Vacume forming a helmet?
- Thread starter Jake117
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DesertFare
Well-Known Member
yeah, you'd need to split said helmet into bucks though, what kind of helm are you tryin' ta do?
It is possible but like stated you will have to cut the helm into sections. Also you will have to re-enforce it some how so it does not get crushed, you will have to drill holes in the fine details to suck the plastic down. Also you will have to slightly round off any sharp edges so you don't cut the plastic. All in all to vac form a helm is a real pain in the butt. It would be easier to mold it and slush cast with smoothcast, and keep the vac forming for other things.
TyrDropProps
Member
Benstreeper uses FlexFoam with holes carved into the back to reinforce pieces for vacuum forming as seen here:
It allows air to travel thus getting suction through the piece, although it isn't the cheapest way of doing it.
Some areas such as the recessed visor on a Recon may cause some problems with your plastic properly taking the shape.
Some areas such as the recessed visor on a Recon may cause some problems with your plastic properly taking the shape.
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TyrDropProps
Member
I'm not sure if hairdryers would do it, I recently purchased a decent quality heat gun at Harbor Freight for around $12 so I'd suggest going that route if you have a Harbor Freight nearby.
Nintendude
Well-Known Member
I've done my share of vacu-forming in my day, Check Instructibles there are $20 tutorials on how to make a vacu-former and other tutorials on making the machine, it's a pretty easy scratchbuild. now with the helmet you will need to split it from front to back or side to side down the middle of the helmet. I've used a old oven to heat up the plastic an a cheap shop-vac to suck the air between the plastic and the mold, if you plan to use pepakura as a buck, resin, FG, and bondo the helmet, then when you cut the helmet in half fill the halves with plaster and then in recessed areas of the helmet drill holes through the helmet and plaster so that the air has a channel to be sucked through when it's vacuformed. If that's not done then you have the problem of the plastic not getting into that area. Antoher note is with this being pep and plaster is before you vacuform it with plastic spray down the mold with release or PAM spray works as well that way you'll be able to pull the plastic from the mold easily and that way you save the chance of cracking it when you pull it from the mold. I would suggest .70 or.80 HIPS or ABS Sheet Plastic it comes in many different colors as well. Once you vacuform the 2 halves of the helmet and have it trimmed you can assemble the two halves.
WrathPrime
Member
I think I got the same one! They have some really great deals for such a small store. I do have to say that the hobby hot knife and wood burnning kit I got there wasn't so great so just look to see what the quality nd price that works for you and you can get lots of good prop equipment there.
Nintendude
Well-Known Member
Using a heat gun and pushing at areas is never a good idea. You'll end up making a tear in the plastic or it can become too thin in that area and will make it more fragile in that area.
CyberPaddy66
Jr Member
Watched several video's on youtube tonight and the vac forming table is the easy bit a few people use heat guns on the difficult areas at the time they are vac-forming so the plastic is still hot all over but it's not ideal like Nintendude says it can makr the parts very thin, spend a few hours doing youtube research and you'll have everything you need to vac-form properly 
Thanks for all the info so far
That doesn't make sense. You need a master for vacuforming as well, so why not just make a mould right away?
I am Fuzzy Bear
Well-Known Member
I bet you could take a mold and try and vac-u-form it by putting the plastic on the inside and basically molding it like normal but with the plastic pressed against the sides of the mold. If that makes sence. Right?
gingersnapples
Well-Known Member
no, that wouldn't work.
Isnt making the mould really expensive thought? (out of all the plastics and such)
If you're on a really cheap budget, go to walmart, and get a few tubes of the Color Palace clear silicone calk (about $2 a tube), dont buy other brands, they are more expensive and dont work nearly as well. In this case the cheapest stuff is the best. It cures fast too. Make sure your master is waxed or something so the silicone doesnt stick directly. Paint it on with a brush keep it around 1/4" thick, let it cure for a day then you can make the hard shell around it in sections, make sure not to make the hard shells with interlocking undercuts or it will never come off.
If you're thinking mold making is expensive dont even think about vacuforming.
If you're thinking mold making is expensive dont even think about vacuforming.
Nintendude
Well-Known Member
In the long run it's cheaper to vacuform over molding and casting. I'm planning to have a Spartan suit made by one of the members here and after I troop in in a couple times it will be chopped up for vacuforming I have a 72"x72" table myself with 3 vacuums for it but I've only ever had to use 2.
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