jegner Site Admin
Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 2144 Location: Texas, USA
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:20 am Post subject: Tip of the Week 5-Jan - 2006 |
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A new year, a new idea for a topic. Hows about a 'Tip of the Week' thread? Well, here goes!
QUESTION: When vacuum forming, what plastic thickness do you need to use in order to get the best results on the final piece?
ANSWER: I've found that the initial thickness of the material makes a big difference on the detail of the final pull. The smaller the part, the thinner the material needs to be. Example, the hand, hips and collars for the stormtrooper need to be .060 for the best results. [short flat pieces] The rest of the armor needs to be .080. [average depth is less than 5 inches] The Rebel Fleet Trooper helmet shell, needs to be .093, otherwise it's too thin. [that mold is really tall, and the extra thickness of the material as the plastic is stretched over the mold, helps keep it thick enough to use.]
Sometimes, you want soft detail, like on the X-wing chest boxes. The thicker material really helps soften the edges up. So soft detail is not always a bad thing. You just have to know when and how to use it to your advantage. We usually want to have the exact detail from the mold. And use the thinnest material.
Vacuum forming is about making thin shells of plastic over rigid molds.
Here is the X-wing pilot chest box prototype pull. Notice the soft edges. |
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