Have any autistic people on this forum created a product?

[Judge]

Vac sealers take up too much room and I'd rarely use it. And I'm really trying to reduce my use of plastic, in all forms.

Does anyone remember those push-up ice cream pops from the 1960s or 1970s? A cylinder through which you pushed the ice cream up to the top so you could eat it. I'm thinking something along those lines. You could push the guac up to the top and seal it off with a lid of some sort.

Guacamole Push-Ups?

Well, these days some folks are making all kinds of odd flavored ice cream....

But I hear ya over limited kitchen countertop real estate.

 

[Judge]

Wouldn't that require the use of plastic?

Nope. She means the old school ones. Paper/cardboard.

 

[Nitro]

The suspense is killing me Nitro, spill the beans.

There would be no way possible to list it all in a single post

 

[Nitro]

Nope. She means the old school ones. Paper/cardboard.

Ok, so that only requires cutting down a few more trees

 

[Mary Terry]

Like a big syringe with a cap on top. You would manually push out the air.

 

[Judge]

Ok, so that only requires cutting down a few more trees

Bio-degradable. Still better than plastic.

 

[AwkwardSilence]

Judge, I loved the VacuForm - including the smell! Was lucky enough to have an uncle who was a toy designer at Mattel in that era. Lots of free stuff.

 

[Nitro]

Bio-degradable. Still better than plastic.

Not in my book.
Cutting down a tree and paper making is a very messy process that still involves oil in one form or another.

 

[clg114]

I am lucky in that I am able to understand any concept that I put my mind to. Thanks to this, I have worked on some very technical equipment in my time. However, I have always been very impressed by those who designed this equipment. This is where the real talent lies. I am very envious of the engineers and inventers who think of all these things.

 

[Judge]

Not in my book.
Cutting down a tree and paper making is a very messy process that still involves oil in one form or another.

So does the manufacturing of any and all plastics.

But when it goes into the landfill it's there for a very long time as opposed to something organic.

The argument over short term considerations versus long term considerations very much defines the present political divide when it comes to environmental concerns. I suppose further discussion would warrant moving this to the politics discussion.

 

[Mary Terry]

Actually, Nitro, I'm okay with sturdy, chemically stable, reusable plastic containers. It is the disposable plastic crap that contaminates our bodies and the planet that I'm trying to reduce such as plastic wrap, ziplock bags, straws, etc. I think the Food Savers are designed for one-use only plastic storage.

Timber is just a renewable crop. You manage timber like you manage a corn field or tomatoes. And manufacturing things from wood is usually far more earth-friendly than manufacturing PVC (plastic) which is a known human carginogen. PVC plant workers are at high risk for angiosarcoma depending on how hygienic the plant is, a rare liver cancer which is caused by PVC exposure. It's pretty much the signature disease of plastic exposure, much like mesothelioma is the signature cancer for asbestos exposure.

 

[Judge]

Ok, so that only requires cutting down a few more trees

Actually environmental factors wouldn't be as critical to me as would the intended purpose (creating a vacuum) factoring in unwanted thermodynamics.

Where paper and or cardboard is more likely to expand or contract with condensation and changes in temperature plus or minus. Eventually degrading a vacuum leaving air to intrude and defeat the purpose. I suppose other processes might alleviate this exposure with any use of paper products, such as milk cartons.

In that respect I'd be more inclined to favor more rigid plastic, but as @Mary Terry mentions, to use something that is reusable and recyclable. Something that would last longer for the consumer. Though in this day and age I suppose that constitutes some form of heresy with manufacturers.

 

[Autistamatic]

Would it not in theory be viable to have a device along the lines of a big glass syringe for the airtight storage & and dispensing of guacamole and similar pasty foodstuffs?

I have glass syringes for measuring flavourings and they are remarkably air/fluid tight so I can imagine a bigger version - say 300ml with a wide "nozzle" of about 20mm (3/4" or so) would do the trick nicely and be about as renewably eco-friendly as possible. Plus you could sterilise them if you wish to.

 

[Mary Terry]

Would it not in theory be viable to have a device along the lines of a big glass syringe for the airtight storage & and dispensing of guacamole and similar pasty foodstuffs?

I have glass syringes for measuring flavourings and they are remarkably air/fluid tight so I can imagine a bigger version - say 300ml with a wide "nozzle" of about 20mm (3/4" or so) would do the trick nicely and be about as renewably eco-friendly as possible. Plus you could sterilise them if you wish to.

Yes, something like that would work! Just need to prevent oxidation of the stored contents by precluding product contact with ambient air. It would be re-usable, washable, and a lot more appealing than pressing plastic wrap on top of guac or packing it against cardboard which might impart unwanted flavors. Someone needs to proto-type and test market it. I'd buy one!

 

[Mia]

Will someone please invent an airtight guacamole storage container for me?! I hate trying to smash plastic wrap on top of the guacamole to prevent it from turning brown! Hubby is addicted to it so I make it almost every day.

We used to store plain guacamole in reusable silicone pastry bags in restaurants I worked in. Sealing the tip with masking tape and twisting the top of the bag and clamping it. It kept it from browning for a day or two.

 

[Nitro]

Would it not in theory be viable to have a device along the lines of a big glass syringe for the airtight storage & and dispensing of guacamole and similar pasty foodstuffs?

I have glass syringes for measuring flavourings and they are remarkably air/fluid tight so I can imagine a bigger version - say 300ml with a wide "nozzle" of about 20mm (3/4" or so) would do the trick nicely and be about as renewably eco-friendly as possible. Plus you could sterilise them if you wish to.

Whats is the piston or sealing material used in them?

 

[Autistamatic]

Whats is the piston or sealing material used in them?

None. They're just manufactured to very fine tolerances so the meniscus of most liquids is sufficient. I was really surprised when I first got one because I expected a rubber or silicone gasket on the bottom of the plunger like most disposable ones have, but it isn't needed.

The picture below is of one identical to the those I used to use (I use micro-scales and work by weight instead of volume these days).

 

[Nitro]

None. They're just manufactured to very fine tolerances so the meniscus of most liquids is sufficient. I was really surprised when I first got one because I expected a rubber or silicone gasket on the bottom of the plunger like most disposable ones have, but it isn't needed.

The picture below is of one identical to the those I used to use (I use micro-scales and work by weight instead of volume these days).

So in other words, they are manufactured with clearances.

 

[Nitro]

Very early on in my illustrious career, I helped build and design parts for mass spectrometers.
At one point in time, we specified that the material being used as 304 series stainless steel instead of the free machining 303 series they had been using.
The changeover was necessary because some of our vacuum systems pulled a 10 to the negative 7th power torr vacuums that were necessary for the analysis they were to perform.

303 stainless steel has a higher sulfur content that acted as a cutting tool lubricant that made the material a little more free machining. (that translates to more efficient material removal at a higher rate of cutting tool surface speed)
In turn, free machining materials produce less heat during the process, so tighter tolerances can be held due to the lesser amounts of expansion during the cutting process.
The additional sulfur in the 303 series material began to outgas at the negative pressures we required, which in turn, contaminated the sample being tested.
The real eye opener was when we built a system for 10 to the minus 13th power torr vacuum.
It took a solid month to pump down, using a combination of roughing mechanical pumps to get to 10 to the minus 3 torr backed up my turbo-molecular pumps and silicone oil diffusion pumps after it got there,all working together for the end result.
The first leak tests were done with a mass spec probe in place and helium as the sample gas for the leak detection.
The chamber welded areas were marked where the leaks were detected and sent back to the fab area for rewelding of the leak areas.
Another month of pumping went by before the vacuum was fully pulled again.
To our surprise, the leaks we first detected were sealed, but there were many more new ones that showed up.
Back to the weld shop, then another month of pumping after re-assembly.
Now there were even more leaks yet, many in places that had passed the leak checks previously.

Back to the drawing board.
A production meeting was held with the shop and some well respected physics guys.
The outcome was that the leaks were small enough to be clogged by helium molecules that fell away from the breaches after the system was vented back to atmospheric pressure.
That explained the leaks that returned, and why some were never fully detected.
The solution was to do the leak checking with pure hydrogen gas that is a smaller yet more dangerous molecule to work with.
We finally succeeded in getting all of the breaches repaired, but in all it took a full year before the unit was ready to ship.

A breach is just that, a place for unwanted things to enter what you are trying to keep them out of.

The moral of this story is, sometimes it requires using ugly materials to achieve a good end result

 

[SimplyWandering]

,

Vac sealers take up too much room and I'd rarely use it. And I'm really trying to reduce my use of plastic, in all forms.

Does anyone remember those push-up ice cream pops from the 1960s or 1970s? A cylinder through which you pushed the ice cream up to the top so you could eat it. I'm thinking something along those lines. You could push the guac up to the top and seal it off with a lid of some sort.

I’m not sure if they are air tight, but try:

Wilton® Cake 6-Piece Treat Pops Mold Set