Screwdriver Handle Hdpe

Making a scredriver handle with HDPE

Find an old beat up screwdriver laying around, i got one very old from my grandpa with a old and broken handle,

you need to some Hdpe!

Thats a very commom type of plastic, found on milk jugs, and all sorts of plastic material like: bootle caps.

its easy to find because usually are stamped with a number 2 inside a reclycle pyramid circle

You will need to a old eletric oven or even a kitchen oven, a heatgun, any source of heat! And also a lathe or if you are very tallented some files and sandpapper to creat a handle.

But ! Safety First!!

We are handling with a very hot material: around 150 ~ 200 celsius! use heat resistent gloves!

Add material to oven and make a round piece taking after 10 minutes and smashing with your hand until gets round, in this case i´ve roll up the ball to form some sort of cilyndrical shape and see! its hot!! real hot!

it steams for 5 minutes even in water, so take your time and wait to the next step

still hot after 10 minutes but not harm to the touch

how looks like the piece? ha! like a plastic turd! hahaha! but wait!

see that on first pic it still steam a lot , put on the lathe using the screw tool attached ´cause will be use on the screwdriver itself, if you dont have a lathe, thats not the end of world, use your imagination, use sandpapper , files! it a very nice material to work with it soft and strong at same time!

by the way my woodlathe are homemade...!!

after the first cuts on the lathe, the ugly brown layer of burnt material jump out and a very fine color appears, i have used a mix with with a transparent hdpe pieces... Looks very cool , like a plastic marble

after turning and sanding it turns out very cool! i prefer to make bigger on the end of handle! It looks better and have a better grip too.

now its time to put the screwdriver on the handle! I use heat to glue the two pieces, its the more effective way, dont need epoxi or any fancy things, Just use the hole make by the lathe screw, if needed use a a drill bit to make a hole on the handle (no lathe mode) but some way small than the screwdriver, because, we need a tight fit!

Now just after putting the screwdriver on the handle put in the water rapidly to cool down ! Thats it! you going to get a sturdy and lightweight screwdriver! it almost zero cost!