www.TK560.com

[tubachris85x]

I am getting ready to build my simple vacu-form machine this weekend, and I have evrything planned out, but I want to make a holding frame on a hinge, both for accuratly setting the heated plastic onto the molds as well as storage purposes. I was wondering if it would be safe to make the frame out of either wood or MDF. I would make an aluminum frame, but I do not have access to welding equipment nor even know how to weld. Thanks for your guy's advice!

-tubachris
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[clonesix]

A wooden frame will work. Remember though, wood doesn't conduct heat as well as aluminum.

If you can't weld, don't worry. You can use machine screws, pop rivets, or aluminum brazing. Aluminum can be brazed with MAPP gas, and brazing rod from the local hardware store. MAPP looks like a propane canister, but it's yellow.

[jzawacki]

Hmm.. I am also planning on using a wood frame. Why would it's ability to transfer heat matter? I have all the tools for welding (not aluminum, but steal) and do major car modifications, but planned to use wood because I'm lazy and it's just easier to put a few screws in angle brackets then to weld up a frame.

[clonesix]

A wooden frame will work fine, and you should have no problems using one.

Metal vs wood? With a wooden frame, the edges don't heat as much as with a metal frame. A steel frame can use 3/4" sq tube steel. and you'll have 22.5"X 22.5" forming area for a 24"X24" sheet. If you use 1Xs for your frame, then you'll have 21"X21" of usable plastic.

[jzawacki]

Ok, so wood is ok.. Also, for the available size.. I actually planned on making my table bigger than 24x24 to make up for the width of the frame. I planned on doing the strip of JB Weld + Sand (or 3M grip tape if I get lazy at that point) around the inside of each frame and only loosing about 1" around so that I would have 23x23 available. Is only 1" for the "grip" going to be OK?

I plan on "designing" mine after the doording.com guys. I've watched his video a dozen + times.. and I think his pulls look nice for the "quality" of the table (meaning, using grill element without shield, etc) compared to some of these "professional" type tables I see in most of the pictures. Each time I seem to pick up more details.. I'm sure I will learn quick when I actually start building the system.. I haven't even put the cart together yet.

[crashmann]

An important detail I found with my metal plastic clamping frames is they act as a heat sink, which results in the plastic taking longer to heat at the edges, although the center is ready to form. To overcome this, I place the holding frames on top of the oven while pre-heating. Then the frames are toasty warm when I mount the plastic.

Wood doesn't conduct heat as well as metal, so there should not be as much trouble with cold edges. Plus, you wouldn't need to pre-heat the frame.

Charlie

[tubachris85x]

So then wood would work better then a metal frame becuase it wouldnt absorb all the heat from the plastic? hmmm..I guess then I should make it out of that then, maybe MDF, or something of the sort. Thanks guys!

-tubachris
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[badger]

My frames are wood, and I use my oven for now.

I'm using a bolt through holes drilled into the plastic to hold it all together, because that's what the guy I learned from did.

I'm thinking of building a new frame with grip tape, or even drywall screws through the wood, with just the tips poking into the the plastic to hold it instead. It takes a while to put plastic in and out of the frame, and I'd like to make it easier.

[badger]

[jzawacki]

Ok.. so now I'm even more confused? Clonesix says they don't heat up as good with wood as with metal, crashmann says just the opposite?

Anyway, I found the video HERE while searching the forums.. The link doesn't work, but if you go HERE he has what I would guess it an updated video, as it sounded like he was using a standard oven prior to making this video.

Anyway, I guess I won't really know what I need till I try. I see these "professional" style forming machines, and then I see someone pulling it out of a normal home oven, slapping it down on top of pegboard, and their pulls look just as good (in my opinion, or from what I can tell) as the nicer machines. Now, is it that the people doing it the "ghetto" way have done it so much that they make it look that easy? Or, is it really that easy? I mean, it is just a sheet of plastic being sucked down over a chunck of wood, right?

[badger]

Thanks for the link to the video. That's a pretty interesting rig he's got there. Very minimal.

As for your question about oven/scratch built rigs vs pro rigs I consider it to be a matter of how much you want to invest, and how hard and detailed a pull you want.

I can get decent results with my oven and a single hole board with weather stripping and a wooden frame. Cheap, and built mostly out of hardware store fittings, duct tape, and scrap wood.

But I don't pull all that much or that often, usually only when I need something for a costume. Also, I don't get perfect results every time. I probably screw one up every 3-5 or so, usually the first one for some reason. I bet with a better rig I could pull nearly perfect pulls on a consistent basis. But I figure plastic is cheap, and i can just pull another one.

badger

[drcrash]

[dman]

[tubachris85x]

I was looking at the vacu-form machine on the main site, and I was wondering about the frame set up. I previously thought that both sides of the frame would be hinged at the appropriate distance from the platen. I noticed that the bottom frame appears to be stationary as opposed to being able to move with the upper half that would go over the oven. Is this correct? I wanted to verify this before I go ahead and finish the frame for my platen. Thanks.

-tubachris
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[jzawacki]

Yet another question. With using wood frames, is there worry that the heating/cooling of the wood could warp it and cause it to not hold the plastic sheets well?