🎉 PoopCycler - Press for Recycling 3D Printer Purge Blobs (Poops) 🔥💩♻️
Got piles of colorful purge blobs from your Bambu Lab or other FDM printer?
This open-source project helps you turn them into fun and functional coasters, using a two-stage mold system made from reusable TPU and castable plaster or concrete.
🧩 Step 1 – Creating the Rigid Mold (Concrete)
Print 3 parts in 95A TPU:
🧱 Mold of the Base
🧼 Mold of the Removable Bottom
💩 Mold of the Press (Coaster or Tray)
These are used to cast the final rigid mold in concrete.
⚠️I strongly recommend using concrete instead of plaster. It’s much more stable when heated. Some plaster can crack or crumble, especially at 430 °F / 220 °C. Concrete, once fully dry, handles that temperature without any problem and gives you a more durable mold over time
Just make sure it’s fully cured and dry before putting it in the oven 🔥🙂
Save the 3 TPU molds, they can be reused to repair or duplicate any part later.
🧱 Step 2 – Recycling Purge Blobs with the Rigid Mold
Once cast, you’ll have 3 rigid parts:
🧱 Rigid Base
🧼 Rigid Removable Bottom (for easy demolding)
💩 Rigid Press for coasters or trays (to compress softened poop)
How it works:
Use the press in the main file to press coasters. Don’t want the poop emoji? Just flip the press part after molding. For trays, print the extra TrayPress mold, pour in concrete, and use it instead of the coaster press.
Insert the rigid bottom into the base.
Cut two sheets of parchment paper: one in a circle of 98 mm (≈ 3.9") in diameter, and the other rectangular, 320 mm (≈ 12.6") long and 60 mm (≈ 2.4") high.
Then lay the sheets flat against the top of the base and along the inner walls of the mold. Use the gap between the base and the mold edges to slide in the rectangular sheet, which will then keep it in place.
Add 2 handfuls of purge blobs.
Place the whole thing in an oven or air fryer at 220 °C (430 °F). ⚠️ If you’re using the tray press, increase the temperature to 250 °C (480 °F) and leave it for about 20 minutes.
When the blobs soften, remove from the heat and insert the press.
Press down firmly to compact the material.
Let it cool for a few minutes.
Push from the bottom to eject your recycled coaster/tray!
⚠️ If you’re having trouble separating your coaster or tray from the press, put the press back in the oven with the coaster or tray still attached at 195°F (90°C) for about 10 minutes. It should then come off easily.
♻️ Key Facts:
TPU molds are reusable and durable.
Rigid parts (plaster/concrete) serve as the final mold.
If a rigid part breaks, just cast another one using the TPU molds.
End result: a unique terrazzo-style coaster, made from 100% upcycled filament waste.
💡 More mold shapes coming – logos, symbols, weird textures... 👉 Got a suggestion? Drop it in the comments!
LuKs
