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Step 7Use it
Select what ever object you want to copy. Some tips on selecting objects:
-- Make sure that the object is not tapered on the bottom. This will make it impossible to get out of the plastic shell we are making.
-- Make sure that the entire object fits on the workspace leaving plenty of holes around the edges.
--Make sure the object can stand the pressure and heat of the process, otherwise they will deform or melt.
--Make sure the object is not too tall, if it is too tall, the plastic will be stretched too much, and become too thin to work with.
--Make sure there isn't too much detail on the object.
I chose the body of a tiny RC car.
Now place the selected object onto the workspace and put a spacer under the object so that the final product will look better. Use the vacuum cleaner's attachment hose to connect the vacuum cleaner to the 2 liter bottle top on the vacuum former. Heat up the plastic between the frames with a heat gun or hold the plastic over the burner of an electric oven until the plastic starts to get gooey and sag in the middle. HDPE plastic will turn from white to clear when its warm, this is normal. DO NOT use a gas burner; it will catch the plastic on fire which is not good.
-- Make sure that the object is not tapered on the bottom. This will make it impossible to get out of the plastic shell we are making.
-- Make sure that the entire object fits on the workspace leaving plenty of holes around the edges.
--Make sure the object can stand the pressure and heat of the process, otherwise they will deform or melt.
--Make sure the object is not too tall, if it is too tall, the plastic will be stretched too much, and become too thin to work with.
--Make sure there isn't too much detail on the object.
I chose the body of a tiny RC car.
Now place the selected object onto the workspace and put a spacer under the object so that the final product will look better. Use the vacuum cleaner's attachment hose to connect the vacuum cleaner to the 2 liter bottle top on the vacuum former. Heat up the plastic between the frames with a heat gun or hold the plastic over the burner of an electric oven until the plastic starts to get gooey and sag in the middle. HDPE plastic will turn from white to clear when its warm, this is normal. DO NOT use a gas burner; it will catch the plastic on fire which is not good.
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2
Jul 8, 2009. 2:38 PMDr. Tarantula
says:
what kind of plastiac do yu recomend
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31
Feb 27, 2007. 8:44 PMcowscankill
says:
IS THERE ANY OTHER THINGS? i don't have a heat gun(hairdryers don't work either) and my stove is gas!! any other suggestions? i got the vacuum thing working.
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Jan 6, 2008. 3:16 PMservant74
says:
Go to the ubiquitous Wal... big box store, and find an 'electric grill', rather than charcoal. I understand there are some $30US cheap ones available there.
Reply
3
Dec 29, 2007. 7:56 AMlocofocos
says:
I used the top of my gas stove and it worked fine. The first one I did got kinda brown in one spot, but the other ones turned out fine.
Reply
Mar 11, 2007. 2:57 PMPandatrap
says:
use your oven ( my stove is gas and I melt plastic in it) I keep my oven at 250-300.
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31
Mar 12, 2007. 3:27 PMcowscankill
says:
hehehe... i threw away the vacuum thing because no one replied for a while.
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Jul 1, 2007. 4:21 PMcoolguy
says:
harbor freight heat guns on the cheap. If you cant beat em go cheap
Reply
1
Mar 9, 2007. 2:29 PMschip666
says:
I was really happy reading along up to here...but I must have missed a step someplace. I can kind of guess what the frame is, even though the instructional detail is not at the level of, say, the saran-wrapping phase. But: What Kind of Plastic? and: Where to Get? I gather from other comments that milk-bottles might be the thing, are there any more specific recommendations though? thanks MS
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31
Mar 12, 2007. 3:26 PMcowscankill
says:
if you have a recycle bin, look in there and find bottles with the 2 inside the recycle symbol.
Reply
Mar 11, 2007. 2:53 PMPandatrap
says:
use number 2 plastic, milk bottles, juices botles,you can find it any where.
Reply
1
Mar 9, 2007. 7:55 PMelectronicfreak22
says:
Where can you get the plastic?
Reply
Mar 9, 2007. 7:33 AMdurond
says:
Use your oven. It's more labor intensive and you have to constantly keep an eye on the thing, but if you set your device up on a cookie sheet/rack w/ the oven @ 400 or so and the light on (heavy glow) you should be able to see the plastic turn from white to clear. peace in the middle east
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