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WarrenW · Newbie Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Savannah, GA

Hi Everyone!

I just registered here on this forum after reading for two days when I was supposed to be working. Very Happy

As many projects as I have (wife hates it), I never knew about vacuum forming. It is the coolest thing every! I've been active on CNCZone.com when I learned what a CNC router was and built two of them. Now I wish I never sold them because I could make some nice molds with it! Guess I'll have to build another one...

My two boys ages 8 and 5 are so much into star wars - watching movies and playing all their video games. So when I showed them the stormtrooper uniforms made on here, we decided to make a set for all of us for next years Halloween.

I have already ordered the nichrome wire and ceramic posts ($102) so far and should be able to get the rest of the parts from Home Depot. I basically understand everything but may have a couple quick questions on the oven wiring. I'll be sure to post pictures as I start working on it. I'm already thinking of endless uses for this machine including other types of character masks and more.

I'm in Savannah, GA - anyone else around here?

Thanks,

Warren

CJanssen · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the board Warren.
Lots of great knowledge around here.

CJ
_________________
"What, you think your some kind of Jedi?"

jegner · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:22 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the board! Sounds like you are in great company as many of the members here have made their own machines, AND their own armor!

If you need some help, just ask away!

Jim

Stomper · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:40 am Post subject:

Welcome Warren!

This forum also covers a fair bit about casting parts as well, it's another VERY FUN and satisfying aspect of this hobby! Wink

_________________
Tony Krewson
FEAR... is not my god!!

drcrash · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:53 am Post subject: shrinky dinky troopers?

Making the molds for kids' stormtrooper armor sounds like a whole lot of work for something they'll grow out of pretty soon. (Maybe before you finish all those molds.)

You might want to look into urethane casting materials like Hydroshrink and Reducit II, which you can cast in a mold and let shrink as the water evaporates out of them. Then you can mold and cast that to make a scaled-down positive shape.

Those materials aren't very cheap, though. Sad

Original Reducit (an alginate thing) may be cheaper and good enough; I'm not sure.

It'd be cool if *somebody* did that and produced a bunch of mini-trooper stuff to make it worth the materials cost. (Getting permission from the right people for the recasting, of course.) It would be very funny to see a whole troop of tiny troopers trooping around.
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Paul (a.k.a. Dr. Crash)

Tired of buying cheap plastic crap? Now you can make your own! www.VacuumFormerPlans.com