How-To: Large Homemade Vacuum Forming Machine

Computers & Mobile Craft & Design
How-To:  Large Homemade Vacuum Forming Machine

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From James Bruton of XRobots.co.uk. James’s take on the familiar vacuum forming machine uses a three-layer MDF sandwich for the vacuum box and forming table, with a vacuum cleaner hose connected at the bottom. His heating system is novel, in my experience, using an off-the-shelf quartz room heater at the bottom of an MDF “chimney” lined with aluminum foil reflectors. Sorry, aluminium foil reflectors. [via Hack a Day]

11 thoughts on “How-To: Large Homemade Vacuum Forming Machine

  1. Anonymous says:

    Article is very interesting,thanks for your sharing.I will visit this site.And welcome to wedding dresses online shop.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Article is very interesting,thanks for your sharing.I will visit this site.And welcome to wedding dresses online shop.

  3. Alan says:

    To hell with the classicists. Both Hall and Davy spelled it “aluminum” at various times, and without their work nobody would be able to afford enough of it to wrap a sandwich, let alone build engine blocks and aircraft from it.

  4. Joe says:

    best vacuum forming method I’ve seen yet.  I really dig that heater idea.  I would definately make sure that was WELL ventillated (perhaps in a garage), but this is encouraging.  I might finally build one of these someday

  5. Chris says:

    I’m building one now, I’ve done a 35″ x 35″ table with two vacuums and have the picture frame done as well; just have to complete the heater box next :) Thanks to James for this awesome video!

  6. ishamon says:

    Outstanding, simple and effective. Thank you for sharing, much appreciated

  7. Seth Tyrssen says:

    Now, that was fascinating! Hmmm… I wonder if ya could build a giant one, to make a full-size car body …

  8. Max Kohnke says:

    Great job.

    1. Steve Gribble says:

      You’re very talented, young man and I enjoyed that idea. I’m 70 and wondered why I hadn’t thought of that. Good job, your talented and I bet a lot of guys enjoyed that.

  9. doug probasco says:

    How many BTUs does that heater put out?
    can you list the make and model?
    Do you think a propane heater would work? they are much cheaper and I already own one.

  10. Plas box says:

    Plasbox can supply you with most of your packaging needs because Plasbox can supply cardboard packaging, plastic packaging, window face boxes, shelf ready trays, slitting of rolls of plastic, sheeting of plastic, vacuum forming products manufacturer and thermo formed packaging for many different needs.

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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