Vacuum Forming Totorial For Noobs

[DevilFish101]

now there are many ways to make a vacuum former, however this totorial is the chepest way to make one, it will probobly cost around $25, to make a vacuum former.



[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CGfoxnKaQ[/video]



now going over the list of matireals he mentiond

-a peice of 2 by 4 (for the frame) (now remember safty first, where goggles while doing this)

-any sort of screws will do *however metal screws will not work they have a tendancy to split the wood*

-polystyrene for the mold

-a staple or nail gun (to mount the polystyrene to the frame)

-a peice of 1/2 plywood

-a saw (power tool or not)

-scisors

-a drill

-peg board

-shop vac, and floor adapter

-duck tape, or aluminum foil tape

-oven (again safty first, use oven mits)

-and of corse the object you are using for a mold

-(and posobly a heat gun to touch up edges and make them as sharpe as posible)





i hope this helps people with ther projects, and good luck to all



//Jeremy

 

[HaloFreakX]

I totally forgot about it.



http://www.instructables.com/member/Kipkay/

Helpful guy here!



PS: YOUR OWN ARMOR or Armor you've been given permission by another to do such.

 

[DevilFish101]

oh and i will try to post a vid of how to make a visor when i try to make mine in a bit



//Jeremy

 

[chwbcc1]

I hate that guy! Bre Pettis was better!



I have some improved plans for this somewhere. I'll have to draw them up better and post them. The staple gun is useless and allows for too much air to seep through and it's a pain to prep for the next pull. A two part frame and some well placed bolts and wing nuts offer a better seal.



Add some weather stripping to the box for an even better seal. The better the seal the better the pull.



Still this is a great find for people interested in learning the process. I've gotten some Okay results from the original version. I found it great for creating basic buildings for table top games. I could hide the flaws in my technique with rubble, flax and some distressed painting techniques.

 

[mkshane81]

This has been brought up before. It's not that this is a bad idea, it's a just a bad idea to use on the oven in which you cook food. Part of the polystyrene plastic actually vaporizes, and then clings to the inside of the oven. As you bake food in it, the polystyrene particles can then settle onto the food while it is cooking.

 

[MikyVengeance]

This has been brought up before. It's not that this is a bad idea, it's a just a bad idea to use on the oven in which you cook food. Part of the polystyrene plastic actually vaporizes, and then clings to the inside of the oven. As you bake food in it, the polystyrene particles can then settle onto the food while it is cooking.

that's true.

then how do you think we should heat it up?

(not trying to sound threatening or anything) lol

 

[ratchet fan]

agreed. how to heat it up? plus if you use it for something like a helmet. i think it might be wise to use a thicker plastic that is shows him using. i dont this that would hold up very well after a cast.

 

[Boba Fett]

For smaller parts, some people run it over a hot toaster, with the heat coming up. BNut if it's a big sheet of plastic... Maybe a super-hot hair-dryer...

 

[rvb18]

im using an old electric oven that we no longer use to cook food in, ... will the plasic paticles catch on fire?

 

[sc0ped91]

Plastic won't catch fire, it will just melt, so you need to watch your oven from getting coated in it if you leave it for long

 

[H1rg0n]

I have made 3 so far.....each one a little bigger than the last. My most recent one can form up to 24 inch X 32 inch plastic.However it all started with this site here



http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html



He has all the info you will ever need.

 

[DevilFish101]

now that website that hirgon linked, that is more of a pro grade with a built in heater and all that, that would cost a but more money

 

[UNSC Leatherneck]

Plastic won't catch fire, it will just melt, so you need to watch your oven from getting coated in it if you leave it for long

Polystyrene is, in fact, flammable. It WILL burn. Please exercise caution when working with heating elements and flammable materials.

 

[Arithen]

ah that's a nice tutorial, although im not too impressed with how clean cut the mold is. This is probably a better solution for smooth, round pulls only

 

[Sean Bradley]

http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html



He has all the info you will ever need.

Truth! James Enger's tutorial is the basis for my current work.. you can also purchase his tutorial in book formwhich contains a little more info..



I't a great staring point for the prop/costume vacuum enthusiast.

 

[rvb18]

but i can use my oven right? i plan to place foil underneath the plastic that way if some of the particles melt back down it lands on the foil, not the oven. if i cant use the oven what about the burners on top? they look like a similar set up to that coil oven.

 

[PelicanPilot]

Thank you for this post, your information has helped me find a better way of doing this, and i will invest my hard earned money into this method

 

[chwbcc1]

but i can use my oven right? i plan to place foil underneath the plastic that way if some of the particles melt back down it lands on the foil, not the oven. if i cant use the oven what about the burners on top? they look like a similar set up to that coil oven.

The concern is the plastic could evaporate and adhere to the top, bottom and the sides of your oven.



You can go to places Like Goodwill or Salvation Army and get a real cheap used oven. I've also seen a few good tutorials on how to make the ehating element fairly cheap.



http://www.instructables.com/id/Vacuum-Former/



Also notice the Pic where the plastic is on fire.

 

[ForgedReclaimer]

would it be possible to use a fire pit for softening the plastic? a large one with low flames?

 

[rvb18]

i am using an old piece of crap oven, but i think il use the burners on top since it is an eletric stove. you think it will work?