Vacuum question

qmiester,

Your directions were perfect. It worked like a champ. You ought to make a sticky of your process for others. Thamks so much.

Richard

qmiester,

Thanks for the tip I will giv it a try.

Richard

Plain old styrene works great. Make a two frames (1/8 in plywood works great) the size of the sheet of styrene you want to heat and clamp the styrene between them. Now you get to heat the plastic. Don't use an open flame! Use an electrical heat source (I use a small single burner hotplate which works great). Put on a pair of oven mits and hold the plastic 2 or 3 inches above the hotplate. After 45 seconds to a minute, the plastic will seem to tighten slightly and then suddenly sag. When that happens immediatly transfer it to your vacume machine or plunge it over your mold if you are plunge molding. Let it cool for a couple of minutes until it hardens and then remove it from the mold and trim it to fit. It takes a little practice but in no time you can be turning out parts and canopies.