Vacuum Forming Lexan RC Car Bodies

[Silas]

What do you guys think of doing this? I have searched and found plans to build the Vacuum Former.... add a mold, heat and lexan, and we can have a custom body or 2...

I am not sure how hard this could pose to be... Do any of ya have any clue on this subject?

[DDS]

no......but where are you going to store this set-up at? my place:finger1:

[Silas]

no......but where are you going to store this set-up at? my place:finger1:



Maybe... hehe...

I am just looking into this for now....

http://www.build-stuff.com/1001plans_hobby_vac.htm

[Silas]

Also to add a 2x4 foot peice of lexan is only 7 bucks... couple bodies I would think out of that no?

[DDS]

if you want to bring that,the drill press and mini-bansaw to my place then i need to get your help on building a work table this weekend...........

[WV4WD]

I think that would be sweet but where would you get the molds?

[Silas]

if you want to bring that,the drill press and mini-bansaw to my place then i need to get your help on building a work table this weekend...........

I got some time I think... :)

I think that would be sweet but where would you get the molds?



Build them... Maybe out of a block of wood... sand it down smooth, and such... clay as well... but not sure how hot the former would get.

[icepick]

After seeing one used many times on Mythbusters, I too thought of making one. Could always start out simple with it, making bodies that people already use (rockstar, beetle, betty), using a new, untrimmed body, and pouring some plaster of paris into it ( my mother used to make chess peices out of this stuff, but they were rubber molds).

[southern4x4]

Make it bigger and convertable to use for making custom fiberglassed skateboard decks. Met a guy up at NC State that did this and they are sweet plus materials aren't too expensive.

[KvilleKrawler]

I can see future lexan tamiya bruiser bodies.... Be nice to have a bruiser body that you wouldn't worry about scrapping on the rocks...

And companies like Nikko have several 1/10 scale hard body toy grade rc cars.

[hvydty1]

I like that plaster of paris idea, that's smarts right there.

[Silas]

I like that plaster of paris idea, that's smarts right there.


yeah... and is wet sandable... I have used it for clay molds before... it is probably the best thing.

[RatRodCrawler]

Place I used to work had a Vacuum form, they made molds out of a Material called REN, but it was fairly expensive. Another Option that is cheap is to use MDF board. These guys used CNC Machines to make the molds, so if you have a #D Engineering program and someone with a computerized CNC, that would be SLICK. Other wise it's a bunch of Cutting, Grinding, Sanding.

Don't know what info you've found, but you'll also need some Thin (1/32") drill bits about 6-8" long. After making the mold you need to drill holes thru the mold from the bottom out to different points, specifically Corners and bends so that the air can pull the plastic into those tight spots. Those tight spots being places like behind the rear glass where it turns out the bed of a truck and the roll bar.

I've not done this stuff, only watched as the Model Shop guys did it. And asked a lot of questions along the way.

Another thing is you have to get that surface of the mold SMOOTH! Don't recall if they Waxed or treated the surfaces with anything though.

Let me know if you have questions along the way, I'll see what I can find out for you. I still talk to a couple of the guys from time to time.

[DDS]

I still talk to a couple of the guys from time to time.

see if they are willing to help CNC some moldes for us?

[RatRodCrawler]

You'd have to supply the Material and the 3D CAD drawing (Don't recall the exact program) and I'll see what I can do. But Alliance is pretty uptight about "Gov't Jobs", so I don't know. I'll see what i can find out.

[DDS]

You'd have to supply the Material and the 3D CAD drawing (Don't recall the exact program) and I'll see what I can do. But Alliance is pretty uptight about "Gov't Jobs", so I don't know. I'll see what i can find out.

i dont mind doing the CAD and supplying the materials to have a mold made of a body type

[RatRodCrawler]

ya, but it's not CAD, It's something else. some #D model making. Interface looks like the 3D programs I use but it geared to engineering like CAD. so I don't know if it would be a waste of your time to model it in CAD.

[DDS]

ya, but it's not CAD, It's something else. some #D model making. Interface looks like the 3D programs I use but it geared to engineering like CAD. so I don't know if it would be a waste of your time to model it in CAD.

got you.........well just let me know if you hear anything

[WickedWaggy]

I've got GibbsCam '07 on my computer for the Fadal CNC milling Machine in the shop I work in. The amout of time involved in making a 3d solids program and then contour milling a mold is extensive. Like easily 12-20 hours of runtime in the mold, tooling costs, and setup time could easily run 6 hours. I MIGHT have a place where it can be done......... I'll have to pull some serious strings and bribe a few folks, but it will definately cost cash in some form. If I was to make a price quote for a customer easily over $3000, due to machining time. Maybe a couple hundred for us. If you are truly interested I might can make it happen.

As far as drawing it in CAD... I know you can import other drawings into Gibbs and it reads it with only minimal editing. You can draw something up if you want, but I can't gaurantee anything. If you want to see some CNC mills in action - http://www.haascnc.com/news_videos.asp#videos
there's some impressive stuff there.

[RatRodCrawler]

I've got GibbsCam '07 on my computer for the Fadal CNC milling Machine in the shop I work in. The amout of time involved in making a 3d solids program and then contour milling a mold is extensive. Like easily 12-20 hours of runtime in the mold, tooling costs, and setup time could easily run 6 hours. I MIGHT have a place where it can be done......... I'll have to pull some serious strings and bribe a few folks, but it will definately cost cash in some form. If I was to make a price quote for a customer easily over $3000, due to machining time. Maybe a couple hundred for us. If you are truly interested I might can make it happen.

As far as drawing it in CAD... I know you can import other drawings into Gibbs and it reads it with only minimal editing. You can draw something up if you want, but I can't gaurantee anything. If you want to see some CNC mills in action - http://www.haascnc.com/news_videos.asp#videos
there's some impressive stuff there.


ding ding ding, Wicked Waggy wins the contest on more knowledge about the production side of milling :thumb:

Sounds like you might have a better chance than me at milling. And "3D Solids" is that the program or just what the file is called? cause that's the name I was trying to recall. I was thinking it was the program. And yes, 12-20 hours sounds about right for an aluminum mold. Do you guys work with REN (sp?) at all? that might be less machine time, but it is dry cut.

[WickedWaggy]

3D solids is how you model the part that you want. A layout with dimensions, like on a blueprint, is referred to as a 2d layout. 3D is similar to a wire frame drawing you may of seen on the TV or something, but the program creates it as a series of lines layered on different planes - it then makes the nessacary radii connections to produce a solid part. The program then determines the tool path nessacary to produce the part out of a blank from starting size. The actual program name is GibbsCam, SurfCam, SolidWorks and a variety of others. They are all compatible with AutoCad of any version.

Using other media than metal is out of the question for me, the machine ways, coolant sumps, etc. is set up for metal and alloys. I have done plastics (delrin and UHMW), but on something that will have chips as fine as these will work thier ways in funny places.

I just need a pattern guys, programming time is free, but I will have to run it through the shop as a normal work order, but I do get a discounted rate, and if I make it after work the price just keeps dropping. Just so you know, I have been making custom links, connectors, replacement bead rings for stock axial wheels, and have some chassis plates in the works as well as transmission mounting plates with many different configurations for links. If anybody wants custom parts you just need to get in contact with me - I have a set of beadlocks I am trying to sell now.

If you want to persue the mold further, just let me know.

[Silas]

do you work just in aluminum or anything else... like Delrin?

[WickedWaggy]

Mainly I work in steel. I personally run a manual lathe most of the time. I have used alum, 3003 all the way to 7075, mild steel, 12L14 leaded bar (my favorite - cuts like butter) and tool steels which are a pain, especially if you get them too hot - they harden then they are extremely difficult to machine. Plastics and delrin are somewhat common, but they are used in a machine that has high wear areas, such as chain guides, so I see stell more than that. I do have some in stock though. Alum would be ideal for a lexan mold because of its machinability - easy on tooling and the machine, plus speeds and feeds are faster so it cuts production time.