Makeing your own Vaccume Form system. Plans & Info?

[TeamTEOR]

Does anyone have a good place to get the proper sheets of polystyrene to make your own vaccume form parts? Any idea on how much heat it takes to do this right? Also is there a lot of toxic fumes from this process?

The vaccume box seems like it would be easy to make with a small shop vac.

It is the heating and the secureing the polystyrene to a frame that I am worried about getting right. I was thinking of using a portable electric stove secured in a wood box to heat the polystyrene up right. The very quickly placing the polystyrene over the part with the vaccume running.

[David Hogue]

I've got one I made years ago, that still serves me well. Its a cigar box, flipped upside down and glued to a piece of ply. A cardboard tube is glued in one side to accept the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The top on mine is cut out and replaced with a peice of heavy window screen, but a grid of holes would work better most likely. I then have a couple 3/16 ply frames that are the same size as the top of the box, and have various sized holes in them to support the plastic sheet. I use thumbtacks, staples, or even masking tape to secure the plastic to the frame, and heat this over an eye on my stove...while vacuum is hooked to the box and running. Once the plastic sags, I place the frame on top of the box and over my mold, and instant parts result:D I can make parts up to about 4"x6" with my rig, and plastic is sometimes available at the LHS, Evergreen for styrene, k&s for clear polycarbonate. I have bought 4'x8' sheets from Harbor Sales also.

Later,
David

[Ironsides]

This is a well-documented site:

http://rcalbum.rchomepage.com/Home.html

Click on CONSTRUCTION and then see VACUUM top right.

David

[TeamTEOR]

Thanks a lot guys!

[averen]

I like this site:
http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm

Has lots of good info on making 2 different types of vacuum bagging systems (venturi or pump). They also sell supplies like the switches guages, etc that you'll need to get it up and rolling. Their "kits" are reasonably priced as well...just add a vacuum pump!

Jared

[hul]

you saw this thread?
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271187

the smell of the fumes is barely noticable, don't know about toxicity

Hans