TonyTiger66 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Superb progress on the vac form machine Tony It's very neat and tidy, the custom inlet to fit the hose is a very nice touch. The underside wood looks uncannily like that of the top of the desks at my old school. I'm also trying to figure out why, after viewing the last picture, I'm thinking of both the sandworms from 'Dune', and having memories of a 19th Century baby commode that used to be in my bedroom as a child . Cant wait to see you get vac-forming. Great stuff this TonyT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the vacforming. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 That's the way to...... Well you know it is Looks like it'll do the deal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 4 hours ago, TheBaron said: That is a seriously cool bit of kit...!! Bit spendy for the odd canopy or beaver tail I should imagine though..... But I bet @CedB is tempted ...!! Keith 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Nice going Tony and the Dyson should really suck vacuum those moulds... Formtech... um... bit big for me (although I did look at the website) Hang on a minute - I hate working with vacform parts. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Blimey I'm just about to attempt to vacform the canopies for my Hawks - I might will try and outsource the job to the Baronial mega-vacformer now 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 16 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: Superb progress on the vac form machine Tony It's very neat and tidy, the custom inlet to fit the hose is a very nice touch. The underside wood looks uncannily like that of the top of the desks at my old school. I'm also trying to figure out why, after viewing the last picture, I'm thinking of both the sandworms from 'Dune', and having memories of a 19th Century baby commode that used to be in my bedroom as a child . Cant wait to see you get vac-forming. Great stuff this Thanks for that Tony. Sandworms? Commode? Strewth! Sounds like a particularly fraught episode of Lovejoy! 16 hours ago, Martian Hale said: Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the vacforming. I hope to run a quick test tonight once dinner's out of the oven Martian. I might even wear my shorts if you're lucky. 16 hours ago, perdu said: That's the way to...... Well you know it is Looks like it'll do the deal Cheers Bill. I'm actually childishly excited at giving it a go. Of course, I have to actually carve a new positive to mould from. Which reminds me: File. Half round. 6" 2nd cut. Off to the builder's merchants at lunchtime! 12 hours ago, keefr22 said: That is a seriously cool bit of kit...!! Bit spendy for the odd canopy or beaver tail I should imagine though..... I know Keith. Hypnotizing watching the forms suddenly leap into being like that though.... 11 hours ago, CedB said: Hang on a minute - I hate working with vacform parts. I've never even worked with any before so this will be a double-first! If it does work out I'd better mould up a few extra tails as I'm sure the Boxcar will only increase in glamour and allure as the years go by.... 3 hours ago, Fritag said: Blimey I'm just about to attempt to vacform the canopies for my Hawks - I might will try and outsource the job to the Baronial mega-vacformer now Fantastic! Wait. I've ordered some cans of vacuum off Ebay and they haven't arrived yet....I'm worried about pollen this time of year...all the plastic in this part of the world has disappeared..... Err... You go first Steve.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 24 minutes ago, TheBaron said: Sandworms? Crikey. You need to shuffle - they home in on regular footsteps - you have been warned! 25 minutes ago, TheBaron said: I've ordered some cans of vacuum off Ebay... Damn, I wish you'd asked first, you just need normal cans and you turn them upside down and shake, hard, to tip the air out. Honestly, some sellers on eBay have no morals 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 I suppose I'd best stop selling them if Ced's found me out ... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 44 minutes ago, CedB said: you just need normal cans and you turn them upside down and shake, hard, to tip the air out. Doesn't that fizz it all up and make it go everywhere? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 On 01/06/2017 at 5:44 AM, LostCosmonauts said: There are attempts to reassemble the complete genome from frozen mammoths... I think I have been playing with model Sea Kings for too long; I read this as an attempt to reassemble a complete Gnome, and was trying to work out where mammoths fit in with a 1960s gas turbine... Still, it is no more weird than what was actually written. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 1 hour ago, Fritag said: Doesn't that fizz it all up and make it go everywhere? It does, but you can't see it.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: I think I have been playing with model Sea Kings for too long; I read this as an attempt to reassemble a complete Gnome, and was trying to work out where mammoths fit in with a 1960s gas turbine... I'm also guilty of having misread this, and thought that the intention was to use a Mamod to assemble a Gnome: I'm glad we're all clear now that it was something far less abstract . Best regards TonyT 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Hi Tony, after looking at the vid that was posted "the Formtech one). I would say that even heating of the plastic sheets is the trick. Also allow for deeper moulds/plugs in the future. Still, you are going for it, what with you and Ced, we have an online production unit LOL. All the best on this trip Tony. Watching eagerly. Simon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 6 hours ago, CedB said: Damn, I wish you'd asked first, you just need normal cans and you turn them upside down and shake, hard, to tip the air out. Honestly, some sellers on eBay have no morals 6 hours ago, perdu said: I suppose I'd best stop selling them if Ced's found me out 5 hours ago, Fritag said: Doesn't that fizz it all up and make it go everywhere? 4 hours ago, keefr22 said: It does, but you can't see it.... They've been withdrawn from sale due to safety concerns... 4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: I think I have been playing with model Sea Kings for too long; I read this as an attempt to reassemble a complete Gnome, and was trying to work out where mammoths fit in with a 1960s gas turbine... In one of the other universes turbine-driven mastodons are sure to be a thing Crisp. You're simply functioning on a higher plane from the rest of us.... 3 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: I'm also guilty of having misread this, and thought that the intention was to use a Mamod to assemble a Gnome: Mamod! My grandfather (a steam engine enthusiast) was always convinced I need one of their products each Christmas, but they possessed no gun turret or bomb load and hence were of little interest to my childhood self... 2 hours ago, Spookytooth said: Hi Tony, after looking at the vid that was posted "the Formtech one). I would say that even heating of the plastic sheets is the trick. Also allow for deeper moulds/plugs in the future. Still, you are going for it, what with you and Ced, we have an online production unit LOL. All the best on this trip Tony. Watching eagerly. Thanks for the encouragement Simon. Despite his serial killer eyes, this nice chap has a really elegant homemade solution to the even heating / straight to mould question - quite ingenious: Bravo that man! Right. I'm hoping to run a little test later but for now just some continued preparation to report. Heat gun acquired from Maplins during lunchbreak: 15 euros and heats like a mutha. Quite pleased. This attachment looks to be the the most useful of the bunch for spreading the heat output across surfaces: It has an awful chemical reek about it however so may need to be used for a few cycles to dispel whatever recycled Porton Down material it's built from.. In other developments, I may have a solution for the frame issue, in terms of something to hold the plastic sheeting in place both in the oven and on the mould. You might remember an old flatscreen monitor salvaged from an edit suite that I used to photograph the Sea Venom on many moons ago? Well, I decided to take it apart to see what could be salvaged for modelling usage: To my surprise it was far more complex in structure that I anticipated, consisting of mutiple layers of various materials, some translucent, some reflective: This is by far the weirdest of the bunch - check out how it manages to both reflect and refract light at the same time: Crazy! And then this thick op-art layer sitting right at the back: I've no idea what use any of that will (or will not) be but I'll stash it away. The main source of interest was the metal framing. The outer bezel looks like it might do for clipping larger plastic sheets onto (not that I intend doing a lot of large vacforming but it does leave the option open for an unforseen future task): Whilst the metal back of the whole affair: ...could be used as a handy inlay tray: It might be a good idea I think to cut one small opening (for doing canopies) and one medium sized (for projects of the current BT scale) to give more versatility. Each can be covered in turn, depending on the size of the job. I need to get some more metal drill bits and a metal blade for the jigsaw in the morning then, but in the meantime - First Heat! Quick and dirty whilst the kitchen was free for a few minutes after tea. Nothing fancy, just dropping some 1mm sheet over a brass weight and using the hot air gun for a test: I need to get a feel for the process with a few more tests in order to get rid of that ribbing etc., as well as build the framing over the weekend in order to hold the plastic properly in place for transferring it from the oven and draping it onto the mould. But at least the kit seems to be doing what it's supposed to. Tony 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 That looks very promising Tony . I like that you're recycling the Monitor. I go to a recycling facility here in Canberra very regularly on the hunt for 'useful things'. It sometimes shocks me to see the things people throw away. It's a city with a fair number of very wealthy people (such as the Prime Minister and his minions) and it's clear many things; TV's, monitors, computers, laptops, phones, suits, DVD's etc, perfectly usable, have been thrown away because they're now 'Not the curent thing'. I find it quite shocking; gives me a shudder when I think about the third world. I really like that quite a bit of our hobby, for many of us, involves using recycled stuff. From wine bottle foil to packaging trays to wire to all sorts of bits of random appliance or old IT kit, it's great . Good first try; scary heat gun! With your black gloves, mask and that gun, I think a new Marvel character has just been invented.... All the best TonyT 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 It is verking, it is verking! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Great progress Tony and that video's great - finally a use for all those George Foreman Grills and toasted sandwich makers? Looking forward to the first mould 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Bravo indeed Mr.Richards, that's another cracking bit of kit, even better for being home made!! Keith, who is now wondering, seeing as Ced has planted an idea, whether Mrs. R will ever notice the strange disappearance of the never used George Foreman grille from the kitchen cupboard.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Cracking work on the vac former and I much admire your repurposing of redundant items. Truly a man after my own heart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Looks like you are getting there! Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) A start is the whole journey grasshoppist The creases won't be there when you are controlling the material in its frame Tony so don't worry on that score I really do like the hotairmachine, proper job that is Don't you have some old hardboard to make plastic holding frames from? Like wot I did? It didn't need complicated doohikkeys, just pin the three layers together and whooosh up some sucktionery Looking at all that weird stuff inside the monitor, wow! No wonder the people who claim to know it all don't want us wibbling about inside them Looks a lot radioactive to me, refracting reflectors Got to be science gone mad... 👇 Edited June 3, 2017 by perdu 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Wotch Tony. 17 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: I like that you're recycling the Monitor. I go to a recycling facility here in Canberra very regularly on the hunt for 'useful things'. It sometimes shocks me to see the things people throw away. It's a city with a fair number of very wealthy people (such as the Prime Minister and his minions) and it's clear many things; TV's, monitors, computers, laptops, phones, suits, DVD's etc, perfectly usable, have been thrown away because they're now 'Not the curent thing'. It is indeed astonishing. I worked as a bin man on the council lorries one Easter back in the 80s (two weeks, nearly bloody killed me) in Epsom of all places - you should have seen the stuff they regularly turfed-out from the posh gaffes around the racecourse area itself! In the short time I was there I acquired an 8mm film projector and editing block for cutting film, a parasol and a fancy Art Deco-ish clock (for a mantlepiece I didn't have). I've always wondered had I stumbled upon an equine porn ring dumping the evidence... 17 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: I really like that quite a bit of our hobby, for many of us, involves using recycled stuff. From wine bottle foil to packaging trays to wire to all sorts of bits of random appliance or old IT kit, it's great Kind of like beach-combing on the shores of late-capitalism? I've never lost the habit I acquired as a student of skip-diving, to the mortal embarrassment of my children. 17 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: With your black gloves, mask and that gun, I think a new Marvel character has just been invented Hmm...what could he be? The Heater? His superpower is warming villains to the point where they become uncomfortable and need to remove their pullovers... 14 hours ago, The Spadgent said: It is verking, it is verking! The feeling of power is incredible! 13 hours ago, CedB said: Great progress Tony and that video's great - finally a use for all those George Foreman Grills and toasted sandwich makers? Looking forward to the first mould Thanks Ced. Feels like I'm just inching forwards today for some reason. 12 hours ago, keefr22 said: Keith, who is now wondering, seeing as Ced has planted an idea, whether Mrs. R will ever notice the strange disappearance of the never used George Foreman grille from the kitchen cupboard.... Go for it Keithski! Oh wait! Would that make it a Vacforeman? 12 hours ago, Nigel Heath said: Cracking work on the vac former and I much admire your repurposing of redundant items. Truly a man after my own heart. Thanks for those kind words Nigel. As Bill notes below I may however be over-engineering a simple task.... 8 hours ago, Martian Hale said: Looks like you are getting there! Or thereabouts.... 3 hours ago, perdu said: Don't you have some old hardboard to make plastic holding frames from? Like wot I did? It didn't need complicated doohikkeys, just pin the three layers together and whooosh up some sucktionery I think you may be right that I need to apply Occam's razor. It's not as if I'm going to be constantly vacforming and need a heavily-engineered solution - just someframing that works reliably for occasional use. 3 hours ago, perdu said: Looking at all that weird stuff inside the monitor, wow! In total there were 6 layers of different material, and when you had them all laying on the bench it's a puzzle as to what they all do. (Before anyone thinks of deluging us in a marathon nerdfest of an explanation I must point out that I don't care either...) Right. Back to the shed. More laters hopefully... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Gracious, Magnus Pyke, another childhood hero! Love the up-cycling going on here, all this just to do those ruddy doors. I use the Mrs as a hot air source, incredibly difficult to regulate though! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 3 hours ago, 71chally said: all this just to do those ruddy doors. Reckon Rodin said something similar about the Gates of Hell after a few days.... Taking all that needed to be into account I simplified the frame for the plastic sheet along the lines Bill suggested: ..and a smaller inlay for possible canopies etc. if needed in future: In like a kid at Christmas for a trial blast with the heat gun: A tad over-enthusiastic with the thermal input as you can see in a couple of places, but since I taped-off some of the outer holes around the periphery, the vacuum seems to have increased by about a third. Kind of ok. But I think the heat gun approach might be kept for smaller single parts, due to the surface area requiring heating. Bigger shapes or more parts and I'd be inclined to oven-bake. I tried a test of a range of shapes in order to gain a sense of how far the process can be pushed in terms of level of detail, height of moulded object etc. with the level of equipment here: Ooh. I did a little dance around the kitchen when that appeared! I'm not claiming elegance or polish but I think the vacuum side of the process is fit for the modest purposes I need it to perform for: I want to work out a more secure way of clamping the two pieces of hardboard together as my cannibalized monitor bezel isn't clamping tightly enough, but at least now I can get on with shaping a buck for the BT. I do need to ponder whether to do both door and new rear of fuselage as a single entity (albeit it as upper & lower halves) and cut after vacforming, or to mould BT and fuselage rear separately: Have a nice evening all. Tony 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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