Well I got so disgusted by the dust gathering on my vacuum forming machine I gathered it all up and took it home. I just can’t find time to work on fun stuff at work anymore. I will briefly outline the experience of working with this machine. It’s the EZform SV-1217 from Centroform. I got mine from RobotShop.
Brief sideline, the building I bought once housed a podiatry lab. I found a low volume high pressure vacuum. I plugged it in and… nothing. I broke out my meter and whoa, bad power switch! $225.00 vacuum = free 8)
It already has dual vacuum ports. One is for a high volume (ShopVac) and the other is for a low volume high pressure vacuum. When the high volume vacuum is done, the low volume high pressure vacuum goes to work finishing the job. The change is automatic.
I connected a small ShopVac to the large opening, and my free pump to the other port. I installed a sheet of 0.03" PETG in the holder. Pushed the plastic up to the heater and turned it on. After about a couple minutes the plastic started to sag in the middle. I turned on both the vacuums and quickly lowered the material to the table. In what seemed like a fraction of a second the material was formed and ready to remove from the table. I got some webbing, but it was expected. I will take some images of the machine and maybe even a video of it working. For now here are some images of the T-Hex body I made. PS I found some 1:24th scale dudes. 8)
The mold was nothing more than some lexan cut panels and a big lump of wood sanded to profile. You can clearly see the wood grain in the molded piece. It was just to see what it could do. It’s all in the mold… I will be making it better in my spare time. It was really fun. I have so many cool ideas for this. 8)
The mold. I know the idea of copying the structural panels for the design was lame, but to go further I need to know a little more about these mechs. Like should the windows be large, small, tiny, gone? Should there be outlines for doors, access panels, etc? Some interesting details can be added. Also the body can be different in its shape than the structural chassis beneath it.
I guess I need to see some pictures of “real” mechs to know the direction I should be going. I’m open for ideas, suggestion, feedback.
feeling 10 again jim?
great pictures. you should fabricate a hanger and get some acrylic paint and give them guys color.
i may even have to photoshop that. give me something to do. 8)
More like 14, but yes I am having fun with this. I used to be a big model car builder! I wanted to paint this badly, but decided to wait for a better body fit and finish first.
Oh you found the plasma generator system. They are 4" cold cathode lights I stuck on there for fun.
I found that Plastruct (still in business) has plastic panels with scale bricks, boards, tiles, etc in G scale. G scale for electric trains is 1:24th. I am getting some things from them. Like they have a scale diamond plate pattern. My goal is to make a detailed diorama for a photo shoot. It will make an interesting article or even a full page add. I could see adding this diamond plate in places where humans can walk on the guy.
That sounds like a small vacuum forming machine my dentist has. As best as I remember, it takes ~5"x5" pieces of plastic, which are held under a heating element in a holding tray, and when the plastic is sagging down an inch or more, the the tray is slid down a runner onto the vacuum base. I’ve been meaning to take him some plastic cut from the bottom of disposible plastic picnic plates to see if that thin plastic will vacuum form (it is probably the way the plates were origionally made).
The three dudes seem to miss the fourth lady in bikini though…
(just kidding )
I do see a lot of possibilities of using the vacuum parts. I would suggest adding some more details on the final form though, maybe some battle tank details. The fun part with vacuum parts is that its pretty simple to test out and make many different designs.
I have not opened the box with the bikini wearing girl yet. lol It also has some drivers in it, in the sitting position.
Yes, I’m looking for any sort of inspirational images of Mechs so I know the look and feel of what I’m trying to accomplish. I can make it look any way I want. But I’ve never played the games and I haven’t found highly detailed images of mechs.
yes. when i was doing the STALKER robot, you may remember i was going to fabricate the “armored shells” to cover the SES structure underneath. would have been so cool to of had a vac machine back then.
It would also be quite cool if you were to make an arrangement of “shells” or “Covers” for the masses! - not that there is anything wrong with the SES i might add!
it would make a very interesting picture when you complete this. look forward to it.
im working on sculpting some legs from clay, so i can make some casts, to then make latex skin coverings to fit over a robot.
once i start i will open up a thread. my first batch of latex came today and im now just waiting for the clay.
anyway great pictures. im sure you can get some detail ideas from these.
Just a suggestion, but you could buy a few small model kits and glue the parts to one of the lexan body panels. When you vacuum form the plastic sheet, it will mold around the various details. I saw a segment on how George Lucas made the surface of the death star using parts from hundreds of plastic model kit parts.
Only problem I can foresee are complex parts that might end up getting trapped in the mold.
My goal is to make a detailed diorama for a photo shoot. It will make an interesting article or even a full page add. I could see adding this diamond plate in places where humans can walk on the guy.
