joeBo Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) anyone know what thickness in mm/inch clear sheet to use for vacuum forming 1/48 canopies? thanks joe Edited March 11 by joeBo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/85-modelling-tips/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rat Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) I wouldn't worry about it, you'll probably never get close to 1/48th of the real stuff unless you use Saran wrap. A quick Google search says that the average fighter canopy is about 3/4" or 20mm thick, divided by 48 gives us 0.147mm. Edited March 11 by The Rat Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 2 hours ago, The Rat said: I wouldn't worry about it, you'll probably never get close to 1/48th of the real stuff unless you use Saran wrap. A quick Google search says that the average fighter canopy is about 3/4" or 20mm thick, divided by 48 gives us 0.147mm. It's still a good idea to know the minimum thickness you can use to produce a workable moulding. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackG Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 I have no knowledge of vacuum forming, but does clear acetate have the correct properties to be used? If so I know there exist clear sheets in 0.13mm, which is less than the quoted 1/48 average thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 32 minutes ago, JackG said: If so I know there exist clear sheets in 0.13mm, which is less than the quoted 1/48 average thickness. You usually start with a thicker sheet to allow for stretching over the mould while it's hot and malleable. If you started with something very thin, you'd probably end up with one too thin, if it formed without tearing or puncturing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 34 minutes ago, Mike said: You usually start with a thicker sheet to allow for stretching over the mould while it's hot and malleable. If you started with something very thin, you'd probably end up with one too thin, if it formed without tearing or puncturing. Been there, done that - first time was a dome for a little balsa UFO from that new Gerry Anderson series. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 5 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said: Been there, done that - first time was a dome for a little balsa UFO from that new Gerry Anderson series. Paul. Yep, me too. I made a canopy for my 1:48 Stirling, and the first one was pulled from something like 0.5mm sheet, which was horribly thin and wobbly once it cooled First pull with thicker sheet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now