Aluminium framing material for vac forming

[Pauls9cb]

I've made the tactical error of following threads on another website which show how easy it is with the right materials to make your own vac forming kit and embark on projects that aren't available in kit form with great results. I'm planning to build a 1/32 scale replica of my borther's light a/c for his birthday in August. Most of the material to build the vac forming kit is readily-available from a variety of sources in the UK, with the exception of aluminium extrusions to fashion the "picture frames" used to clamp the styrene/PETG sheets in to heat up and mould over the form. In the US, there seem to be numerous sources for the lengths of framing material that are used for insect screens, as well as metal right angle fitments to slot in the mitred corners, plastic fitments not being practical for something heated up in a domestic oven at 180/200 deg C.

Anyone got any ideas where I might get the framing material and metal corners from?  I've contacted some fly screen manufacturers but none seem interested in supplying this stuff. I guess any aluminium framing that's rigid enough would do provided the profile one side is flat, but the right angle metal connectors are a problem since these are usually plastic for picture framing. Advice much appreciated.

[bhouse]

You need look no further than your local Homebase. They usually have a reasonable variety of sizes/sections in stock.

 

As for the corners, I have no idea. I think I'd mitre them and seal with Araldite or similar.

[Black Knight]

Mitre and pop-rivet

Do not use Araladite or similiar; it softens with heat. The glued joints will fall apart

Or. depending on the sizes you want to use; have them made up at a picture framers. The best ones have extruded aluminium section framing and can do perfect 90 degree corners with internal joints, which are usually small screwed right-angle pieces

[bhouse]

29 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

Do not use Araladite or similiar; it softens with heat. The glued joints will fall apart

Araldite EP300 is fine to 200°C+.

[Pauls9cb]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I shall revisit Homebase after many years of being disaapointed with their normal stock choices. Therefore never occurred to me that they'd be an option. Cheers. Cack-handed progress reports may follow.

Paul

[bhouse]

Good luck Paul.

Don't blame me if your local Homebase lets you down!

They often have the metal extrusions with the wooden dowels/mouldings in the timber section.

Brian

[Pauls9cb]

Thanks to all. Decided to pick up some lengths of ally extrusions longer than Homebase and the like 'cos I figured I'd probably do some amateurish mitres so thought spare bits probably needed for replacements. Anyway, waiting for DPD to deliver them. Vac box ready to go so just waiting for the framing. Pics to follow if I can get back on to Flickr which for some unfathomable reason seems more cumbersome than I expected even though I've used it on previous posts without a problem. Doh!

Paul