Plastics Search Results

News: Plant-Based Plastics to Replace Petroleum

I am anti-oil, anti-gas, and just anti-fossil fuel in general, which causes me some serious vaccilation of the mind when it comes to my enthusiasm for the do it yourself wonder material known as PVC. Even though I love this stuff for its properties, I really do not like the processes that go into making and disposing of it. That means I get happy when I see news like this.

How To: Build a box with plastic

Knowing how to build a box out of plastic is a highly useful skill. In this video, the folks at Tap Plastics show us how to do it. The example they use is how to make an organizer for your cutlery drawer, when organizers from the store won't fit. But there are many other possible applications for plastic boxes.

How To: How This Newly Discovered Amazonian Bacteria Is the Secret Key to Biodegrading Plastic

Since the rise of private property and industrial production, modern capitalism has been on a undeniable crash course with Mother Nature. It's no so much that we'll end up murdering the entire planet, but just that the planet will quietly smother us with a pillow of famine, heat, cold and hurricanes. We over-farm land and replace the nutrients in the soil with oil. To package our oil-based produce, we wrap them in synthetic oil-based plastics, soon to be discarded in a trash heap or ocean.

How To: Be a dumpster diving freegan

So you recycle your newspapers and plastics. Big deal. “Freegans” are trying to save the environment by living exclusively on stuff in your trash. Here’s how to join them. You will need a willingness to get dirty, a tolerance for eating food from the garbage, and a commitment never to buy anything new. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to dumpster dive and live like a freegan.

How To: Build a greenhouse to grow flowers or vegetables

In this tutorial, we learn how to build a greenhouse to grow flowers or vegetables. A greenhouse means the growing season doesn't have to end. You should plan the greenhouse out on paper before you begin, and allow space for walkways, location, and more. Make sure you can afford one and know that it will cost more for you to keep the climate in this preferable to grow plants. You can put a number of different glasses on the greenhouse, so pick which one you can afford and prefer the most. Pla...

How To: Throw a frisbee with a sense of humor

In this how-to video, you will learn how to throw a frisbee in a comedic fashion. Many frisbees come in different weights, although this should not matter too much as these frisbees are usually made of light weight plastics. First, hold the disc and set them completely under the frisbee with the thumb at the side. Use your index and point it. Now, place the index finger so it is on the rim. Now, hold the frisbee in a chicken wing fashion. Once this is done, toss it to wherever you want to. Yo...

How To: Install Dry Core basement sub floor

First, the plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) subfloor floats on a corrugated or “cleated” waterproof underlayment, so the wood never actually touches the floor. The underlayment material can be made of Styrofoam or heavy-duty polyethylene, the same material used in corrugated plastic drain pipe (one of the toughest plastics available). This underlayment creates an air gap above the concrete. Combined with the wooden panels, the air in this space provides a thermal break that acts as insu...

How To: Maintain and troubleshoot your home garbage disposal

In this video tutorial from RenaissanceRentals you will learn how to maintain and troubleshoot your home garbage disposal. First thing to do is to keep the water running during garbage disposal. Ensure that the leftovers are cut into small pieces and you put only small quantities for disposal at a time. Things like plastics, glass pieces, rocks and food items like egg shells, starchy foods like pasta or rice should not be put into the garbage disposal system. If you follow these simple tips, ...

How To: Refill printer ink cartridges

There's a reason why printer companies want you to recycle your old printer cartridges. Because they can be reused. It cuts costs and saves them money, but you can save money, too. You don't have to keep buying new cartridges, you can recycle your used ones yourself by simply adding more ink. It could save you a ton of money on printer costs.

How To: TAP Card Dissolved! How to Use Acetone to Transfer an RFID Tag to Your Phone

RFID cards are becoming a fairly common way to purchase goods, but they're already widely used to pay fares on buses, trains, subways, and trolleys across various cities. TAP cards are quick and reliable, but it can be a real pain to remember to bring them with you, especially if you weren't planning on using public transportation that day. Luckily, an intrepid tinkerer at Adafruit has managed to find a way to embed an RFID card into her phone, something you're far less likely to leave at home.

News: Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone XR

The iPhone XR has touched down alongside the XS and XS Max, and it utilizes tried and tested materials found on the iPhone 8, while being molded in the same vein as the iPhone X. The budget-friendlier flagship comes with its own set of design elements to set it apart from its more expensive brethren, but is powered by the same SoC, making it is a solid choice if you're thinking of upgrading.

How To: Use the Hidden Thesaurus on Your iPhone in iOS 12 for Fast Synonym Searches in 'Look Up'

One gem that Apple added with iOS 12 is the perfect companion for the dictionary that's already available with the "Look Up" tool. I say gem because it's taken a backseat to all of the other new iOS 12 features, but it shouldn't, because a thesaurus is like the phloem to a dictionary's xylem, making it hard to believe that Apple didn't include this synonym finder from the start.

News: Scientists Turn Bacteria into Mini Cyborg Solar Panels

Plants all around us capture sunlight every day and convert it to energy, making them a model of solar energy production. And while the energy they make may serve the needs of a plant, the process isn't efficient enough to generate power on a larger scale. So, scientists from the University of California found a way to treat bacteria with chemicals that turned them into photosynthesis machines, capable of generating products we can convert into food, fuels, and plastics.

How To: No Knife? Use Your Credit Card to Cut Food Instead

Believe it or not, you can put your money to use very efficiently in a new way: your credit or debit card can serve as a blade in desperate situations. (It might even be handier than dental floss as a brilliant substitution for specialized kitchen tools.) While I wouldn't take bets on it slicing a New York strip steak, there are definitely many other foods it will easily slice through. What Is It Made Of?

How To: Top 12 Hacks for Making Your Gadgets Better with Sugru

Sugru is some pretty versatile stuff. The company's slogan is "Hack things better," and for good reason. It sticks to aluminum, steel, ceramics, glass and plastics, it's waterproof and heat-resistant, and it can be molded into any shape you can imagine. Anything from your kitchen cabinets to your bicycle can be improved with some Sugru and a little creativity, and gadgets are no exception. Here are 10 of the coolest hacks to fix or upgrade your smartphone, tablet, or camera.

How To: | 3 DIY Electronic Geek Chic Pieces for Him

Stand out from the high street fashion clones with stuff you’ve fashioned yourself. It’s easy to take old pieces of electronic junk and transform them into all sorts of fun ‘n’ funky geeky accessories. Like a totally useful tote bag, a what-on-earth-is-that wallet and a bedazzling belt. It’s terribly geeky but chicy too. Here’s how…

How To: The Null Byte Guide to 3D Printing for Hackers

3D printers allow hackers and makers alike to create something from nothing. They're an incredible technology that lets you build protective cases and covers for gear such as a wardriving phone and Raspberry Pi-Hole. 3D printers can even help you out in a bind when something breaks, and it's impossible to get the part, since you can just print one out yourself.

How To: Make fake jewels using silicone and clear resin

You don't have to spend a lot of money on jewelry, crystals and pendants. In this video from Tap Plastics, you'll learn how to use their brands of Platinum Silicone and Clear Lite Casting Resin to create artificial jewelry. It won't fool the pros on a close examination, but it can still be impressive-looking stuff at a fraction of the cost of real jewelry.

News: Pentagon Funds Real Life Spider-Man Technology

Chemical engineers at Cornell have created a small device that may one day turn troops into real life spider-men. The device would cradle in the palm of the hand, allowing troops to scale walls. It uses an adhesive inspired by the Floridian leaf beetle, an insect that "can adhere to leaves with power 100 times stronger than its own body weight".

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