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Woodworkers: Any experience with recycled plastic lumber?
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Hi Everybody,

This is probably kind of an odd question, but I was thinking about making a couple of woodworking projects out of recycled plastic "lumber", similar to this:
https://www.markstaar.com/...cled-Plastic-Lumber/

or this:
http://tangentusa.com/polytuf/

For those who have worked with it:

1. How hard is it to work with? If you were to compare it to a species of wood, is it more like a hardwood or softwood?

2. Is it hard on saw blades, router bits, etc.? Any tricks to cutting? Does it dull cutting tools or clog them up?

3. Where do you get yours from?

4. How durable is it? What kind of things have you made out of it?

5. How well does the color hold up?

6. What methods of fastening have you done with it? Screws? Nails? Glue? Dowels? Biscuits?

7. When cutting, does it produce a fine dust, or more like coarse shavings?

If you have any pictures of anything you've made with it, it would be fun to share your work here!

Thank you for any thoughts!

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
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Re: Woodworkers: Any experience with recycled plastic lumber? [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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It's as heavy AF and cleans up nicely with a power washer.

That's all I got.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Woodworkers: Any experience with recycled plastic lumber? [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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My responses in red. I've never used plastic "lumber" before but I have machined plastics in the past.


Travis R wrote:
Hi Everybody,

This is probably kind of an odd question, but I was thinking about making a couple of woodworking projects out of recycled plastic "lumber", similar to this:
https://www.markstaar.com/...cled-Plastic-Lumber/

or this:
http://tangentusa.com/polytuf/

For those who have worked with it:

1. How hard is it to work with? If you were to compare it to a species of wood, is it more like a hardwood or softwood?

2. Is it hard on saw blades, router bits, etc.? Any tricks to cutting? Does it dull cutting tools or clog them up?
Any plastic with embedded fibers can be very tough on router bits. Medium to high speed, low feed, and periodically back out to clean.
3. Where do you get yours from?

4. How durable is it? What kind of things have you made out of it?

5. How well does the color hold up?
We have used some of this stuff in commercial applications. It ranges from excellent to horrible and I'm guessing that has to do with the dye and UV protection.
6. What methods of fastening have you done with it? Screws? Nails? Glue? Dowels? Biscuits?

7. When cutting, does it produce a fine dust, or more like coarse shavings?
Shavings usually.
If you have any pictures of anything you've made with it, it would be fun to share your work here!

Thank you for any thoughts!
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Re: Woodworkers: Any experience with recycled plastic lumber? [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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I've never worked with it. A google search led me to many articles that answer your questions. Here is just one.

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
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Re: Woodworkers: Any experience with recycled plastic lumber? [H-] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you all for the thoughts. That article is perfect - my Google Fu is apparently way off, because I didn't find anything like that...

Thank you!

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
Quote Reply