Vacuum forming--may be useful for boat tails, etc..
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGBRiYhxRTM

What do you think?

Very cool. I wonder what kind of plastic he used... too lazy... to .. go .. check.. web.. site...

i think thats great, it would work wonderfully for aero light lenses/covers if you used clear plastic. thanks for the video, verry informative, only question i had was what temp do you set the oven to?

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 :thumbup:

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 :p)

go vacuum forming!
 

Many years ago,I got a tour of a local manufacturer of marine plastic parts.Electric "pizza" ovens were used to heat ABS sheeting until it drooped,then the material was quick-clamped over a wooden form,to a vacuum table,which was connected to an accumulator,in turn connected to a large vacuum pump.A foot-operated valve enabled vacuum to be transferred,parts were made in less than a minute,then sent to a trim -fixture,where a router cut away "flash",rendering the finished part.I've seen ABS ponds at HOME DEPOT larger than the front of a car,which can be purchased for $150.00,U.S..My thought was,that a complete streamlined automotive front end could easily be produced for $150.00.I still do! Conversely,a boattail could certainly be produced in the same way.And anything else for that matter.And that's "RETAIL" pricing,complete with middlemen,and profits!

Google's use of keywords creates some interesting ads that really class the place up...:p

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i.../googleads.jpg

I doubt a true boat tail could be made with enough structural integrity, unless specific supports were molded in place. It would be useful for small scale parts though (i.e. tire boattails).

- LostCause

Someone at Google has seen one of our penis shaped cars apparently.

Anyone know the .Cd of a penis in a windtunnel ?

O.K. ............ back on topic !!!

What is the largest size that can be formed on one the home kits ?

i would think it would be limited to the amount of area that you can heat and also the strength of the pump... just a thought, there might be more that goes into it but that seems like the biggest limiting factors

I've seen this used with model planes, but nothing larger than around 12".
The only thing that would worry me would be the fumes .

Interesting process though. Looks easy too !