Vacu-forming

gburch · Post by **gburch** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:54 am

I'm interested in the possibility of exploring vacu-forming sheet styrene. I'm guessing some of our master builders here use this technique. If so, I'd appreciate any tips, tricks, pics, etc. of how you've gone about this.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:00 am

I made my own.

I used a waffle maker that I got from a Thrift shop.The flip over type. I took the heating element out of one side cut a hole in the cover and made it so I could clip the plastic on it.

The other side still has the heating element on it.
So when the contraption is closed the plastic is over the heater.

When the plastic sags I flip it over onto the side were I have the vacume grid set up. I made it is such a way that it seals tight and pulls the heated soft plastic to conform to the plug.

Jesse James · Post by **Jesse James** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:00 pm

There's like a billion ways to do them, and basically they all work the same, so I'll just say that I'd avoid buying the plastic itself from hobby shops. That's my best tip. It's way too much money. Find a distributor of sheets of plastic in your area. You'll need a truck to haul it, but it's totally worth the effort.

gburch · Post by **gburch** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:20 pm

thanks for the tips -- the wafflle machine idea sounds pretty slick. Better than the "heat it up in wifey's oven" technique I've been reading about.

... so many projects, so little time ...

Jesse James · Post by **Jesse James** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:15 pm

PH, how big is the iron you're using? I can only find those kind of small and not really good for vac-forming larger projects.

savage213king · Post by **savage213king** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 4:11 pm

what is vacu-forming? I heard about it somewhere else also can u post or pm me a link to video or picture of it?

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 4:19 pm

Jesse James wrote:PH, how big is the iron you're using? I can only find those kind of small and not really good for vac-forming larger projects.

I am forming about 7" squares. The waffel iron I am using is made like a big clam shell. It has crome steel outsides then the hrating element then the irons.

I took the irons out and the heateing elementsare what heats the plastic.

I open and close the contraption to operate it.

I will try to post pics.

Vacume forming is the processs of heating thin plastic that you stretch over an object and bythe use of a vacume , the plastic gets pulled tight around the object you are trying to copy.

savage213king · Post by **savage213king** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:11 pm

thank u I know this informaion helps me.

normandy · Post by **normandy** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:54 pm

What the.......

I see mini Ho-229's in that first pic.

Thats a great idea Pickel.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

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