Had a similar experience when we were renovating our kitchen and decided to custom-make some decorative fixtures using injection molding. Thought we'd be eco-friendly and use recycled plastics—big mistake. One batch was smooth sailing, the next was a total disaster. I remember one particularly frustrating weekend spent prying brittle, warped pieces out of molds, wondering why I didn't just buy something off the shelf.
Eventually, we switched to bio-based plastics too. Definitely pricier, but at least the results were consistent enough to justify the cost. Still, if you're just doing a small run or something decorative, casting might save you some headaches. Injection molding is great for mass production, but unless you're ready to spend time (and money) dialing in your setup, it can be more trouble than it's worth.
Had a similar headache myself when I tried injection molding for some custom cabinet handles. Thought I'd save money and hassle—ended up with neither, lol. Honestly, casting seems way more forgiving for small-scale DIY stuff. Injection molding is fantastic if you're cranking out hundreds of identical parts, but for a handful of decorative pieces? Probably overkill. Lesson learned the hard way here too...
Yeah, injection molding can be tricky for small batches—been there myself. For decorative or custom pieces, casting usually makes life easier. Plus, you can experiment more with eco-friendly materials, which is always a nice bonus...
"Plus, you can experiment more with eco-friendly materials, which is always a nice bonus..."
Good point on the eco-friendly stuff. I'm no expert, but I recently cast some custom knobs for our kitchen cabinets (first-time homeowner here, DIY adventures galore...). Casting was straightforward and way less intimidating than injection molding seemed.
Casting definitely has its perks, especially if you're just doing a small batch or custom pieces. But I'm curious—did you run into any issues with bubbles or surface imperfections? I've done a fair bit of casting myself (mostly resin stuff for decorative hardware), and getting a smooth finish can sometimes be a real pain. Injection molding, on the other hand, tends to give you a cleaner, more consistent result, but yeah...the upfront cost and complexity can be intimidating for sure.
Also, about the eco-friendly materials—have you tried any bio-based resins or recycled plastics yet? I've been experimenting with some plant-based resins lately, and while they're promising, they can be tricky to work with. They seem to cure differently depending on humidity and temperature, which adds another layer of complexity. Curious if anyone else has had similar experiences or found ways around those quirks.
