Oven Visor

[Kr0ner]

That's a neat DIY method for slumping plexiglass, but as Adam said, I'm amazed you didn't set fire to it all. Is that paper and a plastic drink container under that? You should really be using fire-safe materials inside the oven.



Neat idea, and proof of concept, but I think you should do a little more material research to find how to do this safely before recommending this method to others.



There are plenty of video's on Youtube and Instructables showing how to safely form plastic in you home oven. Check em' out.

the paper on the pic is baking paper ... just to prevent the glass from drippin and burning into the baking plate ... it is heat-resistant up to 250 C°

and the cup is made out of porcelain ... so everything has been fire-safe

 

[Sean Bradley]

How 'bout the nylon cord, or the Bondo visor form, are they safe to 250 C°?



I trust that you know what you're doing, but care must be taken when advising others who may not take the same precautions. I know this post wasn't a tutorial by any means, but some of our members may try to recreate your results just based on your photos. We welcome your technique, but would prefer if the safety measures were explained before anybody goes running to the oven with similar materials.



Carry on.

 

[Kr0ner]

How 'bout the nylon cord, or the Bondo visor form, are they safe to 250 C°?



I trust that you know what you're doing, but care must be taken when advising others who may not take the same precautions. I know this post wasn't a tutorial by any means, but some of our members may try to recreate your results just based on your photos. We welcome your technique, but would prefer if the safety measures were explained before anybody goes running to the oven with similar materials.



Carry on.

yeah thats true, i will add some safety instructions to the top ;-)

 

[23Magnum]

Plexiglas, or poly(methyl methacrylate), has a melting point of 130-140 degs C(265-285 degs F). I would highly recommend not going above that if you do this again.



Just a bit of FYI in case you didn't look into that.



Didn't fing anything too specific about the Nylon, but Nylon 6-6 has a melting point of 256 degs C.

 

[project003]

this guy's a natural Maguyver! great thinking!

 

[Coolmen24]

Cool. I will make me that,too!

 

[ninjaspartan]

this guy's a natural Maguyver! great thinking!

you quoted all his pictures to say that dude, great idea with the plexi and no vacummforming

 

[warhound]

Interesting, I never thought about it but I could use my mom's glass kiln to slump plexiglass into a negative mold of a visor made out of clay. Nice idea

 

[Harding29]

that is sick i might try this out for my ODST visor but ill wait until we get some feed back,or more info on some safty tips

 

[Drgnfyre4]

Just wanted to add my two cents here in regards to safety. Let me preface by saying that I have worked profesionaly in the film industry making props and costumes for close to 14 years now. I have done vac forming for close to twenty years. In regards to using your home oven for vac/thermal forming, this is not advised!! When heating plastics such as ABS, Styrene, PETG, Acrylic, and Plexi, all of these outgas when heated to the point of being workable. Using an indoor oven in your kitchen releases these gasses which most of the time you will not smell and be aware of. It also leaves a fine film and coating on the inside of your oven. You are exposing yourself and everyone in your home to these toxins. Not to mention the obvious potential for a fire hazard. In regards to the film of invisible carcinogens that you will now coat the inside of your oven with, the next time you prepare food in that oven you will reheat this film and now outgas that into the food being prepared. Over time this contamination can cause cancers and other health problems.Also if you make a habit of vac/thermal forming this way this build up can become highly flammable. Would you make your toddler breathe buring plastic? Would you have your parents eat plastic? Please exercise common sense when attempting to make props and costumes. Just because a method seems cheap and cheats your way out of doing things right doesnt mean its safe. I dont give this advice lightly, over the years I have lost friends to cancer caused by this very kind of prop making. You think one or two times here and there doesnt make a difference until a few years later youre caoughing blood. I have seen a lot of corner cutting methods that can go horribly wrong. No prop is worth your health, or those around you and possibly emulating you. A lot of the younger members here may see this method and be thrilled with the idea of not having to properly thermal form and not take the same precautions you have or just not be aware of a few important flammability factors and hurt themselves badly in the process.

 

[Jeff Torres]

Well Said, while it is a good Idea. Unless you have a oven that is not for food preperation, that is outside while you are using some kind of resperator then it is brilliant but in a home..no

 

[mkshane81]

I wonder how well well it would work with one of the pre-tinted visors, or if the heat and bending would ruin the reflective coating?

That is exactly what I was thinking....



Drgnfyre4: very, very valuable input. I never thought of that.

 

[Newspartancreator]

You guys should really listen to mike (drgnfyre4) is knows what he's saying. I've known him on one forum or another for years and he's a real pro.

 

[BFDesigns]

Just wanted to add my two cents here in regards to safety. Let me preface by saying that I have worked profesionaly in the film industry making props and costumes for close to 14 years now. I have done vac forming for close to twenty years. In regards to using your home oven for vac/thermal forming, this is not advised!! When heating plastics such as ABS, Styrene, PETG, Acrylic, and Plexi, all of these outgas when heated to the point of being workable. Using an indoor oven in your kitchen releases these gasses which most of the time you will not smell and be aware of. It also leaves a fine film and coating on the inside of your oven. You are exposing yourself and everyone in your home to these toxins. Not to mention the obvious potential for a fire hazard. In regards to the film of invisible carcinogens that you will now coat the inside of your oven with, the next time you prepare food in that oven you will reheat this film and now outgas that into the food being prepared. Over time this contamination can cause cancers and other health problems.Also if you make a habit of vac/thermal forming this way this build up can become highly flammable. Would you make your toddler breathe buring plastic? Would you have your parents eat plastic? Please exercise common sense when attempting to make props and costumes. Just because a method seems cheap and cheats your way out of doing things right doesnt mean its safe. I dont give this advice lightly, over the years I have lost friends to cancer caused by this very kind of prop making. You think one or two times here and there doesnt make a difference until a few years later youre caoughing blood. I have seen a lot of corner cutting methods that can go horribly wrong. No prop is worth your health, or those around you and possibly emulating you. A lot of the younger members here may see this method and be thrilled with the idea of not having to properly thermal form and not take the same precautions you have or just not be aware of a few important flammability factors and hurt themselves badly in the process.

True about the outgassing. In fact when forming Plexiglass (brand name for generic clear acrylic sheet) you should be very careful that you do your forming without causing the acrylic to bubble. The bubbles are actually small pockets of cyanide gas and are deadly when inhaled. Same thing for all plastics, be very careful as too much heat will cause the material to break down into its constituent parts, which is also why most of those heavy plastic plates are not microwave safe (melamine-formaldehyde based). If you think about it, most thermoplastics (acrylic, polycarbonate, melamine-formaldehyde, etc.) are like table salt [NaCl] in their room temperature form in that they are two [or more] dangerous and often deadly substances combined into something that can be eaten off of, or in the case of table salt, eaten. It may be redundant to say again, but the compounds that make up these thermoplastics have the potential to make you very sick or even kill you if the plastics decompose under too much heat.

 

[Caboos318]

...still tho, very inventive of you. and it does look good.



i am glad Drgnfyre4 said something or i may have tryed this, i dont want no cancer lol

 

[BFDesigns]

...still tho, very inventive of you. and it does look good.



i am glad Drgnfyre4 said something or i may have tryed this, i dont want no cancer lol

You shouldn't even get close if you do it right. You only need to get the plastic hot enough to bend onto the form. As always, wear a respirator and have good ventilation. Also for heating and optics purposes, you really don't need to use stock thicker than 3/32", and in fact 1/16" may work even better.

 

[paul gammer]

Wait, if my guesses are correct, you have made a solid unseethru visor first, then you put it face up in an oven and right over a piece of plexiglass with nuts hanging, when it gets hot enough, the plexiglass weakens and flexes down by the wheight of the nuts and then you take it out, let it dry and remove from the mold thing?

I really want to know how it is done.

 

[Caboos318]

You shouldn't even get close if you do it right. You only need to get the plastic hot enough to bend onto the form. As always, wear a respirator and have good ventilation. Also for heating and optics purposes, you really don't need to use stock thicker than 3/32", and in fact 1/16" may work even better.

i one of those high tech gas masks, so that part does not worrie me. i just dont have an oven out side, lol. i think i going to try my luck with an ATV visor first and if that fails i will seek other ways. for now i dont have to worrie about a visor tho. i makin marine

 

[mightymints]

wow, thats sweet!