Plastic pipes, as a material for making furniture, are good for their availability and low cost. For those who live outside the city or have a summer cottage, the situation is familiar when after construction, laying communications or organizing drip irrigation, pieces of pipes of different lengths remain. At first glance, they can only be thrown away. This is a very erroneous opinion, because it is from such pieces of different diameters and lengths that many original and useful interior items can be made. You just need to apply a little skill and desire to work with your hands, imagination.
Content
- What can be made from plastic pipes
- The benefits of creating products from plastic pipes with your own hands
- Selection of design and construction
- What tools to use
- Basic principles of manufacturing items from polypropylene pipes
- The final stage is decoration
- Video: DIY Comfortable Folding Chair Made from PVC Pipes
- 50 Best Ideas for Unusual Uses of Plastic Pipes
What can be made from plastic pipes
The list of such crafts is limited only by human imagination. From this material you can make items that are needed every day: clothes dryers, shelves, racks. A laptop stand, various cups for pens and pencils can decorate life and make it more convenient. Original beds made of polypropylene pipes, chairs will become the main accent in the bedroom interior, without burdening the family budget. If you involve your creative imagination, you can create nightstands, a huge number of options for storing various items. Moreover, they can be placed in the house, garage, loggia, veranda, in the yard. They will look appropriate and original everywhere. A table and chairs made of plastic pipes can be placed on the veranda, in the kitchen, children's room. In the yard or in nature, collapsible canopies from the sun and rain, various portable structures will be useful. Owners of summer cottages and household plots make comfortable greenhouses, install gazebos, benches that can be left outside in any weather. Folding chairs made of PVC pipes are necessary for fishing and barbecue trips.
The benefits of creating products from plastic pipes with your own hands
Making furniture from PVC pipes with your own hands brings satisfaction and joy, helps develop creative abilities, decorates everyday life, makes it easier and more comfortable.
Furniture made from plastic pipes, made with your own hands, has a number of advantages.
- Such production takes little effort and time. It does not require years of practiced skills. Both a teenager and a woman can easily cope with the task.
- The products have a rigid, stable design that can withstand heavy loads.
- The furniture is mobile and light. It is easy to move, rearrange, simply assemble or disassemble and put away in the closet for a while. It takes up little space in this form.
- PVC pipes are resistant to moisture and aggressive environments, do not rust. Furniture made from them perfectly withstands adverse weather conditions. It does not lose its performance qualities, retains its original appearance after a long stay outdoors. It is easy to care for, tolerates washing and cleaning well.
- A huge number of useful things can be made from such material. The only limitation is the fantasy and imagination of the master.
- Low cost of material.
- The ability to create items with an original author's design that cannot be bought in a store.
Selection of design and construction
Furniture manufacturing begins with the selection of the design and the variant of its design embodiment. It is necessary to start from the function that the furniture will perform. Then the design parameters are selected:
- collapsible or one-piece;
- dimensions of the entire product;
- number of elements and their sizes;
- a method of connecting parts of a structure.
When thinking about the design, you can get inspired by looking at furniture magazines and catalogs, furniture websites on the Internet. It will not necessarily be furniture made of polypropylene pipes. Original ideas can arise when looking at options for furniture made of rattan, wood, metal.
This stage of work ends with the preparation of sketches, determination of necessary materials, preparation of cost estimates. It is necessary to consider how to use the materials that are already available, as well as availability, if materials need to be purchased.
What materials are needed?
Once the design has been selected, it is necessary to make a list of materials and tools needed to create the craft. For this you may need:
- plastic pipes;
- fasteners: glue, screws, self-tapping screws;
- fitting.
Plastic pipes are easy to cut. After that, a sharp edge with burrs remains, which must be cleaned. Just cut the thread. When heated, polymer pipes bend well, retaining the new shape after cooling. Sometimes it is easier to bend the frame, rather than assemble it using pieces of pipes and fittings.
There are several types of plastic pipes. They all differ in price and ability to withstand various loads and temperature conditions. Knowing the properties of each type of pipe, you can make the best choice and save money.
They are divided according to their purpose:
- plumbing
- sewer.
In terms of manufacturing furniture and useful household appliances, sewer pipes, unlike water pipes, win by being cheaper. They are made in larger diameters.
Depending on the type of polymer from which the pipes are made, they are divided into:
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
- polyethylene (PE);
- polypropylene (PP).
They differ slightly in their properties. Polyethylene behaves worse at elevated temperatures and under the influence of sunlight, it is elastic. Polypropylene pipes are stronger and more rigid. The positive quality of PVC pipes is increased resistance to chemical influences and reduced flammability. They tolerate ultraviolet influences perfectly. The difference in the operational characteristics of polymers in most cases will not be critical for the manufacture of furniture. But the difference in price is a factor that should be taken into account. The most expensive are polypropylene. PVC pipes have the optimal price-quality ratio for creating furniture structures.
In addition, pipes are reinforced and unreinforced. Polymer pipes are most often reinforced with fiberglass or aluminum. The reinforcing layer is soldered between two polymer layers. This is done to increase strength, rigidity, and reduce linear expansion when heated. Polypropylene reinforced pipes are used for hot water supply. The letters RC are added to the designation of a reinforced pipe. They can also be distinguished by their appearance. In addition, some manufacturers apply a colored stripe along the pipe, informing about the scope of application of the product. Pipes with a blue stripe are used for cold water supply, with a red stripe for hot water or pipelines with a coolant. The presence of both stripes indicates the versatility of the pipe. It should be taken into account that reinforced pipes, although stronger, are much more expensive. The master will decide on the advisability of additional costs.
What tools to use
In order to update your interior with DIY crafts from plastic pipes, you need a minimum amount of tools:
- hacksaw for metal or special scissors for plastic pipes;
- pencil or marker;
- roulette;
- file;
- special soldering iron for plastic pipes;
- drill.
Gloves and safety glasses will not hurt. Although working with PVC pipes is not considered dangerous, shavings fly when sawing, and sharp edges remain. To avoid damaging your hands and eyes, it is better to use protection.
Basic principles of manufacturing items from polypropylene pipes
To make useful beautiful things from plastic pipes, you need desire and creative imagination. You can't do without knowledge of the basic principles of work. When working with plastic, you should follow the following sequence of actions.
- Study of the design.
- Drawing up a product installation diagram, selecting fasteners.
- Preparation of elements (cutting pipes of the required length and quantity).
- Assembly of the frame using fittings, glue or soldering.
- Preparation of additional structural elements.
- Assembly of the entire product and strength control.
- Painting or other decoration, if desired.
The final stage is decoration
Crafts made from plastic pipes look impressive and unusual, but additional decoration enhances this impression.
- Painting the finished product or its individual parts with acrylic paint. There are many different colors and shades available on the open market. It looks bright and tolerates cleaning well.
- Decorative self-adhesive film is also a good option for decorating furniture and interior items made of polypropylene pipes. If you choose the right picture, you can’t always tell that the furniture is made from waste pipes. Such items coated with varnish become moisture-resistant and their service life increases.
- Drilling round or shaped holes adds originality. This decoration method is suitable for glasses, lamps, and mirror frames.
- Painting or carving on the surface will decorate many items made from plastic pipes.
- Unique crafts are obtained by combining plastic with elements made of tin or plexiglass.
With a little effort and imagination, you can inexpensively and quickly create a new interior in a country house or yard, organize a comfortable space around you. Polymer pipes are suitable as a material due to their lightness, plasticity, resistance to corrosion and moisture. This is a modern material that allows you to create unique designs. Furniture made of plastic pipes has a wide range of applications. Beautiful items made from pipes with your own hands cause satisfaction and fill you with pride. The reward for the efforts invested is an unusual atmosphere, a comfortable life.