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Vacuum Forming, Movie Prop, Sci-fi and GIjOE Forum
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linkxsc
Newbie
Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:16 pm Post subject: Hello |
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O/ all
Hey I'm from up in new hampshire and over the years, Starwars cons, anime cons, comic cons and the other things my friends all have dragged me to I've seen some pretty neat things made by people with vaccu-forming (however you spell it) and so my friend and I are building a machine in the next couple weeks so that we can make costumes easily.
Probably going to be asking for a lot of advice over the next few weeks, and thanks in advance for anyone who helps out.
And so for a first question. Could you put fiberglass on the back (inside part) of say a plastic formed stormtrooper (mainly for back of legs) so that it could better resist damage when sitting down or something? |
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jdougn
Guru
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Posts: 714
Location: Louisville KY area
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| Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:38 pm Post subject: Re: Hello |
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| linkxsc wrote: | O/ all
Hey I'm from up in new hampshire and over the years, Starwars cons, anime cons, comic cons and the other things my friends all have dragged me to I've seen some pretty neat things made by people with vaccu-forming (however you spell it) and so my friend and I are building a machine in the next couple weeks so that we can make costumes easily.
Probably going to be asking for a lot of advice over the next few weeks, and thanks in advance for anyone who helps out.
And so for a first question. Could you put fiberglass on the back (inside part) of say a plastic formed stormtrooper (mainly for back of legs) so that it could better resist damage when sitting down or something? |
Hey linkxsc, welcome to the forum from southern Indiana.
Adding fiberglass to the plastic part would be more expensive and complicated than using slightly thicker plastic in the first place. I use 3/16" ABS to form parts and a jeep can park on the part after it's formed. That thick would be overkill for armor but just go a gauge or two thicker than normal if the armor needs to be more durable. May take some experimenting around to get it worked out just right but I think that'd be much simpler.
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DougN - Just in case you're wondering, I got my "rating" legitimately... by posting aimless drivel, useless advice, and pointless questions. |
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Culvan
Novice
Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 85
Location: Kansas City, MO
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| Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:57 am Post subject: Re: Hello |
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| linkxsc wrote: | | And so for a first question. Could you put fiberglass on the back (inside part) of say a plastic formed stormtrooper (mainly for back of legs) so that it could better resist damage when sitting down or something? |
I've heard of people making Fiberglass Reinforced Palstic (FRP). I read something about it over on the 405th forum. I seem to recall someone had used the technique to make a butt plate they could sit on without fear it would break. I don't recall any deatils of how it's done, but I know it's possible.
There are a lot of factors to consider. If you have a good vacuum pump and an even oven then perhaps you should consider ABS plastic. It's a little more difficult to use, but it's also better at dealing with wear. If your Vac-table is not up for that then perhaps HIPS with fiberglas reinforcement is the way to go.
Andy |
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linkxsc
Newbie
Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:56 am Post subject: |
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Aha, ok, well I was also wondering, on top of ABS sheets. Would something like Lexan be form-able? Kinda pricey, but a friend has 2 palates of the stuff bought from a warehouse auction.
Or easier, is there somewhere in the forums where theres a list of known usable materials? |
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jegner
Site Admin
Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| Welcome to the board. Sounds like a cool project. No need to use fiberglass if you are making trooper type armor, as HIPS and ABS flex enough to regular trooping use. I used .080 and .093 HIPS plastic to make my trooper armor, and it seems fine. Its easier to form than ABS, in my opinion unless you are using a vacuum tank and pump. |
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