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[jegner]

Getting details on vacuum forming.

I've been working on some new helmet molds. One thing you have to keep in mind when working with vacuum forming, you are basically putting a shell around your mold. The thicker the plastic, the softer the detail. You want the thinnest material you can get away with and still hold it's strength. If you plan to make a part with a thick plastic, be sure to reduce your mold a tiny amount. Increase the depth of the cuts, and exaggerate the lines so details are allowed to show back through the thicker plastic.

.060 is a good thickness for a lot of applications when you are trying to get good detail.

Your mold has all the details on the outside. The vacuum pull has all the detail on the inside, or the part where the plastic touches the mold. Detail is show by the thickness of material. The less the better detail.

You other option is to make a negative mold, and vac pull the plastic inside, leaving all the details on the outside, where the plastic touched the mold. Negative molds are harder to make, and to pull.