Make A Good, Cheap, Upgradeable Sheet Plastic Vacuum Former

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Makeagood,cheap,upgradeablesheetplasticvacuumformer by
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drcrash
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148
Bio:I'maresearchscientistwholikesto
designandbuildthings,especiallycheap,
eleganttoolsforbuildingthingsyou
wouldn'thavethoughtyou...More
(/member/drcrash/)
Morebydrcrash:
(/id/Makea
(/file/FYA5MUIF3ETRVC8/)
Tiredofbuyingcheapplasticcrap?Nowyoucanmakeyourown!
Oryoucanmakeniceandsurprisinglysturdyplasticstuffinamazingshapes,
amazeyourfriendswithyourtechnicalprowess,andbethelifeoftheparty.
Vacuumformingisatechniqueforshapingsheetplasticsinto3Dshapes,which
youcandoathome,easilyandcheaply.Andit'sfun.It'stheeasiestwayto
makeaninfinitevarietyofshapesinplastic,ortomakemoldsforcastingshapes
inothermaterials,suchasconcrete.
good%2ccheap%2cupgradeablesheet
plasticvacu/)
(/id/makeamanualvacuumpumpfor
under%2420byconvert/)
Thebasictechniqueisto
0.clampasheetofplastictoaframe(suchasawindowscreentypealuminum
frame)
1.heatitinanoven(suchasyourkitchenoven)untilit'ssoftandrubbery
2.stretchitoveraconvexmoldofaninterestingshape(suchasalifecastof
yoursweetie'sface),and
3.sucktheplasticinwardontothatmoldwithavacuumsystem(suchasyour
householdvacuumcleaner)
(/id/convertatire
inflatortypeaircompressorintoa/)
Related
convertatireinflatortypeair
compressorintoavacuum
pump(/id/convertatire
Oncetheplasticcools,youpullitoffthemoldandtrimofftheexcessplastic,
Checkoutournewclasses!>>(/classes/?utm_medium=cta&utm_source=banner)
leavingacopyofwhatevershapeyousuckedtheplasticonto.
Inthisinstructable,I'llshowyouhowtomakeacheapbutgoodvacuumformer,
usingmostlythingsyouhavearoundthehouse,orcanbuyverycheaply.The
wholethingshouldn'tcostmorethanabout$30to$50,maybelessdepending
onwhatshortcutsorsubstitutionsyouchoose,andwhatmaterialsandtoolsyou
havelyingaround.Italsoshouldn'tortakemorethananhourortwotomake.
(Plusashoppingtriptoahomeimprovementstoreandanofficesupplystore,
andlettingsomesiliconecureovernightyoucanuseepoxyifyou'reinabig
hurryandwanttodoitallinanevening.)
(/id/makea
BuildingaSmallFormat
VacuumformerfromanOld
ToasterOven(/id/Buildinga
SmallFormat
VacuumformerfromanOld
makeamanualvacuum
pumpforunder$20by
convertingabicyclepump
(/id/makeamanualvacuum
pumpforunder%2420by
Here'samovieofthevacuumformerinaction:
Vacuum Forming with your Kitchen Ove...
Relativelyfewpeopleknowaboutvacuumforming,orhoweasyitis.They're
mostlyradiocontrolmodelbuilderswhouseitformakingthinplasticpartsfor
airplanes,orbodiesforcarsorhelicopters,orhullsforboatsorthey'reStar
Warsfanswhouseitformakingtheirowncostumearmor.
It'sunfortunatethatvacuumformingknowhowismostlylimitedtotheselittle
niches,becausevacuumformingcanbeusedformanypurposes,artisticand
practical.Ifyoulikemakingstuffingeneral,andespeciallyifyoulikenon
rectilinearstuffthatdoesn'tlook"homemade,"youshouldknowhowtovacuum
form.
Youcanusevacuumformingtomake:
1.intermediatemoldsformodifyingandcombiningsculpturalshapes(thisallows
youtosculptinwhatevermediumiseasiest,andtransfertheshapestoplastic,
makingonecopyormany)
2.sturdycustompartsoutofthickplastictoprotectdelicatemachinery.(Using
cheaphomemadeequipment,I'vevacuumformedshellsfrom1/4"thickplastic
thataresturdyenoughtostandon.)
3.threedimensional,internallyilluminatedsignsfromscintillatingtextured
plastic
4.flexible,cushionycustomlinersfromthermoformablefoam
5.reliefsculpturesofvariouskinds
6.moldsforcastingchocolates,soaps,candles,orconcretereliefsculptures
7.decorativearchitecturalreliefs,ordecorativeshellsthatcanbereinforcedfor
structuralpurposes
8.stagepropsandcostumepartsinhardplasticorsoftfoam,
9.zillionsofthingsyou'llprobablythinkof.
Industrially,vacuumformingisusedformakingallkindsofthings,from
disposableplasticcupsandlidstosinksandhottubsandMcDonald'sgolden
archestofullsizedboathulls.(Ifyou'veneverseena30footsheetofplastic
suckedintoaboatshapeinafewseconds,trustme,it'sprettycool.)
Forvacuumformingathome,themainlimitationisusuallyspaceforthe
equipmentthesizeofyourvacuumformerisproportionaltothesizeofplastic
sheetyouneedtoform.The$3050vacuumformerdescribedheredoesn'ttake
upmuchstoragespaceatall,andcanhandlethinplasticsheetsasbigaswillfit
inyouroven.
Forlargerstuff,youneedacustomovennotverydifficultorexpensiveto
make,butalittlebiggerallaroundthantheplasticitwillheat.
Forthickplastics(morethanabout3/32"or1/8"thick,dependingonseveral
variables)youoftenneedastrongervacuumthanavacuumcleanerwill
provide,andagainthecostandsizeoftheequipmentareroughlyproportional
tothesizeofplasticsheetyouwillbeforming.Thecostcanbeunder$50fora
highvacuumsystemforthickplasticsheetsuptoabout12"x18",usinga
convertedbikepump,oranelectricairpumpofsomesortfromathriftstore.
(Suchasakitchenvacuumsealer,atireinflatoraircompressor,ora"nebulizer"
airpump.)
Thevacuumformerdescribedherewillworkverywellwithaninexpensivehigh
vacuumsystem,gettingprofessionalqualityresultsforthickplastic,forunder
$100.Ifyouwantastandalonevacuumoven,sothatyoucanuseitsomewhere
besidesyourkitchen,youcanmakeamediumsizedone(12x20inches)for
$30.
Fornow,let'smakeagoodfastcheapvacuumformerthatyoucandoalotwith,
usingyourkitchenovenandvacuumcleanerit'smainlyaboardwithaholeinit,
whichyoucanstoreonashelf.Youcansoupituplater,ifyouwant.
Step1:Understandthedesign
(/file/FOUZLDRF3ETRVD2/)
Ourvacuumformerconsistsmostlyof
(1)aboard(calleda"platen")withaholeinthemiddleofit,
(2)avacuumcleanerthatsucksairthroughthathole,
(3)apairofframeswecanclamptogetheraroundtheedgeofasheetofplastic,
and
(4)akitchenoven.
Touseit,we'lldothreebasicthings: Checkoutournewclasses!>>(/classes/?utm_medium=cta&utm_source=banner)
(1)heattheplasticintheovenuntilit'ssoftandrubberyandstretchable
(2)stretchitovertheshapewewanttocopy,and
(3)suckitdownaroundthatthing,andletitcoolinthatshape
Inmoredetail,we'll
0.(SETUP)
0.a.Supporttheboardonsomethingneartheoven.Thesupport(s)canbe
prettymuchanything,oranyconvenientpairofthingsthatisreasonablysturdy,
allowsustoroutethehosetothevacuumcleanerwithoutkinkingit,andcanbe
putveryneartheovenwe'reusing.
0.bPutsomethingsintheovenwhichwecansupporttheplasticholdingframes
on.(Glassesmadeofactualglass,forinstance.)
0.c.Preheattheoven.Thisusuallygivesusmoreevenheat.
0.dPositionsomeobjectthatwewanttoshapeplasticoverontheboard,over
thehole,butwithsomespacersunderit,sothataircanflowfromaroundthethe
object,underit,andtotheholeintheboard.
1.(HEAT)
1.aClampasheetplasticbetweenthepairofframesandsupportitonthreeor
fourthingsintheoven(suchasglassesmadeofactualglass)
1.bWaitafewminutesfortheplastictogethotandrubberyandstretchable.For
mostplastics,wecantellhowstretchableitisbyhowmuchitsagsunderits
ownweight.Whenitsagsabouttherightamount,weknowit'sready.
2.(FORM)
2.a.(Turnonthevacuumcleaner,opentheoven,and)QUICKLYbutcarefully
removetheplasticfromtheovenwithglovedhands...
2.b....stretchtheplasticdownovertheshapewe'recopying,untiltheframe
meetstheboard,creatingakindof"tent"ofhotrubberyplasticoverourform
andstretchingdowntotheboard,and...
2.c....letthevacuumcleanersuckairoutfromunderthe"tent,"bysuckingair
fromundertheform,andinturnfromaroundit.Thiswillsuckthestretched,
rubberyplasticinwardintothedesiredshape,inaboutonesecond,andthe
plasticwillcoolenoughtosolidifyinthenewshapeinabout10to20seconds.
Tomakethisworkwell,andflexibly,we'lladdafewbasicenhancements:
1)We'llputafoamrubbergasketontheboard,thesizeandshapeofour
plasticclampingframes.Thatway,whenwestretchtheplasticoverourmold,
wecanpresstheframeagainstthegaskettomakeaseal.Whenthevacuum
cleanersucksairfromaroundthemold,itwilldoabetterjobbecauseit'snot
suckingairthroughanylittlegapsbetweentheframeandtheboard.
2)We'llmakethegasketremovable,sothatwecanusedifferentsizedgaskets
(andplasticclampingframes)fordifferentsizedsheetsofplastic.Theobvious
benefitofthisisyoucanwastelessplasticifyoumakedifferentsizedthings.A
lessobviousbenefitisthatithelpsyouuseoddsizedscrapsthatyougetfrom
cuttingthelargersizeoutofasheetofplastic.Amuchlessobviousbenefitis
thatyouoftengetbetterresultsforcertaindifficulttoformshapes,byusing
plasticthatissomewhatbiggerthanthethingyou'remaking,butnotawholelot
bigger.
(Iwon'texplainthathere,butifyou'reinterestedyoucancheckoutthisthread
onwww.rcuniverse.com,about"webbing"problemsandwaystoavoidthem:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5086453/anchors_5086453/mpage_1/key_/
anchor/tm.htm#5086453
(http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5086453/anchors_5086453/mpage_1/key_
/anchor/tm.htm#5086453)Oneofthebestwaysistouseplasticsheetsabout
therightsizeforyourproject.)
Makingthegasketremovableiseasy.Insteadofstickingtheselfstickfoam
rubberdirectlytotheplaten(board),wellstickittoaslightlyoversizedsheetof
somethingflexiblesuchasthinplastic,andtapethatdowntotheboard.
3)We'llmakeourframesoutofpiecesofaluminumwindowscreenframe
material,withinternalaluminumcornerbraces.Thatwillletusmixandmatcha
fewsidelengthstomakeframesofdifferentsizesandproportionsfordifferent
projects.
4)We'llusea3/4"galvanizedfloorflange(plumbingfitting)undertheholeinthe
platen,aspartofourconnectiontothevacuumcleanerhose.Thiswillletus
replacethevacuumcleanerwithamorepowerfulbutsurprisinglycheap
vacuumsystemlater,ifwewant.Amorepowerfulvacuumsystemletsyouform
thickerplasticandstillgetgooddetail.(Ifyouknowyou'llneverneedtodothat
this,youcouldjustmaketheplatenholethesizeofyourvacuumcleanerhose,
orsomeattachmentthatfitsit,andgluethehoseortheattachmentpermanently
tothehole.Thatwouldbecheapandeasy,butyouwouldloseflexibilityforlater
upgrades.)
Ifyou'veseenotherhomemadevacuumformers,you'velikelyseen"vacuum
boxes"severalinchesthickcoveredwithpegboard.Don'tmakeoneofthose.
Youdon'tneedabunchofholesinyourplatenOnebigoneworksatleastas
wellifyou'reonlyformingoneobjectatatime,andifyouwanttodistributethe
vacuumacrossseveralsmallermolds,thereareotherwaysofdoingit.(Many
industrialvacuumformersuseonebigholeplatens.)
Thick"vacuumformingboxes"arelikelytocollapseifyoueveraddapowerful
vacuumsystemandtoreducethevacuumsystem'seffectiveness,because
theairinsidetheboxhastobepulledout.
(Ifyoudecidelaterthatyoureallywantamanyholeplaten,youshouldmakea
thin"sandwichconstruction"platenyoucanuseyouroneholeplatenasthe
bottomlayerofthe"sandwich,"sostartingwithaoneholeplatenisagoodway
togo.)
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snowpenguin(/member/snowpenguin)
8yearsago
Reply
Canyouuseatoasteroventodothis,withsmallerplasticsizes?I'mbasingthe
wholeprojectoffofonemold,butI'msureI'lluseitalot.Iplantouseeither
sodabottleplasticofmilkjugplastic,heatedtostayflat.Iwouldtheneitheriron
orheatgunseveralsheetstogetherforstrength.Great'Ible,4.5*
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drcrash(/member/drcrash)(author)
3yearsago
Idon'tknowiflaminatingmultiplelayersofbottle
plasticwillworkwell.Youmaybebettermoldingsinglesheetsand
laminatingtheresultsafterthey'reshaped.
Reply
Asinglelayerofsodabottleplasticoftenworksreallywellandeaislyfor
smallstufflikemostmodelplane"bubblecanopies,"andforsmallishfood
moldslikechocolatemoldsorjellomolds.(It's"foodsafe"plasticunless
youburnit.)
Youdon'tneedtodoanythingspecialtoflattenitjustcuttheendsoffthe
bottle,sothatyou'releftwithacylinder,thensplitthat,unrollit,andclamp
itbetweenappropriatelysizedframes.Whenyouheatit,itwillrelaxand
actjustlikeaflatsheet.
X
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8
Yes,youcanuseatoasterovenforsmallstuff.Lotws
ofRCmodelersdo.
3yearsago
Reply
Ifyou'remakingsomethingreallysmall,prettymuchanytoasterovenwill
workfine.Ifyou'remakingsomethingthatusesplasticthatbarelyfitsin
theoven,it'snicetohaveonthatheatsparticularlyevenly.Theoneswith
asingleheatingstripaboveandbelowmaynotheatparticularlyevenly
twoaboveandtwobelowmaybebetter.
IgotagreattoasterovenforlittlestuffforafewbucksfromaGoodwill
store.
mackamitsu(/member/mackamitsu)
4yearsago
Reply
10yearsago
Reply
Iusedadollarstoretoasterovenforoneproject,
makingchocolatemoldsforaspecialcake.Iusedfoodgradplasticfor
that.Somedollarstoreshavecheapplasticcontainerswithnicethin
lids.Don'tforgetaboutebayeither.
shotgunefx(/member/shotgunefx)
I'vegotaquestion,wheredidyougetthewindowscreenbrackets?Mostofthe
placesIseethemhaveplasticcornerswhichprovestobeproblematicin
thermoforming)
hybryd(/member/hybryd)
shotgunefx(/member/shotgunefx)4yearsago
Reply
Basedontheageofthisinstructable,theymaynothavecarriedthem
before,butmyHomeDepotnowcarriesthealuminumframecorners.
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Reply
10yearsago
IusesomefrommylocalTrueValuehardwarestore,butI
don'tknowifotherTrueValuescarrythem.(I'vealsoseenthematalocal
AceHardware.)Step2givesonlinesources.
drcrash(/member/drcrash)
Thanksforthequickreply,Idon'tknowhowImissedthatfirst
goaround,myapologies.
Reply
10yearsago
Imadeaquickievacuumformerawhilebackoutofpartslayingaround
thehouse,Ihadanexpandedmetal
(http://www.leeland.net/lib/leeland/vacc5.jpg)shelflayingaroundthat
workedforabase.
Itookadifferenttactwithconnectingthevacuumthatseemedtowork
well.Iusedaflexiblesinktailpipethathappenstofitmyshopvac
perfectly.FormountingittotheMDF,Ijustusedexpandinginsulation.The
fewtimesIusedit,itworkedwell,howwellitwouldholdupover
extended,heavyuse,I'mnotsure.(Vacuumconnection
(http://www.leeland.net/lib/leeland/vacc6.jpg))
TheonlyproblemIhadwaswiththeframe.Ikeptmeaningtogetbackto
it,butneverdid,welluntilnowthatis)
Thanksagain.
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8
Reply
10yearsago
Thatwillworkfineifyouonlyeverwanttoconnectthat
vacuumcleanertoitIlikehavingtheplatenbeaninterchangeablepart.
Thefloorflangehastheadvantagethatyoucanunscrewthenipplefromit
andit'sprettylowprofileyoucanstoretheplatenonashelfwithout
severalextrainchesofstuffstickingoutawkwardly.Thecompression
fittingontheendofthethingyouusedisnice.I'llhavealookatthoseand
maybefindagoodwayofadaptingfromthefloorflangetoacompression
fittingthatfitssmallshopvachoses.Thanks.
Reply
10yearsago
LikeIsaid,itwaskindofjustthrowntogetherwithwhatIhad
onhand.Ineverconsideredafloorflange.Ifyouwanttomakeafitting,
youcangetan11/2(or1/12x11/4dependingonyourvachosesize)
PVC"desanko"femalepvcfitting,thengluean11/2x3/4ipsbushinginto
it,thenuseashort3/4ipsnippletomountittothefloorflange.It'sbeen
awhilesinceIworkedinplumbingsupply,desankoiswhatplumberscall
them,buttheymightbeunderadifferentnameatthedepotandsimilar.I
believetheyarealsocommonlycalled"trapadapters".
n0ukf(/member/n0ukf)
|
8
9yearsago
Reply
Itappearsfromlookingatyourfacemoldthatyou,likeI,havefacialhair
(beyondjusteyebrowsandlashes).Howdoyoumoldyourselfwiththat,without
havingtoshavefirst?
Gnome(/member/Gnome)
n0ukf(/member/n0ukf)
9yearsago
Reply
Isawavideoaboutit:Youhavetouse"cholesterolhairconditioner"by
applyingittothehair,eyebrows,beard,etc.tohelpwiththerelease.
TechDante(/member/TechDante)
9yearsago
Reply
i'vedonethissortofthingbutwasjustwonderingwhatsortofplasticyouwere
usingandhowlongwasitintheoven
X
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. TechDante(/member/TechDante)
Reply
Forthinplasticslike1/32"or1/16",yougenerallywant 9yearsago
toadjustyourovenheatsothatittakesacoupleof
minutestoheattheplastictotherightsagpoint.(Startlowandworkup
untilyougettheheatlevelaboutright.)That'ssothatitdoesn'tsagtoo
fastforyoutonoticewhenit'sready,andyouhavealittleslackinhow
fastyoupullitout.Forthickerplastic,like1/8or1/4",youwantittotakea
minuteortwopermillimeter,sothatyoudon'tburnthesurfacebeforethe
heatsoaksthroughtothemiddle.Ivacuumformabunchofkindsof
plastics.Inthevideo,I'musingHIPS(HighImpactPolystyrenea.k.a.HIS
forHighImpactStyrene).Inthe2ndand3rdpicturesinStep11,that's
texturedacrylicfroma2x4footfluorescentlightdiffuserpanelfor
suspendedceilings.(FromHomeDepot.)Itisalsoeasyandfunto
vacuumformcraftfoam(EVAfoam),butthetechniqueisabitdifferent
becauseitdoesn'tsag.(Seemywebsite.)
TechDante(/member/TechDante)
excelent,justwhatineedthanks.nowjusthavetogetmyself
theparts.
HaZe32(/member/HaZe32)
Reply
9yearsago
10yearsago
Reply
thisiskindaofftopictothevacuumbuthowdoumakethatmoldofyourfacei
wanttomakeplasticmasksofmyface(idontknowy)andineedtomakea
moldcauseimnotstickinmyheadintohotplasticandvacuumingoutalltheair
lol
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HaZe32(/member/HaZe32)
Reply
10yearsago
Mywifediditit'shardtodotoyourselfbyputtingalginate
onmyfacetocapturethefinedetail,andthenmakingamothermold
aroundthattoholdtheoverallshape.It'snotdifficult.(DON'Tputplaster
directlyonpeople'sskin,unlessyoureallyknowwhatyou'redoing.The
plasterheatsup,andifit'stoothick,youcanactuallyburnsomebody...
andyouhappentohaveaproblemgettingitoff,thatcanbeABadThing.
Plastercanalsoformverysharpedgeswheretwosurfacesmeet,andcut
rightthroughflesh.Ooops.)Therearevariousinstructionsforlifecasting
andspecificallyfacecastingonthenet...welookedatseveralbefore
actuallydoingitandIdon'trememberwhichoneswerethebest.There's
atleastoneoveratwww.theeffectslab.com,andprobablysomeoverat
www.lifecasting.comIfyougotooursite,www.VacuumFormerPlans.com,
youcanfindalinktothreadsonhowweusealginatebothforfacecasting
andforcastingsculptstomakemasks.It'snotanotdetailedhowto,butit
showsthebasicprocessandfewsimpletricksweusetomakecaststhat
areespeciallysuitedtovacuumforming.(Likemoldinginafewventholes
sothattheplasticwillsuckinaroundtheeyes,nose,andmouth.Greased
woodenskewersworkgreat.)Foratypicalfacecast,weuseabout$5
worthofalginate,$1or$2worthofplasterbandages,and$7worthof
waterputty(tocastthepositive).Youcangetwaterputtyatthehardware
store,andplasterbandagesfromacraftstore.(HobbyLobbyhasdecent
prices.)Weusetheslowsettingalginatefromwww.pinkhouse.com
ovechkin080(/member/ovechkin080)
10yearsago
Reply
WhatkindofplasticdoyouuseandwherecouldIgetsome.
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ovechkin080(/member/ovechkin080)
Thatdependsalotonwhatyouwanttomake.
10yearsago
Reply
Themostcommonplasticsforbeginners,andalsocommonfornon
beginnersareHighImpactPolystyrene(a.k.a.HIPS,orHighImpact
Styrene,orHIS)andPETG.HIPSisusuallyopaque,andPETGiscrystal
clear.They'rebothprettycheapandprettygood,andeasytoform.
I'drecommendstartingwithplasticbetween1/32and1/16inchthick.(Or
.030"to.060"orso.)Thinnerplasticcoolssoquicklyyoumayhave
troublegettingittotheplatenandformedbeforeitcools.Thickerplasticis
hardertoformwithouthighvacuum,andismoreexpensive.
Themosteconomicalplacetobuyitisusuallyalocalsheetplastic
supplier.Youcanbuya4x8footsheetofthinplasticforwhatafewsmall
sheetswouldcostatahobbyshoporcraftstore.Youcanprobablyrollit
uptogetitintoyourcar.(Whileit'sstillflat,thinplasticisflexible.Forming
itintoa3Dshapemakesitmuchmorerigid.)Lookinthephonebookand
callaround,tofindasupplierthathasnominimumorder,oralowonelike
$25.Someplacesdon'twanttotalktoyouifyou'renotbuyingatleast
$100worthofstuff.Othersarehappytosellyouasheetortwoofthin
plastic.Unfortunatelyyougenerallyhavetocallaroundtofindoutwhichis
which.
Online,youcangetsheetplasticsfromplaceslikeTAPPlasticsand
ProfessionalPlastics.
Ioftenvacuumformtexturedplasticlightdiffuserceilingpanelsfrom
HomeDepotorLowe's,whichcomein2x4footsheets.Thestyrene
onesareeasiertoformthantheacrylicones,buthardertofind,andmore
fragile.
Ialsovacuumformcraftfoamfromcraftstores.(HobbyLobbyhasgood
pricesoncraftfoama12packof12x18inchsheets2mmthickis
$4.00.)That'salittledifferentfrommostplastics,though,becauseit
doesn'tsagwhenitgetshotenoughtoform.
Youcanfindlinksaboutvacuumformingdiffuserpanelsandcraftfoamon
mywebsite.(http://www.vacuumformerplans.com
(http://www.vacuumformerplans.com))
Acrylicscanbeaproblembecausetheyabsorbmoisturefromtheair,and
ifyouheatthem,yougetlittlebubbles.Inmyexperiencewithdiffuser
panels,thebubbleshavebeensmallanddon'tshowmuch.(Theydon't
showatallforthetranslucentwhitestuff,justfortheclear.)Toavoidthe
bubbles,youmayneedto"predry"acrylics,bakingthemat200degrees
forahalfhourtoacoupleofhours,dependingonthethickness.That
drivesoffthewater.
TwoothercommonlyvacuumformedplasticsareABSand
polycarbonates(likeLexan(TM)).Theybothcanabsorbmoisturefrom
theairandrequirepredrying,too.
I'dstickwithHIPSorPETG,startingout,toavoidhavingtodealwiththat.
(Craftfoamdoesn'thaveaproblemwithmoisture.)
YoucangetapieceofPETGabout6"x13"(IIRC)bysplittingcuttingthe
endsoffa3litersodabottle,splittingit,andunrollingit.AlotofRCplane
"bubblecanopies"aremadeofpopbottlePETG.
I'mworkingonanotherInstructable,withdetailedinstructionsforvacuum
formingandplasticssources,butthatprobablywon'tbedoneforafew
weeks.
rerat(/member/rerat)
|
8
10yearsago
Reply
Notanexpertoranything..butwouldn'tmanysmallholes,opposedtoonelarge
one,yieldmoreevensuction?
ErikLindemann(/member/ErikLindemann)
rerat(/member/rerat)
Reply
10yearsago
Ibelievereratisright,inallthevacuumformersI'veseen
(bothcommercialandhomemade)thebaseconsistedofmanysmaller
holes.Withoutthesmallholes,itwouldbenearlyimpossibletogetthe
levelofdetailthatyouwouldnormallyget.
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8
10yearsago
Reply
No,thatisnotright.Infact,youmaygetbetterdetail
withaoneholeplatenthanifyoujustplopyourmoldflatonamanyhole
platen.Oncetheplastichasmostlysuckeddown,itcoverstheholesthat
themoldisNOTover,andtheydozerogood.Ifthemoldsitsflatagainst
theholesunderit,itcoversandblockstheonesitISover,too,soyou
haveNOholesoperatingwell.Thatrestrictsairflowatthecrucialtimefor
gettinggooddetail.(Itusuallydoesn'tmattermuch,butitcanmatter
some.)That'swhyIrecommendputtingalayerofwindowscreendown,
evenifyoudohaveamanyholeplatenthatmakesitworkaswellasa
oneholeplatenwithspacers.Withsufficientspaceunderthemoldforthe
airflowyouneed,aoneholeplatenwiththemoldovertheholeworksas
wellasanyplatencould.Manysmallvacuumformingmachinessoldto
nonprofessionalthermoformersdocomewithmanyholeplatens.Itthink
that'smostlyamatterofmarketingexpectationsmoreholesseemslike
better.Itiswhathobbyistsexpect,andwhattheycopy.(Anditis
marginallymoreconvenientthanaoneholeplatenformakingmultiple
thingsatatimeallyouneedisasinglelayerofwindowscreenunderall
themoldstomakeitworkperfectly.)Ididdoresearchonthis,talkingto
severalindustrialthermoformingpeopleandaphysicist.Theyallagreed
thatoneholeisasgoodasmany,ifyouuseproperspacers.Mostofthe
industrialmachinesI'veeitherhaveaoneholeplatenornoplatenatall,
andoneprofessionalthermoformerI'vetalkedtosaidhe'dusedahalf
dozenmodelsofindustrialmachines,allwithoneholeplatens.Idon't
havestatistics,butI'mprettysureoneholeplatensareprettypopularin
industrybecausetheyworkjustfine.Oneplacethatmoreholesdoes
matterisinthemolditself.Ifyourmoldhassignificantconcavities,you
mayneedventholesthroughthemoldtolettheairout.(Moreholesinthe
platendoesn'thelpwiththat.)
10yearsago
Reply
NowIdidn'tseeyoumentiontheuseofspacersin
yourinstructable,maybeIjustmissedthat.Thatmakessense.Butyou
see,theuseofverymanytinyholesshouldworkjustfineseeingaseach
holeactsindependentlyfromtherest.Bylogic,itshouldn'tmatterifitsone
holeormanyholesjustaslongasyouhavespacerswiththeonehole.
X
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10yearsago
Reply
Right.Manyholes,inthemselves,don'thurt,andthey
areactuallyalittlemoreconvenientyoucanuseveryshort"spacers"
suchasasinglelayerofwindowscreentokeepthemoldfromblocking
theholesunderit,andtokeeptheplasticfromsuckingdownflatoverthe
holesaroundthemold.
Youcangetthesameeffectwithaoneholeplatenbymakingsome
groovesinthetopoftheboard,radiatingoutafewinchesfromthehole.
(Don'tmakethemtoolongifyoudo,you'llhaveproblemssealingsmall
tapedownsheetsonyourplaten.)Ifyouhavearouter,thatonlytakesa
fewminutes.
Thegroovesensurethatthemoldcan'tsitflatovertheholeandblockit
aircanstillbesuckedthroughthegrooves.Addingonelayerofwindow
screenisstillgood,tokeeptheplasticfromsuckingdownintothegrooves
andblockingthem,andtoletairflowacrossthesurfaceoftheboardfrom
anywhereintoagroove.
Here'sapostingoveronwww.hobbymolding.comthatsketcheshowto
makeamanyholeplatenthatwon'tcollapseundervacuumanddoesn't
holdalotofuselessair:
http://www.hobbymolding.com/hm_forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=418
(http://www.hobbymolding.com/hm_forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=418)
That'safinethingtodo,butitdoesn'tgetyoubetterresults,wouldmore
thandoublethetimetoconstructthevacuumformer,and(ifyourholes
arespreadouttoofarfromthemiddleoftheboard)itmeansyouneedbig
tapedownsheetstocovermostofthemwhenyouwanttouseasmall
gasket.
Agoodcompromise,ifyouwanttogotothetroubleofmakingamany
holeplaten,istohaveaabout401/8"holesinanareaabout7inchesby
9inchesinthemiddleoftheboard.That'splentyifyouhaveasinglelayer
ofwindowscreen,anditallowsyoutocovertheholeswithasmall,cheap
tapedownsheet(likeasmall$1flimsyFORSALEsign)whenyouwant
toputdownasmallgasket.
Thatwillletyouputmultiplemoldsanywhereontheplatenyoudon't
needholesunderamold,becauseawideswathofwindowscreenwill
allowplentyofairtoflowtothemiddleoftheboardandintotheholes.
Youdon'tneedamoldovertheholes,either,becausethescreenwillkeep
theplasticfromsuckingdownflatandblockingthem.Andifyoupickup
thescreen,youcanstilltapeyourtapedownsheetsdowntothenon
holeyareaaroundtheholeyarea.
Thatwouldcombinealloftheadvantagesofaoneholeplatenanda
manyholeplaten.
10yearsago
Reply
rerat(/member/rerat) 10yearsago
Reply
Thankyou,veryinformative.
X
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8
Notreally.Theairundertheplastic,aroundthemold,actsasa"plenum"
toevenoutthepressure,allbyitself.(Icanexplainthatifyouwant.)The
onlyplacethepressuremaybesignificantlydifferentisrightaroundthe
hole,underthemold.Theideathatmanyholes"evenoutthesuction"isa
myth.Mostmanyholeplatensarenotdesignedproperlyforthatgoal.To
evenoutthepressuremorethanhappensnaturallyanyway,you'dneed
restrictiveplatenholes,andasignificantpressuredifferentialacrossthem.
Thatwouldmaketheplatenholesabottleneck,soit'sgenerallyavoided.
Thetypicalpegboardtoppedboxmadebyhobbyistswouldbea
particularlyineffectiveplenum,becausetheholesareway,waytoobig.
(That'sokay,though,becauseyoudon'tneedthateffectanyway.The
problemwithpegboardisthatitcollapsesunderhighvacuum,unlessit
haslotsofsupports,andit'sgenerallynotworththat.)
ButaneFlame(/member/ButaneFlame)madeit!
3monthsago
Reply
can'tbelievehowfastandeasyitwastobuildthethermalformertomakemy
maskfortheMarchHareforDragonCon2017.
I'velookedallovertheniternet,yourtutorialmadenofussaboutit,whereas
theotherstriedtoovercomplicatethingsthanksDrCrash
(https://cdn.instructables.com/F1E/EVN3/IUKEXY4S/F1EEVN3IUKEXY4S.LARGE.jpg)
(https://cdn.instructables.com/FMZ/8G85/IUKEXY5F/FMZ8G85IUKEXY5F.LARGE.jpg)
(https://cdn.instructables.com/FFW/OHK2/IUKEXY5X/FFWOHK2IUKEXY5X.LARGE.jpg)
(https://cdn.instructables.com/FRW/TUYB/IUKEXY6D/FRWTUYBIUKEXY6D.LARGE.jpg)
ButaneFlame(/member/ButaneFlame)
ButaneFlame(/member/ButaneFlame)
3monthsago
Reply
6monthsago
Reply
almostforgot,forothersreading,Iletmyovenpre
heatto350andbakedtheplasticforapprox15minutes.
1(/member/1)
Industrialvacuumformingmachines(http://flexplast.com/promishlenniy
vacuumvormovochniystanok.html)FLEXPLAST
amorakkabi(/member/amorakkabi)
9monthsago
Reply
Couldyouuseafullheadmold?Inotherwordstoformamaskthatcoversthe
wholehead,havingthemodelverticalinsteadofhorizontal?
austinwebdesign(/member/austinwebdesign)
9monthsago
Reply
ayearago
Reply
Ireallyreallywantoneofthese.Thatissocool
DavidJ163(/member/DavidJ163)
Suchaveryusefularticle.Veryinterestingtoreadthisarticle.Iwouldliketo
thankyoufortheeffortsyouhadmadeforwritingthisawesomearticle.
http://www.decomood.com/s/30880_lettrealphabetbois
(http://www.decomood.com/s/30880_lettrealphabetbois)
lettreenbois
kudzu63(/member/kudzu63)
2yearsago
Reply
Iactuallyusedworkatacompanythatmadesignsusingvacuumforming.Most
folksdon'trealizejusthoweasyitcanbewithalittlepractice.OnethingI
noticedyoucouldmaybedoistogetanextrarackforyourovenandmodifyit
bycuttingmostofthecenterout,makingitfityourframe.Thatwayyouwouldn't
needanythingtoraisetheplastic.Also,itwouldtakealittlelongerbutifyou
weretodrillhundredsof1/32"to1/16"holesinthemodelthatyou'reforming,
youwouldn'tneedtousethescreenunderitanditwouldmakeamuch
sharper/detailedform.Youwouldhavetosealaroundtheedgesofthemodelto
getagood"pull".Wealwaysusedordinarymaskingtape.IFyouhaveaDollar
Treestoreclosetoyou,youcanbuytonsofthesethingsthere.Iknowyoucan
getthetapeandspringclipsthere.VerygoodInstructablejustthesame.
X
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8
Edgar(/member/Edgar)
X
|
8
foobear(/member/foobear)
2yearsago
Reply
Neato!JustgrabsomeNeodymiumMagnets,outofdiscardedHardDrives,
andyou'lldoitevenfaster.
5yearsago
Reply
Cansodabottleplasticbeusedforthissortofpurpose?Itriedamakeshift
vacuformusingametalstrainer,ducttape,shopvacandheatguncombobut
onlysucceededincausingtheplastictowarpupandtwistaround,itdidnotget
suckeddownoverthemold...
X
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8
foobear(/member/foobear)
Yes,youcanusesodabottleplasticformakingthinclear
things.Seeothercommentshere.
Reply
3yearsago
Idon'tknowwhyyourattemptfailed.Youmaynothavegottentheplastic
softenough,ormayhavehadavacuumleak.Hardtosayfromtheinfo
given.
VirginiaNutu(/member/VirginiaNutu)
Reply
2yearsago
Ithappenedtometoointheoventheplasticsheetshrinked
andwarpedsomuchthatitgotoutoftheframe.Iwonderifitisnormal,
andIhavetouseabetterframe,orifIhavetotryanothertypeofplastic
davidbarcomb(/member/davidbarcomb)
2yearsago
Reply
2yearsago
Reply
2yearsago
Reply
Niceidea.Thanksforsharing
bigbubba195(/member/bigbubba195)
iwonderificanmoldabackpackvacuumoutofplastic
tom.okeefe.3344(/member/tom.okeefe.3344)
Ineedtoformasemicircularcockpitcanopy46inlong24indiameterfroma
46inwidesheetof1/4to3/16instrongblacktransparentplastic.Itistoo
bigtofitinanoven.CanIformitoveracircular24indiameterductingmetal
overafire?Whatareyoursuggestions?
toknkok@aol.com
marcwolf(/member/marcwolf)
3yearsago
Reply
Manymanythanksforthesuggestionoffoldedmetalflyscreenforthebase.
Thishasalwaysbeenahinderenceredrillinglotsofholes.
Peter_Pan(/member/Peter_Pan)
3yearsago
Reply
ForawhileI'vebeenplanningtobuildavacuumformmachinetobuild
recessedcontrolpanels.Ifyou'veeverseenanacousticguitarwithbuildin
electronics,thecontrolsareusuallyonarecessedpanellikethis.Or,youmight
seeashapelikethisonthebacksofwoodenloudspeakercabinets,wherethe
wiresconnect.Soinitiallyithoughtthiswouldbesuchasimpleshape.Afterall,
themoldswouldbesimpleblocksofwoodcraftedtothedepthandsizeofthe
panelsI'dneed.Thenafterforming,I'donlyneedtotrimtheplastic,butinclude
maybea1/4"lipallaround.Tousethesepanels,iwouldthencuttheshapeof
theoriginalmoldintotheguitar,andinsertmypanel.Asmallscrewineach
cornerofthelipwouldholditinplace.Whatcouldbesimpler,right?
WellNOTso!!!BecauseInowrealizethatwhetherIusedholesinmyplaten,or
awindowscreenasyousuggest,the"lip"surroundingmymoldisprobably
goingtolookawful,havingthewindowscreenpatternnowmoldedintoits
surface!I'mnotsurewhattodoaboutthis.IguessIcouldjustlivewiththe
screenpatternandtrytosanditoff
later,butthatsoundslaborintensive,andmightstilllooklousyin
theend.
IsupposeIcouldmakeamorecomplexmoldthatincludesthelip,byattaching
theoriginalpanelblockmoldtoathinflatpieceofwood,atotalof1/4"bigger
onallsides.ButIthinkthatwillcreateanewproblem,becausethatlipareais,
ofcourse,flat.Sooncetheplasticisdrawntotheedgeofthelip,itwillblock
furthervacuumfromgettingintotheinnercorner,andI'llhavepoordefinition.
Kindofacatch22!
TheonlythingIcanthinkofwouldbetotaketheflatthinpieceofwoodthatwill
becomethelip,drillabigholeinthemiddleofit,thencutasmallpieceof
windowscreenthesizeofthecenterblock.IfIcanthenattachthecenterblock
totheflatpieceofwoodwiththesmallpieceofscreeninbetween,rightover
thehole,thisshouldallowairtocontinuetobedrawn,eveniftheplasticdoes
formasealaroundtheedge.
Whatdoyouthink?Iknowthere'snowaytodothisstuffwithoutsome
experimentation,butIdefinitelydon'twanttowastealot,andwouldliketo
knowIhaveasoundtechniqueforgettingtheshapeIneed,whileavoidingthe
screenpattern.
bgepp1(/member/bgepp1)
X
8
3yearsago
Reply
thisisgreatbtwwheredoyoubuytheplastic(thesheetyouputinthe
oven)?
feyr(/member/feyr)
8yearsago
Reply
IamlookingintomakingthisbutIwanttousemy5hp12gallonshopvacthatis
inthegaragesinceIonlyhaveanuprightvacuumforthehouse.Ithasalarge
2.5"hoseonitandIwaswonderingwhatsizeIshoulddrillmyholeintothe
platen?BasedoffyourstatementofusingalargerholethanyourhoseIwas
thinkingofa3"hole.Bringingsomepipedownandusingoneofthoserubber
reducerswithhoseclampsonittocreatethesealbetweenthetwoparts.Also
onavacuumlikethathowthickdoyouthinkIcanworkwithandwoulditbetoo
powerfulforthinnerpieces?Thanksforthisawesomewriteup!Iamlookinginto
using1/16th,1/4orpossibly3/16thickacrylicsheetstomakeanautomotive
headlighttrim.
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8
X
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8
feyr(/member/feyr)
3yearsago
Reply
Forashopvac,youdon'tneedalargerdiameterholethatthehosethey
usehugehoses,ridiculouslyoversizedformostpurposes.(Butusefulif
you'resuckingupfistsizedhunksoflightweightstuff.)
Reply
3yearsago
Anddon'tforgetthatshopvacsarenogreatshakesforvacuum
forming.TheygenerallyDONOTsuckanyharderthanacanister
vacuum,andthey'reawkwardlybigwithawkwardlybighoses.Ratingslike
"5hp"areabullshit.Ashopvacdoesn'tgenerallydrawmorecurrentthan
agoodhouseholdvacuum,soitCAN'Tgeneratemorepowerwithout
blowingyourfusesorflippingyourcircuitbreakers.
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