Vac-Forming (At Last !!!)

[Guest]

hi Mark - i had thought of the clear lemonade bottle idea but didnt mention it cos i thought it might be a diff type of plastic and poss catch light - still wondering about the power supply on this mattell machine - 2 pronged american bit of kit - i know i,ve been through this before but is anyone out there using one - dave

[Guest]

Hi All,

Just thought I would share this one with you, found this video today which shows how easy it is to make a Vac Former very similar to the one I have described here.

Make a Vacuum Former! Video - Metacafe There is a quick advert in the middle but keep watching past that.

This guy is a regular contributor to this site and makes some cool gadgets.

Enjoy !!

Regards..........Mark.

[Guest]

I just wish you could get peg board still!

I have been after some for a display case for ages and it is pretty scarce and expensive in this country now.

[Guest]

Just a few lines Made a vac set up last year used a large stainless steel terminal box scavinged from scrap bin. Spent a long time drilling 1mm holes @ 10mm centres in a square of 12mm MDF which is secured to term box using pan heads in counter bored hole and a rubber gasket between the two . Vac entry via the original cable entry points enlarged and fitted with MDF to 'snug' up the pipe have a wet 'n' dry workshop vac which works well,For heating use a small electric oven/grill I got from Wilkinsons for £10.Frames from Hobbycraft designed for use with embriodery/cross point make ideal frames for holding plastic sheet for heating and forming. Will post some picies if any one interested

[Guest]

Hi,

I just don't believe this - I need one of these things urgently and I was trying to find an old friend I used to know who worked in a college as a technician. He built one of these vacuum formers. Unforunately he retired and is now not with us any longer so his experience went with him.

I joined this forum some while ago now, but have been ill since then, (not due to joining of course, ). and tonight is the first time I have had to reallylook at everything and get used to it. The first thing I landed on tonight was this thread! Is that luck or is that luck?

Grateful thanks to you for writing this up - it is just what I wanted. Well done indeed.

I'm still chuckling about this - it just couldn't be better and I'll build one tomorrow.

Best wishes and thanks again.

Allan

[Guest]

Hi Allan,

Glad to have you back with us and hope you are well.

Nice to see this article has re-appeared just at the right time for you as well. Hope it is of help to you. These are really easy devices to make, as the original instructions will show, the video link I posted above really shows how easy it is.

Regards.......Mark.

[Guest]

Hi Mark.

I made it and it seems to work ok, but I don't have any more plastic sheets to play with. I live in the country and the nearest model shop is in Yarmouth which is a fair way for me and parking is a problem there too.

I've been into all types of modelling in my time but always had great interest in railways. I have live steam Gauge 1 as my main interest, but I also have a 5 inch coal fired live steam ride-behind which gets more difficult for me as I get older.

I worked as a freelancemodeller at one time a long while back now.

You might be interested to know that I have just converted the radio in my Gauge 1 live steam S3/6 locomotive and she now sports a DX6i rig. Brilliant and I'm very pleased with the way that system works.

RIght now though, I am interested to see what I can do with the vacuum former. I'm lucky in that I have a proper vacuum pump from many years ago - I knew it would come in useful one day, .

Thanks for letting me into your group.

See you,

Allan

[jimpman120]

I just wish you could get peg board still!I have been after some for a display case for ages and it is pretty scarce and expensive in this country now.

get a drill lay out 1" intersecting lines presto peg board for a former. 4'x8' sheet well that is alot of holes good luck with shelves.

[Guest]

Been reading through this thread tonight and wondering how many people have taken the plunge with one of these devices.

I enjoy flying R/C heli's amongst a lot of other models and am currently working on a couple of nice scale fuselages. It is nice to have all the usual lumps and bumps on them too (radar/antennae/camera housings etc) having looked at the vario site, they cost £20 upwards for a very simple basic lump moulding....now you know why I have a vac former !!

Regards......Mark

[Guest]

and here is a nice little video of one of these machines in action - dead easy !!

Regards..........Mark.

[Guest]

Very impressive, not sure about sticking a wooden frame in the oven though, be my lick for the phone to ring lol

Andy

[Guest]

Looks easy enough to do. A little more reading I think is needed. Just need a small one to make a few canopies for a future project. Saying that I have worked on some bigger vacuum presses (40ft x 10ft).

[Guest]

Looks easy enough to do. A little more reading I think is needed. Just need a small one to make a few canopies for a future project. Saying that I have worked on some bigger vacuum presses (40ft x 10ft).

If you check my original pics at the start of this article - you can fit a divider frame on the top to allow use of smaller pieces of plastic for moulding small parts. If they are really tiny parts, best forget this machine and just plunge mould your part. A lot less time consuming.

Regards.......Mark.