Anyone ever use polyethelyne plastic for flanging a plug?
I have been using poker cards for flanging, but it’s just too time consuming and makes a butt ugly flange.
I figured i would try some 1/16" ldpe sheet material. Tap Plastics has it for cheap.
as long as it’s smooth, it works well for epoxy, I think it works fine for ester-based resins as well, they use PE for the bottles containing the stuff, so I wouldn’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Make sure it’s waxed of course, I think I’ve had it release fine w/o wax.
thin sheet aluminum, you can buy the stuff in large rolls at home depot, generally used for roof flashing or autobody repairs.
If you find it not rigid enough you can double it up or add stiffeners on the back
- Bends very easiy and you can cut it with snips or scissors.
- cheap
- releases from both epoxies and esters
- cheap
Pretty sure LDPE sheets are vast amounts cheaper (if you can imagine that as cheap as flashing is)
PE (polyethylene) is the stuff used to make well, probably 70% of plastics you see and is incredibly inexpensive.
Problem with using LDPE as mold flanging, is attaching it to the part! It’s a good film, but hard as hell to paint. In meaning so, it might be hard to glue it to the part/plug!
Al thin-gauge metal would be able to be glued on better, along with bending and holding a shape! You don’t be able to bend PE sheeting at a sharp bend well, and have it stay there.
Both can be released just as well with proper technique.
what about using styrene sheets or somethign similar? They use styrene sheets for vacuum forming and it can be shaped when heated.
dissolves/melts with polyester and I’m pretty sure vinylester resin as well…
I don’t think many use poly/vinyl, I know that fastrr doesn’t… personally I prefer epoxy.
Wow… lots of responses to this thread. good 
I did end up buying the aluminum flashing sheet metal from home depot. I still want to buy some 1/32 & 1/16" thick ldpe too. Try both because it’s possible there will be advantages of using one or the other in certain situations. RcdOut seemed to think hot melt glue gun would secure the ldpe to the backside of abs plastic. I’d have to try it i guess. For now I use aluminum foil tape to secure the flanges to the plug part. The tape won’t be on the good side of the flange. Then i’ll just use modeling clay to fill the tiny gap around the plug and flange.
I would use styrene, but I think the drawback may be the pourosity of it. I want to avoid having to do tons of work to the flange material to make it smooth. But still a nice idea because for someone that may come in handy.