Welcome to the world of Vacu-Forming - In your own home! Yes, this incredibly cheap little machine makes creating any hollow plastic part a cinch. And it's fun! Enjoy!
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Join Team FranLab!! Become a patron and help support my YouTube Channel on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/frantone
#ElectronicsCreators #model #vacuum
- Music by Fran Blanche -
Frantone on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/frantone/
Fran on Twitter - https://twitter.com/contourcorsets
Fran's Science Blog - http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings.html
FranArt Website - http://www.contourcorsets.com
I had a toy version of this machine in the 60's. I still have a vacuum sealed baby seahorse that I found on the beach (It was already dead). It came with clear plastic sheets so you can view the object inside. Great fun. Love your enthusiasm for stuff like this and the Plasma Globes.
Seems like the heating element has uneven distribution. Perhaps its an issue with that particular brand, you said it was inexpensive. You could probably upgrade the heater coil yourself for free with stuff you most likely have laying around, then you would have a high quality unit for a low quality price……ahhh the real American dream
Awesome video tho…..im super impressed too, lol
As I remember in the early 1960's Matel had a vac-u-form. It did what your machine does, except it had a hand vacuum pump.
It was fun making toys and things.
I don't think that the top by the F isn't getting melted, I think it isn't getting suction. The corner of the F perfectly blocks all the suction holes up there. I think the working area should leave at least part of a hole on the outside of the form
Fran, get yourself a vintage Mattel Vacu-Form toy from the 1960s, play with it, and rate it against that Chinese tool. You'll find it comparable if not superior, just on a smaller scale.
I think the ball bearings might be so you can modify where the heat exits and create extra vacuum in spots? This is so one of those tools that has my mind racing for things I could use it for. I can't wait to see what you do with it! Thank you Fran!
I wonder if the uneven forming is caused by the fan not being strong enough, or not ducted evenly. But it is more likely that it's because the heating element is the wrong shape for the sheet holder (it's round instead of square). If they have to use round heating elements then the element needed to be wider than the square receptacle so that the square receptacle fits WITHIN the area of the heating element. It would be great to see you make your own DIY version.
masses? what is this, vacuum forming for ants?
That thing is WAAAAAYYYY too small………… needs to be about 10x the size. I cant make costumes with that little square of nothing.
I love your YouTube channel Fran it's very educational 😁How much was the vaccum machine $?,lol just finished watching the video and you answered my question 😁thanks for another great video✌️🍀
It would probably make sense to turn on the vacuum before pulling down the plastic, to avoid the plastic cooling when it touches the stuff bellow before it gets sucked into place.
Monday morning coaching suggestion. Use a little silicone spray on the mold to use as a release compound. It will also let the poly-sheet form around the mold more easily. The silicone may even extend the life of the pump. Add a sheet metal "Fran-frame" with small handles around the top of the mold frame to lift out the hot sheet. That way you won't burn your fingers. I am thinking this tool could be used make molds to recreate replica antique radio knobs. Thanks for the video.
Been vacu-forming for nearly 40 years. Actually have one of these, which is dwarfed by my large 3' x 4' commercial machine.
Letters are too close together. General Rule of thumb is you shouldn't draw any deeper than the space / opening you are pulling into. Either the plastic won't pull in, and if it does will get too thin and possibily pop holes… in which case you lose vacuum and the piece.
Tip1 : Keep a heat gun handy to heat spots that don't pull all the way.
Tip2: Place your molds on piece of screening (or a porous cardboard if you need a smooth surface) to even out the vacuum around the mold.
Awesome video! Sytrene/ABS are non-biodegradable and will exist in the environment until thermolytically or chemically decomposed (not by natural processes except volcanos, I guess). Some more eco-friendly materials to try out would be PLA or Polypropylene – both of these degrade within 10 years in the environment. PET (like from milk bottles) and HDPE (from food containers) are also pretty good in terms of degradation – but anything with styrene in it will be with us forever.