Awesome Plastic

This special material uses a precision-engineered lens array to bend light around you, making it look like you vanished into thin air. Crouch down behind the full-size Invisibility Shield 2.0 or cloak your entire body with the 6-foot-tall MEGASHIELD. Both roll up for easy transport, and the shield is also available in a 12″ by 7.9″ Mini size for $69.

These versatile camping utensils from UCO combine a spoon, fork, and knife. They’re made from lightweight, food-safe nylon and stack neatly thanks to holes for lashing the included tether. They are sold as a set of four in an earthy Venture or bold Classic color scheme and are also available in UCO mess kits.

This stacking plastic storage box from Post General features a design inspired by a military footlocker. It can be used indoors or outdoors, and its fold-down sides and removable lid make it easy to access its contents. When not in use, it folds up to save space. It’s available in brown, green, or grey.

We’ve seen a raft made of soda bottles, but this is the first time we’ve encountered one made from red Solo cups. Drew Dirksen shared this clip of a simple but effective raft that floats because of the air trapped between pairs of party cups. We wouldn’t trust it on the open seas, but it seems to work pretty well as a pool float.

We have a hard enough time putting together an off-the-shelf model. Top One Maker is an overachiever and builds all of his models from scratch. In this video, he shows how he took some grey PVC pipe, heated it, and cut and assembled the pieces to form the body and chassis of a remote-controlled Mercedes-Benz AMG G 63 SUV.

This machine is moving so quickly that it’s hard to believe how much it is doing. The high-speed blow molding system can crank out and quality test roughly 45,000 bottles per hour – that’s 750 bottles per minute. We need The Slow Mo Guys to stop by this factory with their high-speed camera.

This fidget toy from Humango Toys is made from interlocking plastic ovals, which can stretch and squeeze from an oblong shape to a palm-size puck. Its tactile interactions help provide sensory stimulation and can reduce boredom and stress. It comes in small and large sizes. Beware of knock-offs. This is the original.

This factory in Pakistan cranks out thousands of toy horses a day. The process starts by grinding up plastic scraps from the prior day’s work and melting them, then using that to blow-mold the horse’s body. Workers then attach accessories and mold and cut out the wheels before final assembly. It’s not the most modern factory line, but they get the job done.

We’re always fascinated by the ways different products get manufactured. In this video from Process X, we take a tour of a factory in Japan that cranks out plastic balls for kids to play with. While the start of the video makes it look like they’re making cake mix, we can assure you that PVC isn’t edible.

These split-compartment bowls are perfect for separating individual portions of chips and dips, snacks and sauces, nuts and shells, and more. They’re made from BPA-free high-density polyethylene and are dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Sold in sets of six colorful bowls.

With Halloween coming up, you might wear a wig as part of your costume. Chances are that it has synthetic hair made from thin strands of plastic. While most fake hair is made by machines in factories, this one artist shows how he makes the stuff from scratch, using nothing more than some plastic, a toaster oven, a wire brush, and his hands.

Marble machines can be so much fun to watch in action. The 3D Printer Academy shows how they built a neat marble machine from modular components that hold together with 3D-printed thumbscrews. It took a little trial and error to get it all working smoothly and without jamming, but eventually, it worked perfectly.

Hexcup is a beer pong set that uses hexagonal cups, reducing gaps and making it easier to set up oddly shaped racks. The cups are top-shelf dishwasher safe, have reinforced corners, and have grooves on their base so they won’t slide around on a wet surface. Each set comes with 22 cups and three balls.

One of the biggest pains with measuring is reading those tiny, unlabeled hash marks. Victor’s rulers solve the problem by placing text markings every 1/16-inch along one edge and every 5 mm on the other, with staggered 1 mm lines for easy counting. They come in 12″ or 18″ lengths in plastic or stainless steel with a cork backing.

Since they’re made from plastic, LEGO bricks probably don’t stand a chance against a 150-ton hydraulic press, right? They’re stronger than you might think. Lauri from the Hydraulic Press Channel shows exactly how much force the ABS plastic building blocks can endure when assembled. Distributing the pressure across a larger surface area certainly helps.

Breeo’s durable outdoor chair is just right for campfire chats. The seat’s raised position and upright back keep you facing your friends and the fire. Its poly lumber construction resists splintering, cracking, and rotting and won’t fade in the sun. Plus, it’s compatible with accessories like trays, drink holders, and hooks. There’s also a small version for kids.

Say you cracked a tail light on your classic car. You could search eBay or junkyards for a replacement, but if you can’t find one, a repair might be your only option. We watched in awe as this talented craftsman fixed a missing piece of plastic from an old taillight, precisely matching its texture and color, and making it look as good as new.

Blow molding is an industrial process for making hollow plastic items like toy boats, water bottles, and storage tanks. This video from Yankang Plastic Machinery shows how a tube of warm plastic pours from a chute and is blown into two molds to form a massive 10000-liter water tank. We love how they just let it fall on the ground when it’s done.

Disposable plastic cups aren’t exactly the best thing for the environment. Still, it’s interesting to see how they’re made. This factory machine takes rolls of plastic and uses a vacuum and heat to thermoform thousands of cups an hour. After it spits out cups, spinning brushes sort them into rows for stacking and packaging.

Keep your loose LEGO blocks and other small toys or accessories inside these giant LEGO bricks. The plastic storage bins come in stackable 4-stud and 8-stud variants in vibrant primary colors as well as grey, white, and black. LEGO also sells a premium series of drawers made from natural oak wood.

Koziol’s reusable outdoor cutlery set is designed to snap together, making the pieces easy to pack and store. They’re made from durable, BPA-free and Melamine-free thermoplastic, and come in a variety of colors. Each set includes the fork, knife, and spoon.

This sturdy plastic shelf from Studio Michael Hilgers and Rephorm Haus adds a small desk and a flower box to any place with a straight length of hand railing. It hooks over round, flat, or rectangular railings up to 3.15″ wide, and is made from UV-resistant, weatherproof plastic. It measures appx. 23.6″ wide x 17.7″ deep.

These unique curved rulers have a decided advantage over using a compass to draw circles. They have markings that let you measure the diameter of a circle, as well as arc length, allowing you to draw precise circles and curves with a single tool. Sold in 1″ to 3.5″, 3″ to 6″, and combo packs.