DIY Vacuum Forming - Everything you need to know

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Years ago I built vacuum formers as a summer job. Today I try to improve on my old designs with Former #51! Once we build the machine we will test it and then tune it for the best possible performance. If you have any questions about building your own vacuum former, I will attempt to answer all of them in this video. If there is anything that wasn’t covered or if you would like to know more, let me know in the comments!
0:00 - Intro and Design Process
3:35 - Build
12:05 - Testing
19:37 - Conclusion
I'm now on Patreon!! The reward levels are very basic for the time being but I promise to bring merch and other perks in the future.
/ the3dhandyman
Donate with Paypal - paypal.me/3dhandyman
Buy Prebuilt Vacuum Forming Machines (these links help support the channel)
Vaquform DT2 www.vaquform.com?sca_ref=1643805.yrI65jRrre
Mayku Formbox amzn.to/3u9CAOB
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SHOPPING LIST: (some links help support the channel)
If any of this is wrong or if something is missing from the list let me know and I will correct it.
METAL
½” square steel tubing - 96” (1/16" wall thickness)
Lincane perforated AL sheet 36x36
¾” C-Channel 1/16” thickness (104” length needed)
WOOD
24x48 peg board (unless a smaller sheet is available)
1/2” or 12mm plywood or MDF
FASTENERS
7/8” ¼-20 couple nuts X8
2” ¼-20 bolts and nuts X16
4” ¼-20 eye bolts X2
3/8” or ½” 10-24 bolts X40
1” 10-24 bolts x4
5/8” 10-24 nuts (box of 50?)
5/8" Flat head 10-24 bolts for handle x8
3” L-Brackets X16
½” 4-40 bolts and nuts (for heat spreader) X14
(4) NYLON wheels at least .2ID - .75OD
1/4"? Retention rings X2
OTHER
Heat hood pan:
amzn.to/3fZaKvR
Heat element:
amzn.to/3r4aUsf
On/Off Foot Pedal
amzn.to/3G4ECla
Small Felt Pads
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Plans:
BUILD AT YOUR OWN RISK! Vacuum formers are dangerous industrial machines. Use caution! By downloading these plans you recognize that The 3D Handyman and 2 Point Media are not liable for any resulting injury, property damage, or death caused by the use of this machine or the building of this machine. Build at your own risk!
www.the3dhandyman.com/diy-vac...

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Опубликовано:

25 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 393

@stevenarthur2550 6 месяцев назад

That real to 3d model transition was so clean

@dewilew2137 10 месяцев назад

I have no idea how I got here, but I’m so impressed.

@The3DHandyman 10 месяцев назад

That's quite a complement. Thank you kindly 😎

@IliadDreyfus-js9oe 4 месяца назад

Wow

@johnallen8680 2 месяца назад

Me too, but I want one, but I can't think of a practical application for me yet ! 😂

@danko6582 4 месяца назад

This is a masterclass in CAD and animation. The first 4 minutes are one continuous skill flex. And that monotone delivery... ❤ I'm going to subscribe.

@easydiy_beginners 2 года назад

fantastic build, nicely explained with tips and hints!!, moreover plans also shared , great thinking, more generous, hats off and keep rocking.

@tetchuma 2 года назад

I’m very impressed with your testing breakdown!

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks! There is a follow up video on making 3D printed molds that gets into even more detail ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T8bm8GvG3Tk.html

@rpuxa Год назад

What a thorough video! I really appreciate the effort!

@GaryMcKinnonUFO Год назад

Thanks for taking the time to share ):

@andypuempel2570 2 года назад

Very Nice Build and technical walk through. Video is excellent quality. The animation is a great touch. Thanks for Sharing!

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thank you very much!

@beachcomberbob3496 10 месяцев назад

I hadn't considered reducing the volume by the slanted board. Very clever!

@sizwemavuso9091 2 года назад

Thank you for the vast education. Great video indeed.

@THEOGGUNSHOW 7 месяцев назад

Terrific instructional video. Thanks for uploading.

@MasterofNone365 5 месяцев назад

Just subbed! There's a ton of thought and work put into your videos and it shows man. Thank you so much!

@evanlane1690 2 года назад

What a well documented, professional build! Thanks for sharing this!

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks! Any time

@bobalmendinger4930 3 месяца назад

Shorten the distance you drop the plastic. And move the plastic ½ to 1" away from the heater even if it leaves a gap while heating. Get linear bearings off of Amazon. 33-36 a pair. Use neodymium magnets to hold tray in place that you first were going to use. Change the vacuum box configuration to a "Grease trap" style collector . Then attach 2 shop vacuums at the same time . Mount on a dual switch .

@The3DHandyman 3 месяца назад

I'm hoping to do another vacuum former build this summer. Will keep all that in mind!

@bobalmendinger4930 2 месяца назад

@@The3DHandyman I remember when Buffalo State plastics department got there's in , it was 1973 , what I learned it was important the plastic jiggled when it was ready. Like a bowl of pudding . When the plastic is to close to the heat it burns. Like slow roasting a marshmallow. You want the side of the plastic opposite the heat to get just as warm. It takes longer, but it isn't exactly a production situation.

@kevinmulligan9055 Год назад

great explaination thak you. gave me an insight into the components that make up this form of plastic frming thank you

@larrykent196 7 месяцев назад

Interesting process. Economy of scale for sure, its a great tool for a creative mind. Nice design thank you for sharing this. Cheers!

@johnr9896 4 месяца назад

I made a unit similar to yours and had the same issues. I added covers over the unused hole to close them off, and this made it work perfectly.

@The3DHandyman 4 месяца назад

Good tip!

@mbpro08 Год назад

Man...that vacuum former look awsome!!!

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks for that fine comment! Warms my soul.

@BleughBleugh 6 месяцев назад

Thanks to the great algorithm for bringing me here! You’ve gained a sub

@iktita 2 года назад

This kind of videos are the few that makes internet valuable over tiktok and tons of bullshit. Many thanks. You are awesome

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks. My thoughts exactly!

@gordonkenny4828 Год назад

Great video and well presented..

@RokasSondaras Год назад

You sir just earned my subscription with one video. Great content!

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Happy to have you! I am hoping to have another vacuum forming video out in a month or two 👍

@RokasSondaras Год назад

@@The3DHandyman I'm working on my own, pid temperature control, custom pcb, lcd, csv temerature curves and so on. You gave me very valueable info. Thanks again. Will be waiting for other video

@The3DHandyman Год назад

@@RokasSondaras Sounds awesome

@Kilticstudios1 8 месяцев назад

Thank you. Very informative.

@The3DHandyman 3 года назад

Would anyone be interested in a kit version of this machine? Like/comment if yes. 0:00 - Intro and Design Process 3:35 - Build 12:05 - Testing 19:37 - Conclusion Buy Prebuilt Vacuum Forming Machines! (these links help support the channel) Vaquform DT2 www.vaquform.com?sca_ref=1643805.yrI65jRrre Mayku Formbox amzn.to/3u9CAOB

@garrettparmenter938 Год назад

Havent finish the video yet. But that opening animation was tv quality. Very well done!

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thank you very much! It is one of my passions

@youzrnaim 2 года назад

Great video. You can cut expended metal with a grinder and cutoff wheel btw.

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Good tip! If you want to keep the place clean, its best to do the grinding outside.

@devilwearingnada Год назад

As some mentioned before, your machine performs perfectly fine. The problem is not how it is moulded, but what. You just cannot mould full 90 degree angles. Professional moulds are always slightly sloped and rounded on the edges. It also helps greatly if the moulded object has some small holes to ensure airflow also through the object itself.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Very true! Everything needs to be drafted to wok properly. I talk about it a bit in this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T8bm8GvG3Tk.html I'd like to do another update later this year. Thanks for the comment!

@EmittedEnergy Год назад

Nice use of thermal imaging to verify the process!

@DavidConnerCodeaholic Год назад

I am noob. Thanks for the detail. Lots of good design tips.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Happy to help!

@adilhgssin6529 10 месяцев назад

شكرا لك على هذا العمل الرائعة جدا جدا جدا جدا جدا 😘

@farhadwardak4707 2 месяца назад

We are in the presence of a master

@Drxxx 2 года назад

great video!

@thatcrazyguyjay Год назад

awesome video thank you i love 3d printing

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thank you. I love it as well 👍

@onjofilms Год назад

You can bend those heating elements into any shape you want. I had a CNC guy who was making lead fishing weights and we made a custom shape heater element for him this way.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Very true. I bent a lot of elements in my day. They are filled with ceramic though and if you push them too far they can break, especially if they are seasoned.

@timault8209 Год назад

(2:30) Excellent subtle transition between b-roll and 3D model, there dude. Clearly you have some skill in video production and modeling as well as DIY widgetty.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I do like obsessing over the details, thanks for noticing :)

@mikropower01 2 года назад

I am currently planning how to build a cross-countercurrent heat exchanger. The design is relatively simple and I also know how to structure the thermoforming foils so that they can simply be stacked and glued in a housing, so that you have four easy-to-use inputs / outputs. The structure of your vacuum former is ingeniously simple. What I have available is a vacuum pump (750W. 10CFM, 254 liters / minute) and a pressure equalization tank I still have to get, the current one will probably be too small. The round connector for the vacuum cleaner can be replaced by a smaller connector (as in the video at 15:08). This would then also reduce the volume of the lower box, so that less air has to be sucked out. I would then need many of these similar layers that are 1 meter x 30cm and only a few millimeters high. Such devices already exist, but they only run at temperatures down to -2 ° C and that is just unfavorable.

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks Mike! Building a heat exchanger sounds like an interesting project. You are right to want to make the connector smaller and the internal dimensions of the lower box as small as possible. This is especially important when using a vacuum tank which does not have an endless capacity like a vacuum cleaner. You can always test out your current vacuum tank before buying a new one, just in case. If cost is also an issue you can daisy chain two smaller tanks (one you already own) with the same effect as a large one. There are a few vacuum former builds out there with a lever that moves the plastic tray up and down. With my design a 1 meter wide pull might be a bit hard to grab ahold of on either side (it might also be just small enough). With a lever you can go as wide as you want. Also with a 1m wide tray you may want to use some steel tubing to reinforce the aluminum C-Channel (if you plan to use it) so that it does not flex in the center. My largest formers were about 64cm wide and the C-Channel was not enough on its own. If there is flex in the tray this might translate into parts that are slightly warped and if you want these to stack perfectly that might be an issue.

@cpetroleite 7 месяцев назад

Muito obrigado por disponibilizar seu projeto para a comunidade!!

@The3DHandyman 7 месяцев назад

En cualquier momento. ¡Gracias por ver!

@bashkillszombies 6 месяцев назад

@@The3DHandyman With the viewership and money you're making on these videos you should hire a narrator. This text to speech stuff is terrible.

@The3DHandyman 6 месяцев назад

@@bashkillszombies Lol. With this viewership I can afford 1 free bowl of cereal a day. The voice is also my own, haha

@joshsundiwa 2 года назад

good one

@mdftrasher 2 года назад

You can ad an variac on the heater. Faster heating can be problematic. I love the thermo views!

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Good call on the Variac! That's exactly what I need

@mdftrasher 2 года назад

@@The3DHandyman You can also vary the distance between de heater en de material, more distance is less heat at once. Our Geiss has control on every heating element 40x150 mm ;-)

@johnr9896 4 месяца назад

I used a 220 volt dryer heater coil for the heating element it worked great.

@The3DHandyman 4 месяца назад

I used to use these for my largest vacuum formers. They put out a ton of heat. Fine choice!

@woodandwheelz Год назад

Of everything I've learned on making my own vacuum former by watching many videos from many makers is that I'm willing to save up the money and buy one.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Fine choice! It will save a lot of time and headaches :)

@typewriteraudio Год назад

This is awesome

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks much, I'll be making more vacuum former content some time this year

@DEADB33F 6 месяцев назад

When you turn on the shopvac you're also having to pull vacuum in the entire volume of the shop vac & hose as well as the vac former base. Turning the shopvac on ahead of time before lowering the plastic and having a large diameter ball valve directly on the body of the vac former will allow vacuum to be pulled in the former much quicker as the hose and shopvac tank will already be 'vaccumised'. --- But yeah, years ago I made a two-stage vac former which had a shopvac with valve as above, and also an old freezer compressor attached to a scrap compressor tank. The tank would hold a high vacuum which would be applied just after the shopvac had done it's thing. ...While waiting for the heating element & plastic to get up to temperature you'd pull a decent partial vacuum in the vac tank. As soon as the plastic is placed on the bed you'd open the shopvac valve for a second or two which would pull out do the bulk of the forming and remove as much air as it could, then you'd close that valve and at the same time open a valve to the vacuum tank which would apply a much stronger vacuum. Leaks mean this level of vacuum won't stay for long so shortly after you'd open the shopvac valve again then maintain a low-level vacuum from the shopvac while the plastic cools (you needed three hands to juggle all of the above so I wanted to add solenoids and computerise these first two stages ...but never got around to it). Finally a third (optional) step would be to close the shopvac valve again and a third valve attached to an airline would positively pressurise the chamber and pop the plastic off the mould (in cases where the mould was fixed down to the base).

@The3DHandyman 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for the detailed comment! I am hoping to make another vacuum forming video next year with has more features like the one you describe.

@nidavis 2 года назад

Nice build. A PID controller that switches a relay could be found for about $20 and that solves the overheating issue.

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks for the idea!

@jesselejarzar9486 7 месяцев назад

what you might need is an infrared panel, that might distribute and heat the plastic evenly. we use them in the screen printing industry to gel cure our plastisol and completely cure it on a conveyor dryer.

@The3DHandyman 7 месяцев назад

Great idea! I'll keep this in mind for my next build

@ZuNunchaku 7 месяцев назад

great detailed, I have some tips for you : 1. To minimize the cost for vacuum you can use dual vacum configuration : 1st is using cheap impeller vacuum to move large air, and you can parallel with diaphragm dc vacuum or modified aquarium pump. but I recomended to use 2pcs cheap dc 12v diaphragm vacuum (cost only $5 each). the concept is your impller vacuum job to move large air, and dc diaphragm vacuum to suck little but strong. 2. Since you sell this unit, is good to have some protection like fuse or ground cable on the chassis. cheers

@The3DHandyman 7 месяцев назад

Great ideas. Thanks for the comment!

@Rick.123 Год назад

Nice video, thanks for the thermocam. I think u should try to turn the vacum before lowing the plastic to prevent loosing heat

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks! I did this quite a bit over the summer and actually got very similar results to the method shown in this video. The pulls were maybe slightly better but it was hard to see a real difference. If I turn off the heater and turn on the vacuum before lowering the plastic tray it does effectively run on a single 20A circuit. It also obviously reduces power consumption as well. Both good things!

@joelcordier6762 Год назад

Did anybody try another vacuum approach that I would call 'shock vacuuming'. The idea is that the vac is already running but the hose is connected at the moment of thermoforming. Another approach would be to have a wide opening on one side of the vacuum box that can be closed by a door on hinges controlled by your feet. This will lead to a rapid forming taking advantage of the inertia already present in the system. I posted my comment / idea under this video because it is by far one of the most useful. Thanks for that.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks for the comment and ideas! I didn't have my foot pedal for the last 20 or so pulls that I did and I went with the "shock vacuuming" approach instead and it worked pretty much the same. The hinged door idea is interesting! The concept sounds like it might work. I'll probably make another machine sometime next year and try to incorporate some of the ideas in the comments.

@spacemansabs Год назад

make a single hole with multiple platform boxes in different sizes with custom frames to fit them so you can vac form smaller things without wasting plastic. Then you can also make boxes that have just one big hole instead of being perferated so you can draw vacuum bubbles/domes that are perfectly clear, or if you offset the hole you can make pear shapes/canopee shapes.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Fine idea, I will keep this in mind for my next build!

@KevinATJumpWorks Год назад

Maybe one idea for improvement: There are these large buckets for vacuum / de-gassing purposes that you can buy for like 150 bucks online. I'd first build a complete vacuum in one of those and then use that negative pressure directly on the vacuum-forming machine. This way, you can build up a volume of negative pressure beforehand and "unleash" it all at once on your vacuum forming process.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I will test this out! I have a 5 gallon vacuum degassing tank already. It may take me a few months to get to it, but I'll be making a new, larger former with a lot of upgrades.

@KevinATJumpWorks Год назад

@@The3DHandyman Please do share your results, I would love to see it!

@AndrewMerts Год назад

@@The3DHandyman I was thinking the same thing, get an actual decent vacuum in a tank and build a valve that's held closed by atmospheric pressure but with a spring pushing it open. Once the shop vac pulls out most of the air the reduced pressure will allow the spring to pop open the other valve and lower the pressure further with the buffer tank. You would need a big check valve on the shop vac connection as well and to minimize the volume of the space between them. One downside is that the limited capacity means whatever you're vacuum forming needs to be closed on the bottom as well to avoid increasing the amount of air that needs to be removed by the buffer tank.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

@@AndrewMerts I'll need to think about the switch between the two vacuum systems. I used to have a cheap check valve in my old vacuum formers but I never thought it worked sealed correctly when the high vacuum was engaged. I might already have an idea...

@lmdplasto8008 Год назад

In case of white sheet there is vaccum finishing problem in 4corners

@tacotimeracing6638 Год назад

Fun Fact about 20 years ago I made a 2'x4' vacuum form machine from plans I found and it along with a ShopBot cnc router made a killing making lighting products for Arby's, Wendy's , Sonic, etc, etc... I learned later on that it worked better than several mass produced units I came across. If I remember correctly I had about $300 bucks in it.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

That is a fun fact!

@terryross5372 Год назад

If someone hasn't posted already; all you need for vacuum is any three stage vacuum motor. This will get you 4.5 to 5.5 psi. Your shop vac has about 3 to 3.5 psi. Your dust collector has less than 1/4 psi. I used to know the model of 7.2 " Lamb vac motor used in many commercial vac forming machines. It is135 in. Of water lift. Which is 4.6 psi. You did better with the shop vac than I ever did. Don't cheap out here. I think I saw a 5.7" Lamb vac motor (136 in.), for $114. If you habe a central vac, you may have this kind of suction.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Never thought about a central vac as an option. Good thought! I hope I can make a new vacuum former this year, but I'm not sure I can fit it into the schedule at this point. Thanks for the comment!

@indeo8309 6 месяцев назад

I may be a little late on this, but I have a suggestion that may help with the heating element. You could line the inside of the baking tray with gold foil heat shielding tape used in automotive use, as it would reflect far more of the heat onto the heat spreader more evenly compared to only insulating the outside :)

@The3DHandyman 6 месяцев назад

Interesting idea! I may have to test that out

@FriendlyCynic Год назад

Cool build. As someone who deals with High Vacuum weekly (1x10^-7) there's doesn't seem to be a good reason you're not pulling negative pressure when you drop the plastic over the vacuum plate (You will never see any negative pressure if your vacuum plate isn't actively under load). Since wood is so porous, I'm curious if brushing a few layers of epoxy (You could impregnate it with Cactus Resin, but you're cost will go WAY up, and it's probably not worth the time/effort in this application) and some silicone around the edges would improve your vacuum. As far as the heating of the plastic, you might want to look/play with distance between your heat element and spreader. Remember; Your heating element is not only heating air, but also releasing infrared radiation. So not only do you have analogy for light (Infrared), but so also have analogy for sound (heating of the air); both want to travel outwards from the source in a spherical shape that expands (In the case of sound, it expands twice as fast as the distance it travels [squared]) as it gets further from the source. If you put the element too close, you're superheating small sections of the Heat Spreader because you're not giving the heat enough travel distance to expand.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Yeah, I think my plastic-over-platen method of closing off air flow was flawed. I'll do something more scientific for the next iteration, whenever I can get to it. People have commented with better heating concepts that I'll try out. The one in the video was easy but not that good. Those elements are also very difficult to find now. I may have mistakenly made a bunch of old electric grills obsolete by making this video. Party fowl. Thanks for the ideas and the comment!

@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE 2 года назад

Cool

@biniammario3018 Год назад

I think the deformed excess plastic sheet at the lower edge of the mold is not only about the reasons you mentioned. Adding up holes on the mold near by the lower area most likely solve the problem of deformation

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Good idea! Thanks for the comment

@othoapproto9603 Год назад

I worked on 8'x9' too 3'x'3 VFM for years. 50% percent of a good pull is your Buck. You need to have a contoured riser lifting the buck up to make the fold fall lower past the object area. Your machine is fine.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I'll put that in my next vacuum forming videos, whenever I can get to them. Thanks for the comment!

@trustthedogsheneverlies644 Год назад

simple upgrade may be a thermostat for the heater element allowing it to cycle attaining a target temperature where you have located the probe.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Will put that into the upgraded design later next year!

@tihzho Год назад

14:40 The wood is just a very fine air filter! You need to seal it well with 2 part resin then it will be ok with a shop vac, not the best but good. What you are doing with using a more robust vacuum system is like adding a oil tank to a car that's burning a lot oil - the engine doesn't run out of oil but the problem is not addressed. Fix the burning oil, that is the problem.

@blitzkrueg07 5 месяцев назад

Use ceramic quartz heating elements and set up zones control each zone to get uniform temps

@The3DHandyman 5 месяцев назад

Will keep this in mind for the next build. Thanks for the info!

@PamSesheta Год назад

Fantastic video, definitely interesting to see the range of tests. Dumb question, how come you didnt hack together your own heat element?

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks! It was a bit outside the scope of the project at the time. I do really like the idea and I might try it out at some point. A need for large vacuum formers seems to keep popping up.

@Yoharu160 2 года назад

Thank You for taking the time to Make this video! It's amazingly usefull. Would You recomend some changes to this design for 3mm thick plástic?

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

@BrokenAnvil Any time! 3mm is getting pretty thick. This design overall should still work but it may need an excessive amount of time to heat up the plastic. With thicker plastics the "voids" between the heat element and the sides of the heater hood may result in the plastic not getting up to forming temperature in the corners. This can cause failure of the seal at the edge of the platen in this design. I have not used the heating coils (that look like a stretched out spring) on one of my designs before but that may be a better choice for thick plastics like 3mm. The benefit is that you can run the coils right up to the edge of the heater hood to avoid dead spots. My only success with 3mm + materials was on simple objects that did not fill up the build platform/platen. The mold needed the extra material around it to get a mold that had decent uniform thickness. Also a vacuum tank is ideal for getting detail in thick plastics like this as well. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions

@Yoharu160 2 года назад

@@The3DHandyman thank You !

@BillGriggs 5 месяцев назад

Place your mold on a a riser block and you will get crisp corner that don't fold over on it's self.

@The3DHandyman 5 месяцев назад

For sure. I used felt pads to rise it up a little but I could have definitely taken it further. Thanks for the comment!

@tihzho Год назад

To prevent webbing use a pusher frame around the mold with enough clearance for the plastic. It should be preheated as well as the mold. As soon as the plastic contacts the mold it freezes and the perimeter stretches thin. Old school vacuum former from the 70's here, forming 15 foot pylon sign faces to deep draw letters all on a vacuum table, by hand.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Great to know. I'm not sure how well a 3D printed mold would hold up to preheating. It would probably warp or lose dimensional accuracy. Thanks for the comment! I actually talked with someone today that had all sorts of things to say about vacuum forming signs. It must be that kind of day.

@jamieclarke321 8 месяцев назад

@@The3DHandymanuse the 3d printer to make a mould that you can then pour vacuum forming resin into. Thanks for the tip of the heat spreader, never thought of that myself

@The3DHandyman 8 месяцев назад

@@jamieclarke321 Any time! Good call on the resin molds. I'll have to try that at some point.

@ljubomirculibrk4097 Год назад

Add a litle aluminium fan in the heater box, shaft going in, while motor is on the outside. Or use space heater tubes which can be beter spaced

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks for the ideas! Will keep these in mind for my next build

@mattlewandowski73 Год назад

As a thought... What about adding a frame with ceramic tiles to the heating unit. It will take the tiles a while to get up to temp, but once they are, the temperature would be evenly distributed. I have also seen other sources use electric IR patio heaters as a heat source. This of course brings the cost up, but appears to produce much more even heat.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I like the idea. Will see if I can implement it on a new design later this year. Thanks for the comment!

@mauricemeyer 2 года назад

Great information. Thanks very much for that. I'm looking to make a 24" x 24" model and trying to work out the heater design at the moment. Trying to figure out how to get an even heat at that size without ending up with too much current draw by multiple heating elements. Have you ever setup a heater this size?

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

The largest I made was a 20"x24" unit that used 2x120v (3600watts) or 1x240v (2500watts) heaters. The 3600 watt setup worked a lot better than the 2500watt. If you insulate the heater really well it might be possible to run it with less but it might be a gamble on weather or not it works. If the heater is underpowered it might take an excessive amount of time to heat the plastic if it does at all. I have never worked with wire heating elements but there seem to be some advantages to those. It might be something to look into. Maybe Adam Savages vacuum former video talks a bit about that?

@_general_error 9 месяцев назад

It's not a "Resistor" that gets hot, but the Triac, a component, which can turn power on and off very quickly. The fan speed controller got hot, because fan speed controllers are designed for loads around 100-200W. Your heater is more than that. It is not "excess power" but over current, which causes the heat.

@The3DHandyman 8 месяцев назад

Good to know. The controller is rated for this level of power but that doesn't mean that it is best suited for it. Thanks for the comment!

@neatmachine 5 месяцев назад

Nice detailed explanations. A good source of perforated sheet metal is from a discarded microwave oven door. Also, I don’t know the reason why you don’t start the vacuum before you bring down the sheet over the buck. Not doing so allows cooling of the plastic sheet on the buck before the vacuum can do its job.

@The3DHandyman 5 месяцев назад

Thank you! I lost the foot pedal switch in a move last year and ended up using the vacuum former without it. Not sure if it worked noticeably better with the vacuum on ahead of time but it definitely didn't need that feature. Thanks for the comment!

@michaelevans2989 Год назад

Very nice job on this. To get a stronger/better pull do away with the peg board and us some Aluminum T-Shaped Tile Edging Trim and make a supporting frame out of that flat side down so that you'll get a better pull through the vent holes on your metal mesh. That peg slows air volume down to much. I did something like this for a small custom powder coat oven for long small parts. But i used angle iron instead of aluminum. I welded them into 4" squared cubes to circulate hot air from the top down to the bottom with a fan rated for ovens. I wanted a strong floor to hold racks on.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Great idea! Thanks for the comment! I may do another build next year and this would be a nice addition.

@michaelevans2989 Год назад

@@The3DHandyman wish you luck. Thanks for the reply

@Ange1ofD4rkness Год назад

OHH I like this build. I have wanted to build one like this, but I have been trouble ironing out the details in my head, especially the heating element. What I love about this design too, that I built with my first (and want for my next ), is you stretch the plastic over the edges when pulled down. Additionally, I am happy to learn I can get 110V heating elements (a 220V would be a problem for me). Lastly, could you have NOT used peg board and drilled your own? That way you have a larger surface area of holes to pull down the plastic. Mine was small, and I used a standard home vacuum cleaner. I also had to pull them out a microwave oven ( would have the vacuum on before the pull). However, it pulled REALLY well for me as long as I made sure to not let the plastic cool too quickly (which to be honest, due to the drooping and lack of space to allow it, it probably was too cold to begin with).

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks! I hope to make a new version of this with different heating elements later this year. The gill element I used is hard to source at this point. You can definitely make your own pegboard. Anything with lots of holes in it works well. If the material is thick then you don't need a support structure behind it like I used in this video.

@megafibre1068 Год назад

Horizontal Sliding heaters on either side of the sheet

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Interesting idea!

@nicolaslutkens8854 Год назад

Huge documentation, maybe i recomend you to use some kind of seal when you put down the plastic, before you vacuum it, sometimes the vacuum dont work as well if theres some spaces, a plastic seal would help you to acomplish what you need.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I'll keep that in mind for the next build. Thanks!

@shogunkosku Год назад

Watched all of the info. Tip that may help. Have you thought of using aluminum diffuser in the heating element to spread the hot spot out from center to the corners giving you a more controlled n even hot zone. Used this is powder coating oven that would have hot zones which would cause uneven flow n curing.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I remember the heat elements that I had my eye on years ago had that style diffuser. It's a great idea but it may just be better to go with a different style of heat element in the next build.

@tihzho Год назад

What you have is a larger version of the vintage 1962 Mattel Vac-U-Form.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Pretty much! And you are right, the small gap-s in things need to be sealed better. A vacuum tank add-on is on the to-do list.

@IDCrish Год назад

great job, you have a similar voice to mirageC

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks! Hopefully I will have similar subscriber numbers too... one day 🙂

@Tcustoms 8 месяцев назад

Thought the voice over was AI generated for half the video, all jokes aside great video and will definitely help me in building mine

@TeamMarlon 5 месяцев назад

i need one

@getdirecti0ns Год назад

Add a simple pid temperature controller to the heating element, will solve a lot of issues 👍

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I'll keep this in mind for the next build. Thanks for the comment!

@makeityourself9325 2 года назад

Nice video. Thanks for posting. What about the clear plastic? Can you post the link to purchase it?

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks! I purchased my .06" Clear PETG at eplastics.com US Plastics and Professional Plastics are other options in the US. If you are outside of the US it's best to find a local supplier. If you need less plastic than a full sheet (4ft x 8ft) then you can do an internet search for smaller amounts.

@OffGridOverLander 4 месяца назад

This was a completely random suggestion however I really like the video! Of course, this video being a random suggestion I have not watched any videos that are more recent. With that said, have you tried using one of the “cheap” vacuum pumps and an air tank? That would give you near instant vacuum and if you want to slow the vacuum rate you can reduce the air line between the platen(sp?).

@The3DHandyman 4 месяца назад

I tried that setup long ago and didn't have a big enough tank or a perfect enough seal to make it really effective. Hopefully I can build a new vacuum former this year and try out some new concepts.

@SabulaTech 3 года назад

Great start, you need to consider better ways to remove your plastic when done forming. This is probably the biggest weakness of home made machines. A flaw that everyone seems to copy when designing home machines. Professional machines have a way to secure your buck/form/mold down for a reason, easier part removal. But that also requires a well designed buck with good draft angles. Also consider something to block the holes on your platen so you draw air only through areas around your buck. You don't need to have a perfectly formed shape of your web catchers. So if air isn't removed from there as well it makes part removal easier. You also don't thin your overall sheet out as much during forming because it doesn't have to cover as much surface area forming to the shape of the catchers. Good luck!

@The3DHandyman 3 года назад

No doubt! The plastic was destroyed each time the block of wood was removed. I had planned on having the prototype packaging video be part of this but the timing just didn't work out. Once this video does come out it will feature most of the things you have mentioned. My 3D printed tool is fully drafted and would eject cleanly...if I hadn't attempted to paint it. That part was a poor choice. Otherwise the resulting parts were good enough drop a couple of sample products into the mail.... with no damage in shipping (the most important part) Great notes on the web catchers and securing the part to the surface of the platen! I suppose with the large dust port on the back I could stick my hand in there to secure a bolt to the underside. For the 3D printed tool I am able to bump it on the top side to remove it from the plastic... except when the paint fuses to the plastic. Maybe a future update could include replaceable platens for more pointed hole placement. I would say that the unused areas of the platen could be taped off with some foil tape but that would likely result in a sticky mess once heated.

@sheisphenomenalllc5867 2 года назад

This is amazing work. Great content!

@lloydguerrero4505 2 года назад

Have you tried sealing the plywood both inside and out of the vaccum chamber with polyurethane? I believe air escapes through plywood. Also maybe shorten the shop vac hose to achieve more negative pressure

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

You are definitely right about shortening the length of hose on the vacuum. The shorter the better! It may be that the plywood is slightly permeable but if there are no distinct cracks in the surface, my guess would be that this wouldn't have much of an effect. If I were using mid grade or lower ply from home depot or similar I would expect this to be more of a issue but not so much with Baltic Birch.

@watahyahknow 2 года назад

the magnets loose there hold when they get hot prolly make some clamps form spring steel that mount to the side of the heater setup and hook under the frame holding the plastic in a way that a small jerk up or down will let the frame slip passed it

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

That is a fine idea! I Will keep that in mind for the next build/update. Thanks for the comment!

@jonathanjohnson8376 Год назад

Hi, I thought he was going to put something like that into the handles. So you would push in the handle or a slider to lock it into place, then when you are ready, pull the handles/ sliders out to release.

@buckylaine 2 года назад

I'm sure you know by now that air flow isn't as important as the amount of vacuum you can draw. Instead of measuring wind velocity, it's more beneficial to have a vacuum gauge. I found an old shark brand upright vacuum that draws more vacuum than my $300 Fein shop vac. I've vacuum formed for years without a vacuum pump but they are much cheaper now and you don't need to get your material nearly as hot. I really like your platen with the cross bracing underneath the peg board and I never thought of using the perforated aluminum. Thanks for the great video.

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

Thanks for the comment! Good to know the Shark's preform well on this task. What thickness/type of material do you typically use?

@buckylaine 2 года назад

@@The3DHandyman 1/8" ABS. The Shark doesn't make a big difference, only the vacuum gauge can probably tell, lol. I'm having to heat it to about 390 degrees fahrenheit with infrared electric and it starts to bubble around 405. I think with an actual vacuum pump I could drop the temp by 100 degrees.

@The3DHandyman 2 года назад

@@buckylaine 1/8" is as thick as I've gone on a machine like mine. I made a battery compartment from for an e-bike back in '06. The shape was simple, to say the least. My air compressor died a while ago and I'm thinking that I should have saved that tank for a vacuum tank! Either that or I will go with .04" PETG for the mushroom packaging. Easier detail with less expense.

@PamSesheta Год назад

Thanks now ill be shopping for vacuum pumps again…

@thegergster Год назад

Wow! Thanks for this incredibly detailed build demonstration. I’m sure you’re very busy but if you would be interested in thermo forming a small item for me I am in need of this service. Looked into building or buying one but the cost doesn’t make sense at this point. If you are interested in supporting this request, please let me know and we can iron out the details. Thanks Tyler

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Hi! I would like to under normal conditions, but lately things have been anything but normal. There is just too much on my plate at the moment to imagine adding anything else. Maybe later this year, I could, but a lot of monumental tasks need to go perfectly for that to happen. If there is a maker space in your area you might be able to work with them on your project. Just a thought. Best of luck with it!

@deletemedeleteme43 Год назад

How about using Quartz heating elements? It will speed up the heating process and allow for better spread. They are easy and cheep to get on ebay.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I hope to test this and other methods out later this year. Thanks for the idea!

@tubergonz Месяц назад

I wonder if a fan from a convection oven in the heating element area would improve heat distribution well.

@The3DHandyman Месяц назад

Possibly. That's an idea I have not heard yet.

@jasonmoyer7484 Год назад

have you thought about adding a small fan to the heater box to help even out the heat in the chamber?

@The3DHandyman Год назад

It has been suggested. I may give it a try in a future build. Thanks for the commment!

@G4m813R Год назад

Maybe considering a fan distributing the hot air evenly.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

I'll look into that for the next design. Thanks for the idea!

@gold-junge91 Год назад

really cool thanks for this. I like longer videos, this 10min videos as a new trend that is on RU-vid its so terrible. So thanks for your work. And why you don't add a Temperature sensor to the heater ? to get heat the plastic sheets more gently

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks! I agree, it's difficult to be reasonably thorough in 10 minutes unless the subject is simple. The trouble is that for good watch percentage on a video the ideal length is 6 minutes or less. That said...I'm really happy that this video has taken off lately, it has convinced me that I should do another build. I'll be sure to add a temperature sensor to it! Thanks for the comment!

@waynoswaynos 9 месяцев назад

this was awesome thank you. Fantastic production value and all round greatness. What are the thickness limits on a design like this one? Last week I made a simple vacuum forming setup to hopefully form 10mm acrylic. The plastic went white and then set like rock before I managed to pull it over my buck! I learned that i need to dry the material first. And about 50 other important points and had to abandon that particular mission, for now. Really glad to discover your video.

@The3DHandyman 9 месяцев назад

Thanks, happy to hear it helped! As for 10mm acrylic.... that is going to be very challenging. The thickest I have ever worked with is 5mm ABS and that was not easy. I'm not even sure this is possible without a much more complex machine and very high vacuum and lots of it. It will help if the shape is quite simple... like a hemisphere or something. If it's complex, you might be better off tying a resin pour or something. You are going to have to put so much heat into the sheet to make it formable, getting the plastic dry enough to prevent bubbles might be near impossible. You are at difficulty level 1000 with that project, my friend.

@waynoswaynos 9 месяцев назад

@@The3DHandyman Thanks for your response and guidance. A lot of things I try seem to have difficulty level 1000 so just another day! The shape is basically a brick so very simple and I made a pushing die to help stretch the hot plastic downward. I am making a housing for a gadget that needs to hold some pressure, along with having some chemical resistance which is why I chose Acrylic, so although that was a fine idea of yours, I don't reckon resin will do it. But if I use thinner sheet, then Resin Pour or chopweave and glass the outside to strengthen it, that will surely do it. Secondly since we all already have vacuum and heaters, I wonder if it would be possible to make a smallish pressure box that fits the cut sheets. Then vacuum distil the sheet to more quickly and thoroughly dry the sheets than the conventional method? i.e. water boils at a lower temperature under vacuum without degrading the makeup of the materials being distilled. This might greatly reduce drying times in an oven. Vacuum distillation even works on metals so I reckon it would in this instance. And finally, this Comments section is awesome. It's so rich in information. A lot of experienced people have chimed in with little titbits that have confirmed a few things in my head. Well done inspiring that in people.

@The3DHandyman 9 месяцев назад

@@waynoswaynos Happy to have inspired! Removing the water with a vacuum sound interesting. Let me know how that process goes. I wouldn't the gas bubbles that form under vacuum would have enough strength to crack the acrylic. I wonder how long you would have to leave the material in the vacuum. If it works well, I can dehydrate my 3D printing filament this way!

@joeglover7049 7 месяцев назад

great video with amazing detail to your trouble shooting process. Would be interesting to see a mold produced via 3d printing or machining to be used on this DIY vacuum former. Was the total build costs $800 at the end of the video due to the vacuum pump required?

@The3DHandyman 7 месяцев назад

Thanks! I worked quite a bit with 3D printed molds on this project. Here's the video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T8bm8GvG3Tk.html Yes, with a vacuum pump and a large ballast tank you can easily spend that much. These days the price might be more reasonable for a budget build especially if you use a small vacuum pump and just wait a while for the tank to charge. The machine as I used it only cost about $450 including the cost of the shop vac

@householdemail1305 6 месяцев назад

They have vacuum forging now too…under heat too.?

@NaF_Art_Studio 6 месяцев назад

Great content, thanks for your efforts. Am intending to get a commercial one for large wall deco stuff, i watched on instagram a business of dashboard that uses vacuoforming and they were using a machine that was more rectangular due to their applications' nature. Anyways, is there a commercial entity you'd recommend for getting a reliable machine from at an adequate price ? Thanks again for your efforts.

@The3DHandyman 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for watching! Textured wall panels are a great application for this sort of product. I can't say that I am familiar with many brands that make large format machines, always built them myself. That is by far the least expensive option.

@teabagNBG 3 месяца назад

very cool! have u tried 3d printing some parts where the heat doesnt matter?

@The3DHandyman 2 месяца назад

Thanks! Not yet but I hope to later this year

@Bobbylegs37 Год назад

Using kanthal coil would be a cheap improvement for your heater. It's easy to work with, and would let you fine tune your heater's size, shape, and power. Second, smaller vacuums actually pull with higher pressures, so that may be something to experiment with. Finally, working to reduce the pulled volume's geometry could result in residual gains (thinner aluminum top platform, parabolic bottom made of thin plywood bent around with shapers, internal geometries that soak up space without reducing air flow).

@The3DHandyman Год назад

Thanks for the idea! I was hoping to make a new version of this build this year but it looks like that will need to wait.

@court2379 7 месяцев назад

Great video. One question. Where are you getting the plastic?

@The3DHandyman 7 месяцев назад

Thanks! I've used US plastics, Eplastics, and Professional Plastics. Depending on where you are and what you are buying the prices and options will vary a bit between them. All are good to work with

@Mogalize Год назад

Cool Video. Thanks. What is the max heat temp you need? Have you tried silicon heating pads? Might be too slow to get to temp? The one for my 3d printer is rated for 230c. Is that a hot enough temp? I use the silicon heat pad adhered to a 1/4" plate aluminum. It provides a very well distributed heat surface.

@The3DHandyman Год назад

That is definitely hot enough! Great idea. I'll look into it for the next build.

@JoeMalovich 3 года назад

Can you increase vacuum pressure by using two shop vacs in series?

@The3DHandyman 3 года назад

Great question! The answer is yes, however there is diminishing return. If the physics of this works like fans in series the second vacuum can potentially increase the total vacuum by up to 50%. However, I'm not sure that it will give that level of benefit in the end. The additional vacuum(s) could also be connected in parallel directly into the main vacuum box. It may be that the increase in suction from this technique helps pull something closer to a vacuum but... and I'm just speculating... the increased suction may also help build up more momentum in the hot plastic as it's being flung onto the mold/tool. If you watch videos of industrial thermoformers the molding of the plastic tends to go very quickly. Those operate on true vacuum though and the underlying physics is different.

@TheMadMagician87 2 года назад

@@The3DHandyman it seems to me that part of the trick here is that you not only need to pull a high vacuum, you also need to pull it fast? The shop vac is obviously good because despite being 'low volume' it still moves a large volume of air compared to a vacuum pump (which pulls greater absolute vacuum, but quite a bit slower). I know you are trying to keep costs down, but you could perhaps use a cheap/small vacuum pump, but 'pre-charge' the vacuum for the forming machine, by evacuating a vacuum reservoir in advance, and have a control valve plumbed inline between the res and the vacuum forming machine? (I'm thinking along the lines of a modified, disposable helium tank or some such - assuming they can withstand the vacuum, maybe an old SCUBA tank - with a reasonably large dia line and say 90 degree ball valve, inline between it and the former.....or if you want to be fancy and convenient, say a foot pedal closing a circuit to fire a solenoid to release the vacuum, thus keeping hands free). Then, you just tap the valve/pedal and it would whip it straight down to a fair vacuum, quite fast. The bigger the res, the better it might work? A potential issue might be that it pulls to fast and tears the forming material...?