New and Looking For Answers!

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kebh020727

Active Hunter
Howdy!

Yes, I am a newbie, I have found soooo many great suggestions and ideas as well as Alan's templates, which are an awesome tool, but I need to go to my next steps. I have contacted some hobby stores looking for large sheets of Styrene and have found some. However, I am not sure about specifics on what to do with it when I get it. I know I can take the easy way out and buy someone else's pre-molded etc., but where is the fun in that? So, I plan to take all of Alan's templates and cut out pieces of foam board so I have large, solid templates. But, I have no idea where to go from there. I have general ideas, but I need some solid footing. I would ove to get going and take pics for all to see, etc. SO, if someone has a path they can point me to that would be great. Again, I know there is a lot of great info on this site and I think it is great, but maybe I have just been looking in the wrong places? Thanks in advance for the help.

Eric:cheers
 
kebh020727 said:
Howdy!

Yes, I am a newbie, I have found soooo many great suggestions and ideas as well as Alan's templates, which are an awesome tool, but I need to go to my next steps. I have contacted some hobby stores looking for large sheets of Styrene and have found some. However, I am not sure about specifics on what to do with it when I get it. I know I can take the easy way out and buy someone else's pre-molded etc., but where is the fun in that? So, I plan to take all of Alan's templates and cut out pieces of foam board so I have large, solid templates. But, I have no idea where to go from there. I have general ideas, but I need some solid footing. I would ove to get going and take pics for all to see, etc. SO, if someone has a path they can point me to that would be great. Again, I know there is a lot of great info on this site and I think it is great, but maybe I have just been looking in the wrong places? Thanks in advance for the help.

Eric:cheers
Click to expand...



You can probably heat up the styrene with a heat gun and shape it to the armors curvature.
 
Okay, but what about thickness, I noticed some armor with an edge to it that seems to be molded around something? Then it is trimmed and sanded; what is used as a mold? I have also seen and heard people talking about boiling a pot of water to heat up the styrene also. I like a heat gun method more, it would be easier with large sheets.
 
kebh020727 said:
Okay, but what about thickness, I noticed some armor with an edge to it that seems to be molded around something? Then it is trimmed and sanded; what is used as a mold? I have also seen and heard people talking about boiling a pot of water to heat up the styrene also. I like a heat gun method more, it would be easier with large sheets.
Click to expand...

The armor with a lip like that is vacuum formed. You have a machine that heads the plastic and sucks it down over a mold while it's still soft enough to stretch.

Totally different process than cutting up a piece of sintra and heating it with a heat gun.

Seeker put up an AWESOME video showing how to do that WITHOUT a vac table though!

http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=24935
 
Now that I have checked this out, I have more questions. How was the acrylic mold made? For the armor, is .080 not thick enough? Is .10 too thick? I have seen some debates over thickness and I feel thicker is better. More suggestions and references would be great if anyone has more!!

Thanks, Eric
 
Lets see. Here is what I would do. If you know someone with a CNC Machine...Yea I know they are expensive but if you do know someone with one then go ahead and ask him if he can machine the pieces for you.

Or an much much much much much cheaper way would be to have someone who is experienced in shaping plastic have a thick sheet of acrylic and shape them to your specs.

Like SEEKER said in the video you can make your mold out of anything. Some choices would be fiberglass, bondo, or other materials.

I like his way because it is like reverse vacuforming. It is much cheaper than either buying a vacuum form machine or making one.
 
foam board wouldn't hold up to the heat/pressure of doing something like that.

since i don't have anyone to cut acrylic like that, i'd probably use wood/bondo.

it's a looooot of work to do that stuff yourself! as long as it's fun work though, it's ok!
 
Wow, I didnt even mention wood. Thanks for that 7602.

Wood will be even better than bondo by itself because it is prone to deforming when you press it in. Wood is strong and if you shape it to the right shape it will work even better than any thick plastic sheet.
 
Wood huh? And use Bondo over the wood to give it the curved look? Then sand it down and smooth it out? I suppose it would make a pretty good mold at that point. I guess for me though, I would have a hard time cutting and shaping wood pieces. I really want to make them on my own, but it sounds challenging. Good thing I like challenges!!
 
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