DIY Vacuform Table?

[89GLH]

I have seen these all over youtube, has anyone built one? I have a shop vac, but would look into getting a HVAC vac pump specifically for this. I need to make a set of tweeter mounts for my Tacoma without destroying the OEM ones, and I thought vac forming the mounts would work then I can vac bag the template with heavier duty fiberglass.

 

[Mike B26]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70641&highlight=vacuum

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vacuu...c/110071-vac_forming_machine_build_qvack.html

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126886

I still haven't tried it yet but from what I've read, a refrigerant pump will be too slow. Shop vac should be fine.

 

[er3456df]

I still haven't tried it yet but from what I've read, a refrigerant pump will be too slow.

Yep. Best one I've seen used a tee in the platen port, and had both a shop vac and a refrig pump hooked up, with ball valves on each one. He'd turn both pumps on, open the shop vac valve, drop the plastic, and once the vac had pulled 99% of the air out, he'd switch both valves so the pump took over to pull the high vacuum.

 

[OccupantRJ]

We have a packaging machine at work that works like a vacuformer. The vacuum pump pulls a vacuum on a storage tank, then the vacuum is released from the tank by a solenoid to apply vacuum to the platen area. A set of heating coils is located overhead of the platen to soften the plastic before the vacuum is applied. I don't see why this principle would not work for vacuforming objects. The volume of the vac tank would let you get on with business, even if a hand valve was used to apply the vacuum.The platen is simply a perforated metal screen, with a metal clamping frame around it to seal the outer edges of the plastic during draw down.

 

[wornoutoldman]

This site never ceases to amaze me

 

[kyrbz]

I use a vacuum pressing system for doing molded plywood. The company I purchased my system from also sells a bare bones inexpensive manual venturi pump for $99.00 that converts air from your compressor into vacuum pressure. I've also heard of guys using an old waterbed mattress as a low budget vacuum bag.

http://www.qualityvak.com/air.html#vp