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Step 12Step 10: Vacuum form tray
Prep your mold for forming. This mainly entails covering your mold with vasaline, yes vasaline. It creates a thin layer between the mold and plastic and allows the part to be removed from the mold easily.
Take the mold and place it in the vacuum former and lower the bed. Then you clamp the plastic sheet on the frame (spectar 1/4" thick sheet). Then you heat the plastic. It will take a a few minutes on high, but with this mold being so tall I needed to thoroughly heat it to allow it to properly stretch. Unclamp the plastic and flip it to expose the cooler bottom plastic. Then heat this side to get an even elasticity.
Once it heats, the plastic will drop about 10 to 12 inches, then it is ready to be vacuum formed for this mold. Remove the heaters and pull up the bed with the mold while turning on the vacuum at the same time.
Take the mold and place it in the vacuum former and lower the bed. Then you clamp the plastic sheet on the frame (spectar 1/4" thick sheet). Then you heat the plastic. It will take a a few minutes on high, but with this mold being so tall I needed to thoroughly heat it to allow it to properly stretch. Unclamp the plastic and flip it to expose the cooler bottom plastic. Then heat this side to get an even elasticity.
Once it heats, the plastic will drop about 10 to 12 inches, then it is ready to be vacuum formed for this mold. Remove the heaters and pull up the bed with the mold while turning on the vacuum at the same time.
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whats the machanism of moveing the mold?