Can you help my household kick the plastic habit? [more inside]
posted by Miko on Oct 30, 2009 - 34 answers

I'm doing a show in Toronto involving rear-projection (both of plain white light with a person creating a shadow, and of video). I'm trying to locally source thin, white plastic sheeting to use for a large screen, by this week or next week. [more inside]
posted by sixswitch on Oct 14, 2009 - 6 answers

Ultra-permanent marker (more permanent than Sharpie Industrial, on soft rubbery plastic)? Alternately: paint or coating that's very strong AND very soft-thin-flexible? [more inside]
posted by kalapierson on Oct 12, 2009 - 11 answers

Should I dump my old toys, or give them to my toddler to play with? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 14, 2009 - 19 answers

Plastic-free beauty filter: I'm researching how to diminish the amount of plastic I am using from day to day, and I'm about to attack my personal-care items. Does anyone have suggestions for shampoos, deodorants, face washes, lotions, toothpastes, etc., that don't come packed in plastic containers? I'm interested in commercially available stuff and also recipes I can make at home if the components aren't too plastic-y.
posted by toomuchkatherine on Aug 5, 2009 - 19 answers

Who is the most famous cosmetic/plastic surgeon in Venezuela?
posted by omaralarifi on Jul 20, 2009 - 3 answers

How to make my thermos flask not ruin my coffee? [more inside]
posted by pompomtom on Jul 6, 2009 - 12 answers

in my work, there is a requirement to test two plastics and compare the properties for an automotive application. the testing is done by an external agency, with whom i have no background, and they just give a table of results. what tests are they doing, how do they do them, why do they do them, and what tricks should i be on the lookout for? [more inside]
posted by edtut on Jun 23, 2009 - 2 answers

Does Benjamin & Medwin still exist? And if they don't, any idea where I can get a lid for my cast iron pan? Can I make one? [more inside]
posted by Diablevert on Jun 12, 2009 - 5 answers

The water in my #7 plastic polycarbonate 5-gallon jug is starting to taste funny. Also a bonus BPA question. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on May 30, 2009 - 13 answers

Looking for sturdy cheap plastic crates in the Boston area [more inside]
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth on May 28, 2009 - 7 answers

Do unassembled plastic model kits become brittle or warped over time? Is there a preferable medium for building replacement parts? I'm assembling MPC's The Strange Changing Vampire (1970s) and pieces are breaking. I think it is styrene. One piece just didn't fit; I tried heating with a hair dryer (ineffective) and hot water (ruined the piece). I can replace it but the ones that broke are moving parts, essential to the function of the model. How-Not-Tu-Do-Torial in progress.
posted by rahnefan on May 19, 2009 - 13 answers

What is this series of tubes? [more inside]
posted by Tube on Apr 19, 2009 - 6 answers

When hard plastic breaks is there any adhesive that will 'weld' it back together so it won't just snap again at the glue point under pressure? [more inside]
posted by GleepGlop on Apr 8, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm putting old wooden furniture in long-term storage. Is it okay to leave it wrapped in that stretchy plastic stuff, or will that mess with the finish over time?
posted by jasonsmall on Apr 6, 2009 - 4 answers

I'm looking for an adhesive-backed ink-jet printable plastic suitable for use as masking/stencils for airbrushing. I've tried a couple of options, but have failed in some subtle ways. (Now with related bonus question!) [more inside]
posted by Netzapper on Mar 29, 2009 - 10 answers

My glasses have black plastic frames and they turn white when wet from water or sweat, how can I get them clean? [more inside]
posted by BugsPotter on Mar 23, 2009 - 2 answers

How can I best spray paint my white Macbook's exterior? [more inside]
posted by ilumos on Mar 18, 2009 - 9 answers

I am looking for information and references to a toy that was available during the 1960s. It was an electrically heated hand powered plastic injection toy. [more inside]
posted by Drasher on Feb 19, 2009 - 9 answers

Could you locate a new, clear plastic case for the classic 2G iPhone that does not have belt-clip or kick-stand for purchase? [more inside]
posted by UnclePlayground on Feb 11, 2009 - 6 answers

What is this blue plastic shark meant to do? [more inside]
posted by neroli on Jan 6, 2009 - 12 answers

Should I go through with my planned plastic surgery? [more inside]
posted by Hogermite on Dec 20, 2008 - 123 answers

How do I get this goofy cap on a bottle open? It's plastic and it appears to have a moving part inside. This is a bottle of cachaça, specifically Velho Barreiro, if that makes any difference.
posted by grimmelm on Nov 8, 2008 - 10 answers

Coffee taste stain? My travel mug's lid is plastic, and has picked up the taste of old, bad coffee (from, no doubt, the new good coffee I drink each morning). How do I get it out? [more inside]
posted by klangklangston on Oct 10, 2008 - 19 answers

Why do the thin, plastic things (ie, ziploc containers) in my dishwasher still wet after the drying cycle when the stainless steal and porcelain things are dry?
posted by shothotbot on Oct 1, 2008 - 12 answers

How can I ground a large roll of plastic wrap to prevent static electric shocks when unrolling it? [more inside]
posted by attercoppe on Sep 25, 2008 - 7 answers

I have a Dell Inspiron e1505, and a small chunk of the white plastic frame around the keyboard/cpu area has broken off. How can I fix this? [more inside]
posted by brandman on Sep 22, 2008 - 5 answers

Please help us build a retro-modern room around this chair. [more inside]
posted by simbiotic on Sep 9, 2008 - 5 answers

Where can I find the fabric/material several grocery chains are using to make cheap reusable bags these days? Is it as cheap as it appears? [more inside]
posted by mikepop on Aug 27, 2008 - 7 answers

Where can I recycle corrugated plastic in New York City? It appears to be the dreaded plastic #5 (polypropylene). I have about 35 sheets.
posted by the jam on Jul 20, 2008 - 5 answers

Where can I buy book(s) that list best hospitals/clinics for cosmetic surgeries in Bangkok, Thailand? [more inside]
posted by omaralarifi on Jul 14, 2008 - 1 answer

What type of plastic is used for lining breakfast cereal boxes. Is this a recyclable material?
posted by ptm on Jul 7, 2008 - 4 answers

I'm building an automatic misting system for my tortoise's tank. The plastic tubing I bought to transport the water is too difficult to work with since it's sold all coiled up. How can I straighten out a 20-foot length of it? [more inside]
posted by xbonesgt on Jun 20, 2008 - 7 answers

Those big plastic soft drink bottles used to be a two-part construction, with an opaque sleeve or cup around the lower half. Why were bottles made that why, and why did they stop? [more inside]
posted by Rash on Jun 5, 2008 - 15 answers

mechanical gears question - what is the efficiency of simple plastic set of small mechanical gears [more inside]
posted by edtut on Jun 2, 2008 - 6 answers

I'm thinking about designing and making my own eating utensils, because I am that food obsessed. But I'm unsure of what materials to use. [more inside]
posted by thread_makimaki on May 1, 2008 - 6 answers

How can I clean the plastic of a cellphone that has become matte again without ruining it? [more inside]
posted by ooklala on Apr 28, 2008 - 4 answers

What should I bring my lunch to work in? I'm looking for non-plastic, non-potentially-toxic, reusable alternatives to the zip-locs and gladware I usually bring my lunch & snacks to work in. [more inside]
posted by tastybrains on Apr 24, 2008 - 36 answers

Are there water filtration systems with no plastic anywhere in the water's path?
posted by Skorgu on Apr 20, 2008 - 5 answers

White macbook question. My macbook's cover has become all scratched up. Is there any way I can polish the plastic or in any way minimize the scratching?
posted by muscat on Mar 23, 2008 - 8 answers

What material should I built my small fountain out of? Should be easy to work with, durable, waterproof, and hermit crab safe! [more inside]
posted by cowbellemoo on Mar 20, 2008 - 11 answers

yesterday, my neighbor was talking about that stuff we had as kids that was basically a little tube of awful smelling plastic gunk and a small straw. you put a glob of plastic on the straw and blew weird, oily bubbles. anyone remember what that crap was called? what was it?
posted by xz on Mar 13, 2008 - 23 answers

Is there a specific name for the plastic toy robots that look like this? Bonus points for telling me where I can find them in Atlanta, GA.
posted by studentbaker on Feb 15, 2008 - 11 answers

How much of my GLASS do I drink when I drink a glass of water? [more inside]
posted by Eiwalker on Feb 12, 2008 - 10 answers

What's a good CMS to make a slashdot/kuro5hin/plastic.com/digg clone? [more inside]
posted by philosophistry on Feb 10, 2008 - 16 answers

I'd like to stop using plastic grocery bags, but I use them as liners in all of my garbage cans (including the kitchen, where stuff thrown in tends to be moist food detritus). Any ideas on what to use as garbage liners in lieu of the plastic bags?
posted by backseatpilot on Jan 24, 2008 - 21 answers

Is it possible to (successfully) spray-paint a rubbermaid storage tub that would sit outside and be exposed to the weather? Alternative suggestions for sprucing up a plastic storage tub welcome! [more inside]
posted by FortyT-wo on Jan 24, 2008 - 9 answers

I need a large sheet of thin but durable, mylar-ish translucent material in Toronto. [more inside]
posted by chococat on Jan 14, 2008 - 13 answers

Spray painting plastic curtains for outdoor display. Advice needed. [more inside]
posted by otolith on Jan 9, 2008 - 5 answers

SOMEBODY in my household made a sandwich and left the empty bread wrapper draped over an electric burner on my stove. Which is now melted onto the coil. What is the easiest way to clean this off???
posted by konolia on Dec 17, 2007 - 12 answers