. I don't want to have to stand on a ladder to clean (paint?) the ceiling after our next dinner party.Sterno substitute?![]()
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Ric, now we're talking. Where did I put those model airplanes? Oh ****, I think all my MIG-15s and F-86s crashed and burned over Little Korea. Sorry, I was 5 when the Korean war started and 8 when it ended. There were so many War comics on the stands back then that you didn't have to buy them. Older kids read and tossed them in the empty lot on our street. It was great if you got to them before it rained. Hard to read the wet ones and you couldn't be sure if WE won that battle.Did you know solvent based Styrofoam is an amazing substitute for napalm? FYI
Andy, I heard about using thinner on an automotive paint forum. Body shops can't dump chemicals so they always have drums full of dirty solvent. A little Styrofoam is just another thing to be filtered out by the hazardous waste recycler before selling the solvent back to the shops.I would use that thinner in my furnace burner.
Great idea on disposing of Styrofoam, got to be better than burning it like I do.
And, there's the amusement for the elderly factor, something that gets harder to provide as the years go by.
JB, it burns pretty fast but it would probably work well on a wet stump.As Andy mentioned that mixture would make some great fire starting fuel. I wonder how it would do at burning out stumps...I may have to give that a try I have a few to get rid of.
JB
Drives, the foam doesn't give off fumes but the lacquer thinner does. Even after all the peanuts are absorbed, there is still liquid thinner in the can and it still smells. The pink peanuts have anti-static chemicals added so they don't stick to you and everything else in the room. My misspent youth didn't include airplane glue sniffing (I used the thicker Duco Cement) so I may not be as affected by the fumes.Bob: so any fumes from the styrofoam melting sessions?
great idea
it's always interesting when I check in to see what you are up to so keep smiling and finding new ways to entertain yourself and us.
cheers
Hubscrub66, it has been more than 15 years since I quit drinking alcoholic beverages. I have a hard time swallowing them without a couple of shots of single malt Scotch Whisky. I am starting to wonder how long they bind you up. I'll have to ask my monkey.You dont eat the styrofoam? I always eat them, that why they call them peanuts right. Guess that's why I haven't pooped in awhile.
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My shipment of paint supplies from SPI (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.) arrived on schedule today (2-day Fedex). The packaging is amazing, with the box being worthy of mention in my will. The only flaw is the generous use of Styrofoam peanuts and packing. If you love Styrofoam peanuts, read no further -- there's nothing to see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Styrofoam Peanut Haters, Read On ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My trash collection is a local government service paid for as part of my property taxes. Therefore I shouldn't care how much trash I produce. I do separate recyclables so my grandchildren won't hate me when I'm gone but Styrofoam is not recyclable. I used to just fill a garbage bag with five ounces of peanuts and send it on its way. Now I have a slightly more time-consuming but way more rewarding method of disposing of them (as well as other Styrofoam packing shapes).
I forgot to take a picture before I started but here's what it looked like after I disposed of some of the peanuts (it was filled to the top fold).
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I poured about 1/2 cup of cheap spray gun cleaning solvent (mostly lacquer thinner) in a 19-ounce soup can. Dropped a handful of peanuts at a time and they instantly disappeared into the liquid, turning it dark pink. Emptied that whole box full of peanuts into the soup can (more than doubling the contents of the can).
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There was a 1-inch thick Styrofoam board at the bottom of the can so I decided to test the capacity of that 1/2 cup of solvent. I broke the board into small pieces so they would drop into the can.
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Styrofoam weighs almost nothing but it melts almost instantly and sinks into the solvent like a rock. I dropped the last piece into the can, grabbed the camera and shot a picture. In that second or two, a hand-size piece just disappeared (sorry for the blurry picture).
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Too much time
Too much imagination
Not enough supervision
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Too much time
Too much imagination
Not enough supervision
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Too much time
Too much imagination
Not enough supervision
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Too much time
Too much imagination
Not enough supervision
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Bobby, you are absolutely right! I try to sleep 8 hours each night so I only have 16 to waste. Garage Journal helps but when it says "You have no subscribed threads to view" I have to go entertain myself.Interesting? Bob you got too much time on your hands!![]()
Jim, you are so right.Too much time
Too much imagination
Not enough supervision
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Andy, seems Jim has read my thread.So you know Bob.![]()

Steve, I make two lattes for the supervisor every day. Helps a lot.Ditto
Bret, good to see you back. It has rained or threatened to rain the past few days so the bumper sits inside waiting. The walkway to the shop is shaded by the trees next door for all but May, June and July. I needed the canopy out front today -- my skull is still sizzling.Bob I have been gone so long I had to go back several pages to make any sense of your thread. All I can say is your bumper is looking good and I second the walkway to the shop. Maybe you can use being out of the sun less to your advantage with SWMBO.
Bret
Greg, you missed out on the good stuff. My wife's uncle worked for Wexler in Freeport, New York. They made thermometers so he came home with vials of mercury for the kids to play with. Nothing like shining up coins without all that rubbing. I do remember a bucket of Slime being a toy as well as Play-Doh. I recall Play-Doh's ability to left color images from the Sunday comic section of the newspaper.I remember when I was a child - 1960's ... there was some slimy or elastic product with ads on TV. Or , maybe it was Play-Doh. Maybe both. My mum , bless her heart , was somewhat of a chemist. Most of my childhood involved dissolving solids in all sorts of solvents in search of a new ( and cheap/free) toy. Probably most of them are banned due to extreme carcinogenisness (sp) nowadays. So , brother , I feel ya !!
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Terrick, you say this to a man who is missing a left arm, has damaged both eyes and who has very little scar-free skin left. I will happily go with "we know what we are doing wrong."Pay them nought. Play on were are all adults here so we know what we are doing wrong. That makes it safe.
Guster, if I had known how much fun retirement was, I would have quit working a lot younger. I was unable to convince Liane to take up the slack (she still demanded her own "retirement" plan -- thus she gags down my cooking).Exactly why all of us look forward to retirement age.
The 'peanuts' here are made from puffed cornflour and are actually edible. Smell terrible when they burn but dissolves in water and can be composted. Only the ones we get from overseas are still polystyrene.
There was an article in National Geographic a few months back about an outfit that makes artificial limbs somewhere in central Asia, using light wood+bamboo painted in dissolved polystyrene to make it stronger and weatherproof. They also made light shells for some of them using something like a hessian or rafia coated with the stuff. Like a cheap composite.
Great spray job on the bumper Bob. some very nice guns too. I've been fighting with a second hand bumper for my wife's car for almost a month because some monkeynuts painted it in urethane enamel clear. Then after all that sanding and painting to realise it was slightly different from what was fitted on the car and none of the grill inserts would fit it. So depressed I could even come up with a good enough swear word. Just had to sit down in the driveway for a few minutes to process the moment. Then, had to resort to fixing the old one after all that.![]()


Funnily enough it was announced last night that bubble wrap and bubble bags are about to be outlawed here as soon as the single use plastic bag ban is imposed. Guessing we'll see a lot more peanuts again. Hard plastic packaging is also on the horison which I'll be glad to see gone. Along with all the cheap imported plastic consumer goods. If only I can get my kids to stop buying from those shops that specialise in cheap plastic landfill!![]()
I guess there is no "high and dry" in Bob's part of the world.
Quite amazing really, and right across the Okechobee waterway you can reach the magnificent elevation of 15' at the Lake.Actually Andy there is. Mt. Broward which has an elevation of 200 plus feet. Palm Beach County probably has a similar mountain. Beautiful grass covered mound of historical human consumption.
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Actually Andy there is. Mt. Broward which has an elevation of 200 plus feet. Palm Beach County probably has a similar mountain. Beautiful grass covered mound of historical human consumption.
Don't forget that much of what we know about history and archaeology comes from "middens" which are basically the same thing. Indian mounds are a common source of learning about the indigenous population of our country.Mount Trashmore!
Here's more trash dump info:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-reg-mount-trashmore-grows-20180712-story.html
What is the significance of man's existence in an area when the tallest remnant of his occupancy is a trash midden more-than 200 feet high?
From the article:
The 52-year-old site, officially known as Monarch Hill Renewable Energy Park, is inching toward being full. A new section within the park’s area is being prepared to take trash at 2700 Wiles Road, in the unincorporated part of Broward.
Here’s a look at what Waste Management officials have begun planning for the 500-acre swath near Coconut Creek.
The landfill, which started in 1965, is the only place in the county that takes household waste and sludge. And the 23-acre section, now being prepared for receiving trash at the northeast corner of the property, at Wiles and Powerline roads, is the last part of the site that’s permitted to take trash without knocking down existing buildings.
Waste Management officials estimate the landfill it owns will be filled up to its permitted maximum by 2035 — about 17 years from now. If hurricanes such as Irma sweep through every year, it could fill up in half that time.
Other landfills have become golf courses after they fill to capacity. After Monarch Hill stops taking trash, experts will keep track of the landfill’s gas generation and how the trash settles over 30 years. The site could one day become a passive park.
As far as where the trash will go in the future, it is not clear. Waste Management officials say the cities could turn to burning the trash, or maybe advancements in technology will offer a new answer.
Watching the NW Florida news, stay safe those GJ Florida caucus members undergoing Hurricane Michael.
Guster, when we bought the car it had a huge following among children who grew up in '50s. One company offered a nicely finished roll pan for about $600 that only needed a quick scuff and coat of paint. I chose the $250 one that needed a lot of work but I had to get rid of that stock bumper.Yikes! That aftermarket bumper is a significant improvement on the fugly stock version Bob.
Funnily enough it was announced last night that bubble wrap and bubble bags are about to be outlawed here as soon as the single use plastic bag ban is imposed. Guessing we'll see a lot more peanuts again. Hard plastic packaging is also on the horison which I'll be glad to see gone. Along with all the cheap imported plastic consumer goods. If only I can get my kids to stop buying from those shops that specialise in cheap plastic landfill!![]()
Thanks Rian!Evolution, not revolution
Looks good to me Bob
Andrew, the chance of a ban on plastic packaging in the US is zero (or less?).We are not going to see that happening any time soon here in USA. Though it would get my support. But I have to admit to using bubble type envelopes for mailing small items. And I re-use styrofoam peanuts etc. for packaging larger things.
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Thanks Mark! And welcome back [he says, after going MIA for more than a week].Hey Bob, I haven't been around much lately - so I thought I'd drop in to see how you're doing. I went back a few pages so that I could make a comment without looking like a total newcomer. Nice work on the bumper cover.
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Drives, I like the look but I did get hit in the rear by a lifted RAM pickup. The lowest spot on his bumper was several inches above the stock bumper cover so it would have been no help.Bob: yep the new bumber has my vote too. man that looks awesome and I bet that other plastic one wouldn't stop much so what a nice improvement.
WELL DONE!!
Drives, I have been a slacker for more than a week. I have plenty to do but just didn't feel like doing much. That never ends well.BOB: I can't believe i'm making back to back posts this many days apart on your fast moving thread. maybe you and the boys in Florida are preparing for MICHAEL?
if it's heading your way i'm sending prayers that it only gets you wet.
best of luck and crossing my fingers for you and all the boys down in your part of the world.
Bobby, we are going to stay put -- I wouldn't call it staying dry but it's just showers and breezes for us.Bob hope you're headed my way to stay dry? If so, pick up Jim on your way through we have room for all.
Andy, I didn't actually plan it but we are on "high ground." It's a coral ridge running South to North and is 26 feet above sea level. Not as high as the many trash mountains in Florida but it smells better and we have fewer sea gulls.I guess there is no "high and dry" in Bob's part of the world.
Stewart, I pass one on the way to visit my son in northern Palm Beach County. I think the biggest Florida trash mountain is in Okeechobee. The high spot in Florida is Britton Hill (at 345 feet).Actually Andy there is. Mt. Broward which has an elevation of 200 plus feet. Palm Beach County probably has a similar mountain. Beautiful grass covered mound of historical human consumption.
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Andrew, are you talking about the Dike? I thought we weren't supposed to comment on ****** preferences. :supergay:Quite amazing really, and right across the Okechobee waterway you can reach the magnificent elevation of 15' at the Lake.
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Guster, we're good but worried about Jim and Stewart.Catching the news this morning. Another big one with a lot of water ahead of it.
Prayers and thoughts for you and the family. Stay safe Bob!
Philip, I think the best commentary on the the mountains of garbage humans generate is found in the 2006 movie Idiocracy.Mount Trashmore!
Here's more trash dump info:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-reg-mount-trashmore-grows-20180712-story.html
What is the significance of man's existence in an area when the tallest remnant of his occupancy is a trash midden more-than 200 feet high?
From the article:
The 52-year-old site, officially known as Monarch Hill Renewable Energy Park, is inching toward being full. A new section within the park’s area is being prepared to take trash at 2700 Wiles Road, in the unincorporated part of Broward.
Here’s a look at what Waste Management officials have begun planning for the 500-acre swath near Coconut Creek.
The landfill, which started in 1965, is the only place in the county that takes household waste and sludge. And the 23-acre section, now being prepared for receiving trash at the northeast corner of the property, at Wiles and Powerline roads, is the last part of the site that’s permitted to take trash without knocking down existing buildings.
Waste Management officials estimate the landfill it owns will be filled up to its permitted maximum by 2035 — about 17 years from now. If hurricanes such as Irma sweep through every year, it could fill up in half that time.
Other landfills have become golf courses after they fill to capacity. After Monarch Hill stops taking trash, experts will keep track of the landfill’s gas generation and how the trash settles over 30 years. The site could one day become a passive park.
As far as where the trash will go in the future, it is not clear. Waste Management officials say the cities could turn to burning the trash, or maybe advancements in technology will offer a new answer.
Watching the NW Florida news, stay safe those GJ Florida caucus members undergoing Hurricane Michael.
Andy, I like Ike too. He helped make driving boring and ruined a lot of small towns that relied on traffic fines.I like dikes, if they're big and strong. I can admire them and feel weak by comparison.
I need you to take another picture of the back of the PT cruiser. The tag number didn't come out clear.
You said you wanted to have a jam session. About all I have is some peach. Let me know.