Test Run 2

Step 3: Test Run 2

I cleaned up and tested the oven and put everything together for another test. This time I had a fire extinguisher ready just in case. The plastic took about five minutes to heat up and sag about 1.5in. The oven smoked a little because of the soot and ash still in it but I think that will eventually burn off. I put some left over pieces of wood on the platen to make a tray organizer for a desk or tool box drawer.
The plastic formed pretty well but it could be better. I think I need to let it sag a little more. On one side it pulled out of the frame so I'll have to put some spacers on the frame to clamp the plastic tighter. I also need to experiment with different shapes to figure out how to avoid the webbing that happened at the corners. The shop vac worked pretty well but this could be upgraded too. Overall this is a good start though. I want to make some body parts for my motorcycle and I have a few other ideas. I hope this was enough info for you to make your own vacuum forming machine and if you have any questions just post and I see if I can help out.

Remove these ads by Signing Up

rmacewen1 says: Apr 1, 2013. 8:17 AM

Although not a complete success, you did show a lot of ingenuity with your heater box! Not only is your box insulated, the cement good heat retention to some degree as well. Thank you for taking the time to share it. Can you please post a video of Version 2? BTW, more holes will help on the vaccum bed. Also, you may see, sometimes vaccum formers draw the material with a male form, or air pressure, FIRST, before final form. That can help with 'webbing' on corners.

trialbyfire says: Oct 13, 2010. 6:12 PM

I started building a vauum former but I used perf board for the platten which has holes about every 1/2 in (I'm guessing, I'm not with the pice right now). I havent finished my oven yet but my guess would be if you had used the perf board (That stuff you hang tools on with hooks) you might be able to avoid the webbing since it has a vacuum source closer to every piece of the parts that you are duplicating, along with letting the plastic sag a bit more. This is just a theory at this point since my device isn't finished yet but it makes sense to me.