Vacuum Former

Step 7 The Base

The base on my machine is very simple. A sheet of plywood with 1x2's screwed around the perimeter to add support. For the first test run of my machine the oven just sat on the base with spacers and the platen was duct taped in place. I made the angle brackets but similar brackets can be bought from any hardware store. The oven and platen are lined up with the frame when its flipped over on both sides. For my platen there is no seal around the edges, its made so that the hot plastic forms the seal when it is forced lower than the top edge of the platen.

Comments

[ydeardorff]

do you have a layout for the nichrome wiring for a 24 by 24 inch oven? I could use that. Im trying to source up prefabbed heating coils, but if I cant Im going to have to build my own oven. I could use some help with this, its my only hurdle on this build

[dbc1218]

I haven't see any type of prefabbed coils for that large of an oven. If you just want a layout so you can build it yourself use the oven calculator, I put the link on the equations page. Check out the tk560 forums for other ideas for the oven.

[ydeardorff]

Equations page? I'm new here. Dont know where that is. I'm looking for as much prefabbed stuff as I can also price is an issue so I can keep the overall price down. I have the layout of what I'm building, I just need to find heating coils 110vac that will provide even coverage. I'm needing to have a heating coverage for this large of an area, so I can perform pulls on larger items like costume chest plates, and prop weapons. Id like to stay away form the nichrome wiring as it would take alot longer, and be more complicated to do.

[dbc1218]

The equations page is step three of this instructable