I want to make plastic building blocks, need advice

[davejo]

Blocks need to be around 1 foot by 1 foot. They need to be able to stack or to connect to each other, sort of like a Lego situation. A short male and a shallow female configuration.

They will live outside and need to be sort of rugged. They can be hollow and open-ended. They can be round or square. I need to be able to build a 12 foot long plastic log comprised of nesting segments.

My first frugal thought was to try and find something already available and design a connector to make it suit my purpose. Example is to use generic 5 gallon buckets and design a new lid that would give me the shallow female portion into which the second bucket would lock into.

Is there a prototyping and building process that is obviously most suitable (and cheap) for this project? I'm just starting to check out some local plastic manufacturers and they all seem to use different process modalities.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Blocks need to be around 1 foot by 1 foot. They need to be able to stack or to connect to each other, sort of like a Lego situation. A short male and a shallow female configuration.

That is going to kill your plan. If you have to "make" the connector your cost is going to jump up dramatically.

 

[LXCam]

There isn’t nothing cheap about what you want to do.

 

[txvwnut]

You say blocks then mention a log. When I hear blocks I’m thinking square. For a square you could just source some flat plastic or pvc sheet and make the blocks. For round, depending on the diameter of the log you need you could probably get by with pvc pipe.

 

[macgyver37]

For a low volume, thermoforming or vacuum forming plastic sheet is the lowest cost. If you can design a few components that could be formed and then those pcs glued together that might be the least expensive. Lots of assemblies are made this way. Local company does semi truck sleeper interiors with this method among lots of other things.

You would need forms made and if it really is a small number of parts, you can make them out of mdf and depending on how thick and what type of plastic used it can get anywhere from 1 or 2 parts to 10-20. The higher the heat and the thicker the plastic, the quicker the mdf breaks down.

Design wise, deep draws are tough with vac forming, you also have to think about draft and actually being able to **** the plastic onto or into the mold/form. You will have to split up the shape to accomplish this and add places where you can join the pcs together.

 

[Marctrees]

https://www.everblocksystems.com/everblock-features

https://www.everblocksystems.com/blocks

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K13X5SO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/2...kids_pictures_mega_building_b.html#normal_img

https://www.6sqft.com/giant-lego-bl...ything-from-a-coffee-table-to-an-entire-room/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008KQ1ZWS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[davejo]

good suggestions

Here is a micro prototype that sort of illustrates the concept. Log or beam needs to appear rigid and hefty but will break apart upon impact and be quickly rebuildable/reassembled.

pvc pipe segments with a glued-in sleeve might be the easiest prototype

 

[JohnKal]

OK, I'll ask....What is this for?

 

[Marctrees]

I thought I gave exhaustive links to not re invent Wheel.

Mac

 

[davejo]

I thought I gave exhaustive links to not re invent Wheel.

Mac

Yes your links are much appreciated. The cube shaped everbloks might come in handy at some point

https://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/2...tive_concepts_farm_toys_plastic_building.html

This video sort of explains the problem I'm working on. Horse runs into fake foam log. Fake log breaks and now whole thing is junk, $1000. I think i can get foam logs made into segments like I want pretty easily. Segmented log could be rebuilt and reused right away.

I'm asking about plastic because it seems like it would hold its shape and not crumble after multiple years and deployments (in comparison to foam)

 

[bugnut]

sounds like you want a foam column, might look here.

http://www.foamfactory.com/foam-columns.html

 

[bradpac]

5 gallon buckets with lids, epoxy magnets and small pieces of steel or more magnets to each end. Something that slips together too much may not break apart all that easily when hit from the side.

 

[Marctrees]

So, you know those foam "noodles" they sell at walmart or pool stores for kids to use in pools ?

Some guys will use them for like roll cage padding.

Pretty darn durable.

I wonder if that same material is made in larger diameters ?

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

I guess it is called "Polyethylene foam"

https://foamnoodles.com/

http://www.newenglandfoam.com/polyethylene.html

 

[Marctrees]

http://www.newenglandfoam.com/polyethylene.html

These guys can make 12" thick donuts of any diameter up to 48" that you could couple together w like 2" PVC pipe as one possibility. and/ or glue up to make longer cylinder sections.

Weight 1. 7 lbs/ ft cubed.

Cost ballpark $15 per ft cubed volume.

So, an 18" x 12' "log" would cost around $500, including the cost of the square to round % waste scrap.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Pretty sure a guy can carve and texture and paint to make look more like Log and less like foam cylinder.

Maybe like 3' long sections would make for easy transport., like 15 lb each per my quick calcs.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Is that a damaged by Horse "Log" at 52 seconds at video?

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Even better would be - Picture a big pipe made of the 1/8" thick PE like those roll up cheap kids sleds.

Would be VERY yielding when struck by horse hoof and bounce back immediately.

I would think would last forever in this use.

Marc

 

[davejo]

Is that a damaged by Horse "Log" at 52 seconds at video?

Marc

Yes it has snapped and been gouged. A crew has to rush in and replace the whole thing ASAP. Horses run three minutes apart so the others on course are pulled up and have to wait for repair.

They guys who came up with the foam log went out of business but I think its patented. People thought it was too expensive.

I want my solution to behave the same way but be quickly rebuildable and reusable.

 

[Marctrees]

heres a idea - Repair w DIY Spray insulating foam marketed as DIY Foam insulation.

The stuff some guys want to use in their pole buldings to DIY rather than hire spray foam company.

Cost prohibitive for a shop, but may be the solution for you

Smear on any cheap brown latex paint over the repair.

Marc

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

I did not see "Snapped" , I only saw seriously gougedd.

Can't the Log be spun 180 degree to make a fresh top ?

and then repair it after the event ?

seems to me log can be spun like for "3 sides"

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

OK, so I am not a Horse guy at all, but I find this interesting.

Any and ALLL patents are TOTALLY meaningless if they are not defended.

If they "Went out of Biz", and IF their design was viable, you can duplicate it ALLL day w NO problem.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

I think ... hypothesis here... they laminated layers of cheap polystyrene foam board from Big Box and carved and painted to look "Log".

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

I see now in the video it is snapped now in two seperate pieces.

Marc

 

[davejo]

If you are sort of interested, here is the array of obstacles at the toughest course in the world. There is break-away technology used on all of the fences with the thinner looking poles. The solid fences don't give way and horses sometime somersault and land on the rider.

https://www.chronofhorse.com/gallery/2019-burghley-horse-trials-saturday#prettyPhoto

The goal is to find a way to keep the horses from flipping when they make mistakes at take off. Break-away obstacles might be the answer if they can be done in a way that doesn't ruin the traditions of the sport.

 

[tarbellb]

Vacuum formed nesting buckets would be a relatively cheap and easy solution. Could be reinforced with plastic or wood rings on the interior.

Vacuum forming is cheap compared to most other plastic shaping methods, machines are simple enough for DIY and materials are cheap too.

Once you ramp up production, rotomolding is next, then injection. All scalable.

 

[tymbo]

ICF insulated concrete forms? fit together like legos.

 

[hawkeye2]

Get plastic containers like these... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SYC9TX9/?tag=atomicindus08-20
glue, screw or pop rivet the lids to the bottom of the container. Snap as many together as need to make a log.

 

[rsanter]

Are you doing this to sell them or are you making them for the one facility?

If you are not selling them but making them to use, then the patent does not mean much.
You can make a form and spray in the foam and then paint them.
Like I said if you do this and use them but don’t sell them then the owner of the patent cannot do much about it