Lampshade from Recycled Bottle Caps

We will show you how to bend a recycled plastic sheet from the sheet press without heat or mold. This technique is inspired by a woodworking technique called ‘kerfing’. Kerfing is a wood bending method done without water or steam.

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7 steps

1 Prepare all the materials and tools

Here’s what you need: - The HDPE plastic board that you’re going to bend: - 30 cm x 10,5 cm, 5 mm (thickness)  - ⌀9,5 cm, 5 mm (thickness)   - A portable sanding machine  - A soldering iron  - A table saw - Rope 

2 Score the plastic

First, we’re using the table saw to score the plastic. Cut 3 mm in depth while keeping a 5 mm distance between each cut. Make sure you’re scoring the board perpendicular to the direction of the bend.

3 Thin out the end sides of the plastic board

Thin out the end sides of the plastic board using a portable sanding machine so that the sides will fit better in the next step.

4 Bend it

Now bend it carefully! Use a rope to tighten it in place.

5 Weld the end pieces of plastic

With the help of a soldering iron, weld the end pieces of plastic together. Make sure you do it well.

6 Smooth out the welded part

Now back to the sanding machine again. Smooth out the welded part to get that nice and evenly joint.

7 Done!

And voilà! Your beautiful, eco-friendly lampshade is done.

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