batninja wrote:
I just got all my stuff together to do some vacuforming (table, vac, frame, molds), but I'm a little in the dark as to the thickness of the styrene. The website studiocreations.com says to use .080", but that's not exactly a common thickness here in Denver. And .093 is too thick to get decent definition (i.e., the 'bumps' on the codpiece).
Those of you that are vac-forming out there, what thickness is decent enough for this? Several local places sell .060". Is that thick enough?
Bradley? Anyone? Bueller?
Eric,
I use .093 for gauntlet bottom shells, and any other place where you need serious durability, but for definition of other pieces I use .060. Depending on the height of your mold though (anything taller than 3 inches) your risking it becoming too thin to be counted on for wearing. I have purchased components in the past that are .060 through and through, and had it all crack in the first wearing last year at SDCC.
If you're doing a Cod Piece, the mold will probably be 5-8 inches tall anyway, so I'd go with .093 or thicker. Just remember, the taller the mold, the more the plastic stretches (thins), so if your not careful, even the .093 could end up being too thin, but in general ... the .093 is a standard for most Fett Vac'd parts.
I tend to overkill my own components at times, and even went thicker with .125 on my first Cod, and it was a gem. There's not allot of detail on that piece, not like gauntlets anyway. As long as you hold onto the simple rule that the taller the mold, the thicker the plastic, you can rely on your own judgement from there. And really listen to what studiocreations.com said about the "Sweet Spot" of the heated styrene. When you get familiar with how the styrene acts, you will see that you can eyeball the softening point of the plastic, and adjust that with more or less heat as needed for the project at hand.
Hope that helps some.
Chris
