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TK 109
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Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 712
Location: Galena, Ohio

PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hehe.... Embarassed
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Hirgon
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Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crashmann wrote:
Ole' Rusty, the water heater vac chamber!


I was wondering what type of hose you used?

Thanks Cool
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crashmann
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Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 501

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Hirgon,

I'm using 5/8" high pressure washer hose found at Home Depot. The fittings from the hose to the tank are 3/4" NPT with a barb connector.

To connect with the pump, I'm using 3/4" quick connect fittings from McMaster Carr with barb ends.

To squeeze the 3/4" fitting into the 5/8" hose, use an X-acto knife to cut away the inside of the hose to create a tapered opening. Then use water (or Windex) to help ease the fitting into place. It takes a lot of wrestling to get the fitting all the way in the hose. Secure it with a hose clamp.

The rest of the plumbing is 3/4" steel.

Charlie
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Hirgon
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Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 20
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Charlie,

Thanks for the info....i went with 3/4 inch hydraulic hose. With quick disconnects. Same idea just the hose is less flexible.

Cheers
James
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drcrash
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Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 705
Location: Austin, Texas

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:32 am    Post subject: pipe vs. hose-and-barb sizes, disconnects, air flow Reply with quote

Hirgon wrote:
Charlie,

Thanks for the info....i went with 3/4 inch hydraulic hose. With quick disconnects. Same idea just the hose is less flexible.

Cheers
James


Watch out for quick disconnects. They often don't have as big an inside diameter as a plain hose barb, which doesn't have an internal diameter as big as the hose. That can significantly reduce your air flow. (The narrowest bottleneck in your plumbing dominates in determining the air flow.)

I just use garden-hose connections as not-quick disconnects. I made sure to get hose connection fittings that have about the same internal diameter as my minimum I.D. for the rest of my plumbing. (1/2", using hose fittings for 3/4" hose but wedging them into 5/8" I.D. high-pressure washer hose like Charlie.)

You can also use a plumbing union as a not-quick disconnect fitting. (You can't disconnect it while the system is holding vacuum.) That will preserve the full pipe inside diameter, and only costs a few dollars. A union for 3/4" pipe has about 2x the air flow capacity of a hose barb for 3/4" I.D. hose. (The barb's own I.D. is only about 1/2", and flow is proportional to the square of the diameter, so 3/4" is a LOT bigger than 1/2", flow-wise.)

In general, the nominal size of a hose should be a size or so larger than the nominal size of pipes & valves you use, so that the barbs don't restrict the flow. (Or the barbs should be, anyway, if you wedge them into a slightly smaller ID hose.)
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Tired of buying cheap plastic crap? Now you can make your own! www.VacuumFormerPlans.com
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crashmann
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Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 501

PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just found a buildup of a 24" x 48" Protoform Vac Table at the following website:

http://www.chrislee.tv/vacform/index.html

He does really nice work, and built up the whole machine in just a few months. There's no overall picture of the finished machine, but plenty of progress pictures.

The most exciting thing is he is creating a Robotech Cyclone costume:

http://www.chrislee.tv/costuming/anime/cyclone/index.html

It's amazing what you can with a little cardboard, foam, MDF, putty, and plastic!

Charlie
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jegner
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Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

crashmann wrote:
Just found a buildup of a 24" x 48" Protoform Vac Table at the following website:

http://www.chrislee.tv/vacform/index.html

He does really nice work, and built up the whole machine in just a few months. There's no overall picture of the finished machine, but plenty of progress pictures.

The most exciting thing is he is creating a Robotech Cyclone costume:

http://www.chrislee.tv/costuming/anime/cyclone/index.html

It's amazing what you can with a little cardboard, foam, MDF, putty, and plastic!

Charlie


Very cool!

Nice progress shots!

Jim
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TK 109
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Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 712
Location: Galena, Ohio

PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yeah, i may or may not do a video, partailly because we have the wrong software and hardware to do the job! Rolling Eyes

i may just go ahead and try to condense the whole thing into a 1 min 4 sec vid, because my digital camera is much easier to work with. hehe.... 1 min, 4 sec video about vacuum-forming.... yeah right......

i cheacked the tracking on my plastic, and should be arriving tomorrow! i have all my molds modified, sealed and painted, and ready to go! will post some pics of my new oven in action! (and maybe that video, if i can figure out a way to film it...)
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TK 109
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Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 712
Location: Galena, Ohio

PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alright, i'm working on the video, and will have to do A LOT of editing , but i think it'l work out...

i do have some pics of the armor i pulled sing the 2 sheets of HIPS:


see, i would have NEVER been able to puul this with my last oven set-up!

some molds:




by the way, jim, the curved collars pull GREAT!


thank you! Very Happy
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jegner
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Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WOW!

Those look great! Can't wait to see the armor trimmed and fitted!

Well done!

Jim
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TK 109
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Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 712
Location: Galena, Ohio

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thank you jim!

i am almost finished with the final assembly, need to:

1. finish up the abs/cod/lower back/butt/belt/etc part of the armor (ie, just some cleaning-up to make it look nice)

2. buy black elastic for the chest/upper back

3. clean and scrub ALL the armor

4. POSSIBLY buy that scuba wetsuit for my under suit. (maybe, a little pricy...)

5. instal some foam and more velcro supports, as well as some webbing staps for the abs/cod/ect!

Shocked

i leave for band camp tomorrow, so i will not be able to finish up the armor for another week. school starts a week after that! Smile for school, Sad for my armor!

thanks again!
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TK 109
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Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 712
Location: Galena, Ohio

PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOL

i was standing on the workbench when i took that pic of all the pulls!

Laughing
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Chris Lee
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Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Nashville, TN USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

crashmann wrote:
Just found a buildup of a 24" x 48" Protoform Vac Table at the following website:

http://www.chrislee.tv/vacform/index.html

He does really nice work, and built up the whole machine in just a few months. There's no overall picture of the finished machine, but plenty of progress pictures.

The most exciting thing is he is creating a Robotech Cyclone costume:

http://www.chrislee.tv/costuming/anime/cyclone/index.html

It's amazing what you can with a little cardboard, foam, MDF, putty, and plastic!

Charlie


Just noticed the links coming from this board while looking through the access logs on my web server.

Thought I'd register and say hello!

The cyclone suit is coming along. Fingers crossed that I get it done for DragonCon. Fingers also crossed that I don't fall over while wearing it!

The main reason there's no overall pic of the finished vac former is because I built it in my basement and I really can't get far enough back from it to get it all in one picture! Also, it's too big to fit thru the basement door, so I can't wheel it outside (I have a weird basement with a half-height access door to the outside - I normally only use the steps from the kitchen to get down there...)

Anyway, I'm moving sometime in the future, so I'll probably have to disassemble the machine to gt it out.

If anyone is buiding one of these, I'd be happy to answer any questions.
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TB/TK-326 - Since 1997
Full Scale Falcon
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jegner
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Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the board, Chris!

Lots of cool stuff on your site. Love to hear more about the full scale Falcon project!

Jim
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drcrash
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Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Posts: 705
Location: Austin, Texas

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work, Chris, & welcome.

BTW, I think some of the recent posts are fine in general, but we're getting a bit off-topic for the vacuum forming machine gallery sticky thread.

(Maybe we should have a separate gallery thread for showing molds & vacuum-formed stuff?)
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Tired of buying cheap plastic crap? Now you can make your own! www.VacuumFormerPlans.com
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