Moldable Plastic FAQ
Questions about our Moldable Plastic Pellets
What kind of plastic is this?
A polyester called polycaprolactone.
What are the ways you can melt the plastic?
To melt the thermoplastic beads, the plastic temperature must be raised over about 150 F. You can use hot water, a heat gun or even a hair dryer.
Is it reusable?
Yes, you can re-melt and re-use our moldable plastic many times.
What does it stick to or not stick to?
The molten plastic sticks to itself and it also sticks to some other plastics like ABS (Legos), acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, PVC (tubing) and vinyl. It won't attach to wood or plastics like nylon, polypropylene, silicone or Teflon.
How do you keep it from sticking to other things?
Many people will work on wax paper, parchment paper, silicone sheet or a glass top for a non-stick surface.
Can you attach the moldable plastic to other objects? Can you glue it?
It sticks wells to itself so you can build up a part to make it bigger or add extensions to a part you already made. Just heat the part with hot water or a hair dryer so it becomes sticky. For non-compatible surfaces, you can use Super Glue or epoxy. Or drill into the part and attach with screws.
Is it safe for food contact or internal use?
Our moldable plastic is non-toxic but we have not sought FDA approval for food contact or internal use.
How strong is the finished part? Can you sand it?
The finished part will be as strong as typical plastics. You can sand it, drill it and machine it like plastic.
How long does the product stay moldable?
Once the thermoplastic pellets are clear and you remove them from the hot water, you have several minutes to shape the plastic before it becomes stiff. You can dip it back into the hot water to shape it more or you can heat it with a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it in certain areas.
The plastic will harden in about 10 minutes, depending on part size. You can speed up the process by dipping it into cold water.
Do you have one that stays clear?
No, unfortunately we do not. Nor do we know of any low melt thermoplastic that does.
Will light shine through the plastic?
The plastic is translucent so light will shine through it, as long as the finished part is not too thick.
Will this melt again once it cools?
If you are not happy with your part, you can re-melt and re-mold repeatedly. Also, it may soften in very high temperatures so avoid areas like the inside of your car on a very hot day.
Can you pour this into a mold?
It is not liquid enough to pour into a mold but you can press the molten plastic into a mold. You can make your own molds using our Polly Plastics Silicone Mold Putty or buy molds from your local craft store. Coat them lightly with vegetable spray before molding, so it will be easy to remove your part from the mold.
What sizes do you sell?
Check out our collection of moldable plastics here.
Questions about our Moldable Plastic Colors
Can you color the plastic?
There are two ways to color the plastic: mix color into the plastic while you are molding it or paint it after it cools.
Add our Polly Plastics Color Pellets to the hot water along with the clear pellets. Once the moldable pellets are clear, remove and knead together with your hands. The color pellets will blend in and color the plastic throughout. You can also add color alcohol ink or paint powder to the molten plastic as you work it. Inks and powders are available at crafts stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Food coloring does not work very well to color the moldable plastic.
To paint it, you can use an acrylic paint found in hobby stores. For large, single color pieces, you can use special spray paints for plastic like Krylon Fusion paint. If you experience any flaking of the acrylic paint, you can coat it with polyurethane after painting. Or you can first coat it with a Fusion undercoat and paint over it. You can also color the surface with Sharpie markers.
Are your colors compatible with other brands?
Yes, they will work with other moldable plastic brands. The colors are also made of the same material as our moldable plastic – polycaprolactone.
How much color is in each color packs?
There are about 10 grams in our normal packs. Our Black Moldable Color Pellets has 50 grams of black and our Metallic Moldable Color Pellets has 25 grams of gold and 25 grams of silver.
How do you mix these to make other colors?
We include a color chart that shows what pellets and how many pellets of each color to mix together to get the colors shown on the chart.
How much plastic can I color with this?
In all cases, you only need a few pellets of the colors to get a beautiful final color in your finished part. Our color packets will color quite a few pounds of clear plastic.
Can you buy individual colors separately?
We sell larger packets of Black Moldable Plastic Pellets and Metallic Moldable Plastic Pellets but we don’t sell the other colors individually.
Can I use the colors without using the clear moldable pellets?
The color pellets can be used by themselves and will melt the same as our clear moldable pellets. However, it is much more economical to add the concentrated color pellets to our clear moldable pellets. As we have said, a few color pellets will color a large amount of clear pellets.
Questions about our Moldable Plastic Sheets and Strips
Is this the same material as the moldable plastic pellets?
Yes, the sheets and strips are made of the same materials – polycaprolactone.
Can you use a hair dryer to melt the sheets?
Yes, some people use a hair dryer. However, you will can get higher temperatures and more control with a heat gun.
How do you cut the sheets and strips?
You can use scissors but generally some type of shears or box cutter works best.
Do the sheets and strips come in different sizes or colors?
No, we only carry the sizes shown on the website product pages. The sheets are 8” x 12” x 1/16” thick and the strips are 1” x 8” x 1/16” thick. All of our sheets and strips are translucent, milky white. In addition to our normal 3 pack of sheets, we do sell a 6 sheet bundle.
Can the sheets be attached to each other to make a larger piece?
Yes, they can be fused together at the edges. You will have to decide whether the seam is acceptable to you.
General Questions
Do you sell larger quantities of moldable pellets and sheets?
Yes, check out our bulk pricing here.
Can you buy Polly Plastics in stores?
Currently, our products are only offered on-line.
How to Melt Moldable Plastics
How to Use Our Moldable Plastic Color Pellets
Using Our Moldable Plastic Sheets to make a fidget spinner
