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Old 03-28-2008, 03:00 AM   #5 (permalink)
trebuchet03
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Bay Area
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The Miata - '01 Mazda MX-5 Miata
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryland View Post
A friend who teaches industrial design at the local university is attempting to find a misplaced book for me on making parts for stage sets made with a "$100 vacuum former" using peg board, a shop vac, and some heat lamps I suspect, ABS plastic, and Lexan are two that I have been told will work, lexan is clear and is often used in place of glass for windows, if you get it thick enough (half inch I think) then it's practically bullet proof!
PETG (soda bottle plastic) also works It's cheaper than lexan and has a lower sag temp

I've heard delrin can also be vacuum formed - but IIRC it's basically nylon and I don't think it's clear... But, it's much better at resistance to cracking like lexan (PETG being a little better than lexan).

We had to do this research last year for the HPV build (just passing that info along )
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