Vacuum forming visor question

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heavytf2

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Hi all,
I am in the process of preparing to make a custom Halo Reach set of armor and I have a ODST helmet that goes along with it.
I am 3D printing the whole suit and there is a part for vacuum forming the visor and I am wondering if it is possible to apply some one way film to a sheet of plastic then vacuum form the visor with the one way sheet on it. Or is there a one way plastic sheet that I can just vacuum form?

Btw I have only joined last month and this is my first post, so forgive if anything is wrong.
 
Do it!
Please try.
I have been wondering about this for a long time and nobody has a definitive answer. Or at least I haven't found a definitive answer yet. I can say that if you are going to use a mirrored film to tint your visor you will have much more luck applying it before you shape the visor. That stuff is hard to use on rounded shapes.
 
Do it!
Please try.
I have been wondering about this for a long time and nobody has a definitive answer. Or at least I haven't found a definitive answer yet. I can say that if you are going to use a mirrored film to tint your visor you will have much more luck applying it before you shape the visor. That stuff is hard to use on rounded shapes.
I will have a try but there is only one small problem. My high school that I attend has a few vacuum formers but literally school is finishing tomorrow and because I am in the UK there will be a period of online learning from home after the holidays. Once I am back at school I will have a go at that and will definitely have a go at that and see what happens, might be a long while before I get back but I am excited to have a try at this anyway! Like with most stuff, COVID (or this new variant of it) has just been a pain in the rear end for everyone
 
You can certainly try, but I would be hesitant that the film applied to the plastic would come through the heating and forming process intact without being distorted, bubbling, or even coming off the plastic.

The most common effort of tinting/coloring visor with a one one mirror effect these days is to form your visor with clear plastic. Then you submerge it in a dye both with a fabric dye designed for synthetic fabrics. At the point the visor will take on the tint of the dye, but still be transparent. The interior of the visor is then hit with a light coat of chrome paint, either through a an airbrush or there are "rattle can" chrome spray paints that also work.

Here is an example of the technique:
 
You can certainly try, but I would be hesitant that the film applied to the plastic would come through the heating and forming process intact without being distorted, bubbling, or even coming off the plastic.

The most common effort of tinting/coloring visor with a one one mirror effect these days is to form your visor with clear plastic. Then you submerge it in a dye both with a fabric dye designed for synthetic fabrics. At the point the visor will take on the tint of the dye, but still be transparent. The interior of the visor is then hit with a light coat of chrome paint, either through a an airbrush or there are "rattle can" chrome spray paints that also work.

Here is an example of the technique:
This is always the response that people get when they put out that they are going to try vacuforming a tinted visor. I have yet to see anyone actually try it though. Of course there's a good chance it won't work, but it would be nice to see someone try. What if it works? It could be revolutionary!
 
This is always the response that people get when they put out that they are going to try vacuforming a tinted visor. I have yet to see anyone actually try it though. Of course there's a good chance it won't work, but it would be nice to see someone try. What if it works? It could be revolutionary!
Yeah, I've had a look around and the answers normally say that it wouldn't work but I'm excited to try once Scotland is out of lockdown and I have permission to use the vacuum former at my school, or maybe it it ideal to make a diy vacuum former with a hoover or something like that, I've seen the diy ones and am wondering if they might be something to try and make during lockdown?
 
If the film stays on, it could work, it'd just get lighter where it gets stretched. The film would have to adhere really good though as they usually peel if they get too hot.
 
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