SNAKE_EYES1975
10-01-2008, 10:18 PM
Mabye sticky?
Alright so to create CLEAR, HIGH quality visors, shields, and even MOLDS to CAST with, You need this stuff at least.
-I think everyone here can prolly come up with at least a home vacuum and hair dryer, but a heat gun works BEST, and I used a propame or MAP gas torch if you end up getting a spot that may crease, you can melt it together..
-The vacuum is a shop vac, and my wife bought this "vac master" detail set at a dollar store long time ago and it has reducers in it that are PERFECT. but for now you can rig it with hose or something SMALLER.
-Good Ol DUCTTAPE..
-A spot that can get HOT. I used a piece of mellamine..
-decent scissors
-your material. If its clear plastic for a visor like the STARVIPER use the JOE stuff. Its THICK and easy to work with at first. This is what you CAST with, and make VISORs with. On the COBRA ENFORCER I used an old transformers red decoder, and built a lil block of wood the shape of the visor, sandwiched THAT in a bag, sucked it and applied a LITTLE heat and it was formed PERFECT. Blow up the pic of STARVIPER, and you can see it fits PERFECT. you can make any visor like this...
Cut two squares of plastic, and make a "BAG" big enought to fit WHAT your doing. If your just making a head, do it about as big as what I did. If your doing a whole figure Make it VERY much bigger than the fig.
- Tape up the THREE sides with ducttape and make sure its good and airtight!(no pun intended) TRY to leave the "hairy" or cardboard side for the hose as it gives it MORE grip on the plastic to create a seal.
-Rig your vacuum so that it gets IN the bag, and CANT BE CHOKED by MELTING PLASTIC..so Im doing the head, im putting the vac hose right between his legs..Yup...
-Make SURE its good and sealed ALL AROUND, and LIGHTLY tape it to a board, giving it ROOM TO SHRINK..
-Start applying HEAT! Obviously dont get right on it, but ive NEVER did it with a hairdryer..Im sure it would work but have much less power..
You will see the plastic pass through a few stages,
It will start to distort, Then look like a sheet op liquid..It should be hot enough for you to touch it, and MOVE PLASTIC CLOSER TO THE FIGURE, or you wil get creases. THIS STAGE IS CRITICAL..as the plastic gets pliable and you can move it, start working the plastic TOWARDS the figure...when you get it, youll see what I mean..you can "work it into the figure"...
HIT THE VACUUM!!!!!
-Youll suck the plastic RIGHT INTO THE FIGURE, and you eaily add more heat with the vacuum running, You can let off the heat, and use your fingers to HELP the plastic move into the CREASES, and DETAIL spot you wantr to get, IF you want a TEXTURE on your visor, like I gave STARVIPER use different Cloths with different textures to grain it in.
-Once your happy with the plastic, Set aside your heat, and let it vac while you blow on and rub the plastic outside..
Once its cool, it dont take long..30-50 seconds.. Cut it out around the plastic.....
This you can use as a CAST too, I accidentlly buzzed off the cobra sigil on STARVIPER mouth part of his helmet, so I put some epoxy in a tiny ball,WD40ed the inside of the plastic, and pushed the helmet in the cast and out popped a PERFECT cobra and fixxed mouth piece.
I WILL SAY, that I made about TEN vacuforms of STARVIPERS helmet before I dremeled it out, Once you DREMEL YOU CANT VACUFORM THE HELMET, so make alot and make sure your happy you got a few good ones..
you can sand it bacause its thick enough, and you can exacto knife it, OR cut it with scissors and it WILL retain its shape..But it is a PERFECT shape with PERFECT DETAIL of the interior that it gets sucked to...
I hope some of you try out this technique and tells me how it works for you..It is GREAT for me, and works everytime, you just have to get the hang of it, get used to the materials, and know its limitations..
If you make a BIG BAG, you COULD make a 3D mold of stuff, if you HEAT BOTH SIDES of the BAG. It takes more time, but its done the same way.
My friend when I was a kid, His dad own a hobby shop, and they had a VACUFORM machine, and we woule make all kinds of parts..After I moved I rigged this up when I was a kid and been doin it since..It works GREAT on airplane canopies, because of the shape. Gun turrets,
You can even use it for "removable" panels, Vacuform your part, IE side of plane, copper or something, Then cut a hold in it, and you have a realistic looking panel you can make replaceable...
The computer bag pic, you can take THAT mateiral, its grey shiny, and make Mirror tinted visors, I did one for STARVIPER but tossed it, but it looks mirrored, you just make your visor, cut it to size, and shrink that computer bag stuff on it, and it will look AWESOME>...
aaiit...Im done..Good luck all if you guys try it, and I hope you have fun..show me what you can do with it now!!
Alright so to create CLEAR, HIGH quality visors, shields, and even MOLDS to CAST with, You need this stuff at least.
-I think everyone here can prolly come up with at least a home vacuum and hair dryer, but a heat gun works BEST, and I used a propame or MAP gas torch if you end up getting a spot that may crease, you can melt it together..
-The vacuum is a shop vac, and my wife bought this "vac master" detail set at a dollar store long time ago and it has reducers in it that are PERFECT. but for now you can rig it with hose or something SMALLER.
-Good Ol DUCTTAPE..
-A spot that can get HOT. I used a piece of mellamine..
-decent scissors
-your material. If its clear plastic for a visor like the STARVIPER use the JOE stuff. Its THICK and easy to work with at first. This is what you CAST with, and make VISORs with. On the COBRA ENFORCER I used an old transformers red decoder, and built a lil block of wood the shape of the visor, sandwiched THAT in a bag, sucked it and applied a LITTLE heat and it was formed PERFECT. Blow up the pic of STARVIPER, and you can see it fits PERFECT. you can make any visor like this...
Cut two squares of plastic, and make a "BAG" big enought to fit WHAT your doing. If your just making a head, do it about as big as what I did. If your doing a whole figure Make it VERY much bigger than the fig.
- Tape up the THREE sides with ducttape and make sure its good and airtight!(no pun intended) TRY to leave the "hairy" or cardboard side for the hose as it gives it MORE grip on the plastic to create a seal.
-Rig your vacuum so that it gets IN the bag, and CANT BE CHOKED by MELTING PLASTIC..so Im doing the head, im putting the vac hose right between his legs..Yup...
-Make SURE its good and sealed ALL AROUND, and LIGHTLY tape it to a board, giving it ROOM TO SHRINK..
-Start applying HEAT! Obviously dont get right on it, but ive NEVER did it with a hairdryer..Im sure it would work but have much less power..
You will see the plastic pass through a few stages,
It will start to distort, Then look like a sheet op liquid..It should be hot enough for you to touch it, and MOVE PLASTIC CLOSER TO THE FIGURE, or you wil get creases. THIS STAGE IS CRITICAL..as the plastic gets pliable and you can move it, start working the plastic TOWARDS the figure...when you get it, youll see what I mean..you can "work it into the figure"...
HIT THE VACUUM!!!!!
-Youll suck the plastic RIGHT INTO THE FIGURE, and you eaily add more heat with the vacuum running, You can let off the heat, and use your fingers to HELP the plastic move into the CREASES, and DETAIL spot you wantr to get, IF you want a TEXTURE on your visor, like I gave STARVIPER use different Cloths with different textures to grain it in.
-Once your happy with the plastic, Set aside your heat, and let it vac while you blow on and rub the plastic outside..
Once its cool, it dont take long..30-50 seconds.. Cut it out around the plastic.....
This you can use as a CAST too, I accidentlly buzzed off the cobra sigil on STARVIPER mouth part of his helmet, so I put some epoxy in a tiny ball,WD40ed the inside of the plastic, and pushed the helmet in the cast and out popped a PERFECT cobra and fixxed mouth piece.
I WILL SAY, that I made about TEN vacuforms of STARVIPERS helmet before I dremeled it out, Once you DREMEL YOU CANT VACUFORM THE HELMET, so make alot and make sure your happy you got a few good ones..
you can sand it bacause its thick enough, and you can exacto knife it, OR cut it with scissors and it WILL retain its shape..But it is a PERFECT shape with PERFECT DETAIL of the interior that it gets sucked to...
I hope some of you try out this technique and tells me how it works for you..It is GREAT for me, and works everytime, you just have to get the hang of it, get used to the materials, and know its limitations..
If you make a BIG BAG, you COULD make a 3D mold of stuff, if you HEAT BOTH SIDES of the BAG. It takes more time, but its done the same way.
My friend when I was a kid, His dad own a hobby shop, and they had a VACUFORM machine, and we woule make all kinds of parts..After I moved I rigged this up when I was a kid and been doin it since..It works GREAT on airplane canopies, because of the shape. Gun turrets,
You can even use it for "removable" panels, Vacuform your part, IE side of plane, copper or something, Then cut a hold in it, and you have a realistic looking panel you can make replaceable...
The computer bag pic, you can take THAT mateiral, its grey shiny, and make Mirror tinted visors, I did one for STARVIPER but tossed it, but it looks mirrored, you just make your visor, cut it to size, and shrink that computer bag stuff on it, and it will look AWESOME>...
aaiit...Im done..Good luck all if you guys try it, and I hope you have fun..show me what you can do with it now!!