Wildcat F4F 1:72

[Marcos Borges]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for viewing. I did some experiments today with the vacuum machine and the things get better.
Here are some pictures of a project that I'm working. It is the Embraer 121 Xingu in the 1:72 scale. I did the fuselage in wood and experimented to make some copies in plastic with the vacuum machine.
I will do some drawings and post here. There is a topic in the Brazilian forum "plastimodelismo.org" with the step by step construction until now.
The link is bellow and altough it is in portuguese, the pictures can say something.

http://www.plastimodelismo.org/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=6733













Cheers,
Marcos.

[Balsabasher]

Marcos what wonderful craftsmanship you are showing us here,the complex shape of the Xingu is turning out great,and your vac forming machine is exciting.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

How do you heat your material.

Lou

[lastvautour]

I looked at the article and the question answered itself. However I could not find any reference to the temperature used to heat your plastic.

Lou

[cliff strachan]

Marcos, it's a very neat vacuum forming machine. I think that given sufficient time I might figure out the answers to the questions I'll ask but if you will be so kind will you please advise as to the type of plastic you are using. Also could you confirm that you are heating the plastic in an oven and watching the behaviour of the plastic to determine it's suitability. Finally, if you will, it appears in your splendid photos that you have the use of a very powerful vacuum source and could you please tell us about what you are using in place of a conventional vacuum cleaner.

Thanks again.
Cliff.

There is a million questions that come to mind. Maybe later.

[Marcos Borges]

Hi guys!
Thanks Barry. I'm enjoying very much the experiences with vacuum form.
Lou, as you may have seen I'm using an common stove. I don't know how to check the temperature this way, but after searching some videos in the internet I see that the right moment is when the plastic begins to sag.
Cliff, I'm using styrene sheet. I don´t know exactly which type of plastic, but this one on the pictures works very well. I think that the styrene sheet that is sold for modelers in sites like Micromark will work well. The plastic is hold in a wood frame and heated over a stove nozzle. I think that heating it on a oven will bring better results because the sheet will be heated more uniformly.
I'm using a common vacuum cleaner that is used in my house. I have studied some topics from the book in the picture about a two stage design vacuum machines, but for now this one will do the job.
Please, feel free to ask what you want and I will be glad to help if I can.



I am making some drawings to make another one correcting some problems and soon will post these drawings here.

Cheers,
Marcos.

[cliff strachan]

Thanks Marcos. I would like to forward a small manual that I made up a couple of years ago. I've been prompted by the fact that I referred to, among others, the very same book that you've displayed! But I always had trouble getting enough vacuum and therefore I naturally thought you were using some type of "shop" vacuum. It would indeed be nice to be able to replicate in plastic what one has carved in wood so that it could last as long as . . . . . say . . me.
In one of my sources they advised that the art or trick to heating plastic - generally for smaller canopies and the like up to a length of approximately two inches - was to observe the "behaviour" of the clear plastic as it occurred in an oven. The degree of "droop" was the key.
Cliff.

[Balsabasher]

In the UK the sheet is called 'Plastikard' manufactured by a company called Slaters,it comes in a variety of thicknesses.
Could you use a modellers heat shrink plastic covering gun ? the type used to shrink up those Solartex and Monokote type covering materials,just a thought.
Barry.