Quote:
Originally Posted by greasemonkee
Not sure why it took me 5 months to continue this. I believe the failed attempt at using Lexan discouraged me so after wasting $70 here it is again, and ABS plastic is the ticket.
So, any ideas on how to shape the square edges to make the best transition? I've still got some heating, shaping, and reinforcing to do, but it's coming together
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Marine Plastics,a company which used to operate in Denton,Texas used ABS thermo-form plastic for all its products.They had electric ovens to get the sheet up to molding temperature and then transferred to a airclamp system over hollow wood tooling mounted to a vacuum table.
As soon as the sheet was clamped,the operator stepped on a foot-operated valve which delivered vacuum from a hemispherical storage tank to suck the plastic down over the form.
They had a formed part in thirty seconds,then de-clamp and off to a router trim station to remove flash.
I don't know of a different way to work with sheet material,which is why I gravitated towards FRP construction.
I see ABS garden pools at HOME DEPOT large enough to be a one-piece boat tail or trailer body,but to do them requires a bunch of up-front expense in tooling and equipment,plus shop space.