The Many Uses of ShapeLock

Technology Workshop
The Many Uses of ShapeLock

ShapeLock is an amazingly useful polycaprolactone plastic that starts to melt and become moldable at around 160ºF. When it cools to room temperature, it becomes rigid and tough with qualities similar to nylon. By heating it in water with a microwave or using a heat gun, you can easily hand form it into almost anything.

Check out these projects to get some ideas for what you can do with this impressive material:

SwashBot3 by Crabfu

Android 10 by James of XRobots.co.uk

YouTube player
Robotic Arm by Alexey (Google Translation)


Prototype Pick and Place Head by John


Hand rest for an ergonomic mouse from Tiny Little Life


Eyeglasses repair by Macetech


Halloween Mask by Andrew

As you can see, this stuff is awesome! If you want to pick up some of this amazing material, it’s available in 250 gram and 500 gram bags in the Maker Shed!

5 thoughts on “The Many Uses of ShapeLock

  1. Adric Menning says:

    Awesome, I picked up a bottle of friendly plastic beads(same stuff), and nobody save myself has done any hacking with it at our hackerspace. 

  2. Adric Menning says:

    Awesome, I picked up a bottle of friendly plastic beads(same stuff), and nobody save myself has done any hacking with it at our hackerspace. 

  3. Andrew Wilson says:

    LOL,

    I was reading it, then I realized my halloween mask was on it. I first saw it and thought, “Someone made a mask that looks just like mine.” Then I notice my desk too.

  4. AMalePoet says:

    I wonder if this material could be used in a makerbot 3D printer. Hacking required but perhaps more versitile? A hopper with a one or two bead sized funnel into the heating element.

  5. Stephen Bowman says:

    I wish this article was more involved. Never heard of this stuff before today, but one can only imagine the uses.

    I was looking at a cig. rolling machine on Amazon and when looking at comments a person made a hopper for the machine to hold more.

    She made hers out of a deli tray, then the next commenter mentioned Shapelock.

    Why have I never heard of this. Awesome potential.

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I am the Evangelist for the Maker Shed. It seems that there is no limit to my making interests. I'm a tinkerer at heart and have a passion for solving problems and figuring out how things work. When not working for Make I can be found falling off my unicycle, running in adverse weather conditions, skiing down the nearest hill, restoring vintage motorcycles, or working on my car.

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