How to Make Your Own Prototypes : How to make your own Plastic Vacuum Former

Step 9 Done with Molding

The plastic will suck tight to the object and the workspace. If when you turn off the vacuum cleaner, the plastic is still gooey enough to try to come up slightly, hit it again with another burst from the vacuum cleaner. It should be done by that point. Hold it steady as the plastic totally hardens. When it is done, leave it alone for a little while so the plastic can cool off.

Once the plastic is cooled, take the frames off the plastic. It should look something like this:

Comments

[SorinRayne]

how did you get the car out of the mold w/o deforming the mold?

[sheekgeek]

You have to make sure you pick something to mold that has sloping sides. IN this case, the little side mirrors on the car gave me problems, but I fiddled with it until they came out. Usually a shape with sides sloping 5 degrees or more work pretty good. If you have to reform the mold, I usually just pop it back out when I am finished, or heat it up just a bit after I remove the original. That helps is somewhat. Maybe others have better tips. Hope this helps!

[freerunnin1]

couldn't you use any object the right size but score seams and break it, then fill with glue and wait till it sets in both halves, then stick them together when they are nearly dried, it will become nearly solid :P (about a month drying time tho :C lol)