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I'm not convinced of either side of the man-made global climate change argument.

But here's the problem I have with the current Global Warming/Climate Change debate. (The abbreviation GW is used...

Another possibility would be to use clay as a temporary spacer around the figure. A picture of the figure and the pulls you are attempting would be helpful if you've not already worked a solution.

Draft will be another issue on tall parts. You are aware that the plastic will lock to the mold if the sides are 90 degrees. Maintaining around 5 degrees of draft on a 20" tall part will drastically...

Nice drawing of your setup! Tank volume will depend upon the types of parts being made. If the plastic tents across the mold leaving large quantities of air that need to be removed then a larger tank...

Any updates?

PVC pipe may work okay. It depends upon the "Schedule" or strength and the overall diameter. Around here, Schedule 40 PVC pipe has a nice thick wall. What is the wall thickness and the diameter of...

Missed this post.
You probably have the vacuum cleaner by now. How is it working?
Doug

Vac forming usually doesn't require a hugh number of vacuum holes to work. I use as few as possible usually placed sparingly around the perimeter then in recessed detail areas. Without knowing...

Hey Ade, welcome to the forum. I don't get on here as much as TK560.com which is a more active vac former forum.
----- If you're forming ABS then you'll need a regular vacuum pump such as those...

I tried a number of different approaches but nothing worked well for multiple pulls. Even though the MDF was glued real well it still started delaminating within itself and the edges would start...

If you're really on a budget you could build your own. You can find a lot of DIY info on the discussion boards at TK560.com. DIY plans are available at Build Stuff.com
Look for the ProtoForm plan...

Interesting looking product. Have you used StyroSpray in a vac forming application? How does it hold up to relatively high temperatures (over 300 degrees for ABS) and vacuum forces?

EDIT: This...

Here's where to find the info on what's happening.
Jeep Cherokee Fender Flare Thread on NAXJA
I'm usually on TK560 since there's a lot more going on with vac forming over there.

Hey Mulling & welcome to the forum. The donut is vacuum formable I believe. However, the durability of the item is a function of its end-use. Since vacuum forming is a stretching process there will...

I do not believe that any of these suggestions are useful for the larger vac forming (car bumpers) the OP intends.

All the major DIY vac former designs, for plastic this size, on this forum and...

What style table did you build? What type of vacuum system are you using?

On the plastic, try going hotter. I use ABS so my experience is different, but it seems like a lot of this process is...

I'm forming 3/16" & 1/4" black ABS for jeep fender flares but more consistency is needed. The sheets will not consistently pull into the details. It's a 2x4 TJ style with the oven on top. Forty...

Hello MLP,

My pump is as redneck as you can get. It is a York A/C compressor off an old volvo. It's a piston style but it still pumps down to 27+ inHg. Probably inefficient too since it takes a...

Hey Troy,

I vacuum form fender flares for the jeep cherokee on a 2'x4' machine. "Spektr" knows what he's doing and has given me good advice in the past. Keep in mind that on surfaces close to...

Hello MLP,

I'm also someone that only stops by here occasionally but here's my suggestion if you build your own machine. Get a set of plans from here:
http://www.build-stuff.com/index.htm
The...

Well, sorry for being gone so long. The thermoformer is completed and the first set of prototype Jeep Fender Flares are completed but only in ABS. If you are familiar with Bushwacker Fender Flares I...

Hey, I'm interested. However, I only need small quantities. Right now, I could use 10 sheets of 2x4 .125" haircell black abs. What is the total cost, including shipping, and what is the lead-time?...

Hey, thanks for the latest posts. This week is busy, but hopefully I'll get the chance to graph some tempuratures that are worthy of posting here.

Any suggestions on what areas to measure temps?...

I am just getting done building a 24x48 over/under. It would've been much easier, faster, and probably cheaper if I had just bought the Proto-type plans in the first place. They have the oven kits...

As I've searched the internet, it seems to be difficult to find solid information on oven tempuratures. Using a hand-held infra red thermostat, what are typical min/max temps for a properly...

For relatively infrequent changes I believe that light weight filler over the fastener head works well. Use something that can be quickly cleaned out with a screwdriver tip.
dn

Got the oven built. What are good tempuratures for the oven to be when read with a infrared non-contact thermometer at full temp?

Paul, thanks again for all your help! I've read tons of stuff here and on TK560 but hadn't got that far so thanks. The double spiral is a very interesting design with some promising features. This...

Paul, thanks for the response! Also, thanks for the advice on using reflectors on the center oven. Setting up the oven is going to be the biggest challenge since my electrical experience is limited...

The planten is done and the two-stage system is ready. Next, is work on the Carrier and then the oven. The Imperial-Oven calculator stays constant at 20amps+ & 2400 watts IIRC regardless of oven...