[SML] Vacuform Machine

[Richard John Archer]

BTW

There are plans available to build your own.   Most are manual operation.  Plans  used to run around $100…..might be less now. I've seen them.   Not a quick project but not particularly hard.  Even heat and a good  method for securely clamping the plastic  is critical.   Once the plastic heats up it sags and tends to pull out of whatever is clamping it into the frame that then fits over the positive form and  table the form sits on.  
Most of these do 15 or 30 mil plastic.   Don't expect to pull sintra or kydex

And Dan Culhane--yes I saw that.  No I can't imagine a shop vacuum that will have enough suck.  In the picture it looks like a 2x2 table.  


DickA
TD,Cornell U



On Jun 22, 2015, at 9:24 AM, Dan Culhane via Stagecraft wrote:

> Did anyone catch that in one of the pictures that the vacuum pump has
> been replaced with a shop vac?
> 
> Interesting...  Probably not as efficient but could work.  The
> downside of not having enough suck is that the corners do not pull in
> as tight.
> 
> Dan Culhane
> 
> On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 3:48 PM, Richard John Archer via Stagecraft
> <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
>> even a homebuilt that big should cost a fair amount.    Here's one you can
>> buy built by a shop that does theatre props etc.   Cornell had one about 30
>> years ago.  it was the "original theatre shop built design".  It worked okay
>> but we sent it over to the college on the other hill (Ithaca College) where
>> it died a slow death.    We were building a new one a few years ago but that
>> project got bogged down when staff was all cut with the 2008-10 financial
>> "crisis.
>> The link below looks impressive for all the kinds of things theaters are
>> likely to do.
>> 
>> 
>> http://www.steltercreativewoodworks.com/STELTER1/Vacuum_Forminx.html
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> DickA
>> TD, Cornell U
>> 
>> 
>> I may have some end of the year funds available. While I know there are many
>> shop built vacuforms out there, can anyone recommend a good vendor for a
>> redi-made 4'x4' vacuform machine?
>> 
>> thanks,
>> -Jim
>> 
>> Jim Lyden
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ____________________________________________________________
>> For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
>> Stagecraft mailing list
>> Stagecraft at theatrical.net
>> http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net
> 
> ____________________________________________________________
> For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
> Stagecraft mailing list
> Stagecraft at theatrical.net
> http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net