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!
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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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!
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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).
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
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It's cheaper than lexan and has a lower sag temp 
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