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The Machine Shop => Everything Fabrication => Topic started by: fabr on November 20, 2018, 09:03:22 PM

Title: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on November 20, 2018, 09:03:22 PM
OK,enemy(or any member for that matter) we both love fabbing stuff from ABS . It has come time for me to dive into DIY vacumn forming. Wondering if you have yet. If so,did you make a heating unit yet? I have you tubed it and googled it and think I have an on the cheap plan. If no one here has done it ,I guess I will be the guinea pig.  5: ;D ;D
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on November 20, 2018, 09:39:12 PM
i have only watched it but never attempted it.  gg:
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: Grimm Reaper Racing on November 21, 2018, 02:35:18 PM
 gg:
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on November 22, 2018, 06:45:18 AM
I've officially dove into this now. Have my heating elements ordered. Will post pics in a week or so when they get here. All this for just one part. LOL!!!  Well,not just one part,I have plans for more if I can pull this off. From what I'm reading and the initial experimenting I have done I THINK it will be fairly low slope learning curve.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on November 22, 2018, 07:19:00 AM
this will be a very interesting thread!
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on November 22, 2018, 07:52:43 PM
Maybe.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: Grimm Reaper Racing on November 30, 2018, 11:18:47 AM
Be sure to post up pics of all the parts, not just the ones you fook up.   rofl rofl

all kidding aside, I'm really interested to see how this goes.

I'll be sitting on the sidelines, watching from a safe distance.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on November 30, 2018, 11:50:37 AM
If all goes well I'll be ready to give it a first try by next Friday. Heating elements are here . Just need to Fab the enclosure. I'm hoping the learning curve won't be too high.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on November 30, 2018, 09:38:11 PM
this will be interesting to follow!
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 05, 2018, 09:17:04 PM
OK,got a bit done. The low buck sheet heater oven is done other than wiring up the 3 heating units.Here's a link to the units  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-Heater-Ceiling-Wall-Mounted-Home-Garage-Workshop-Heat-Halogen-775-1500W/202502884710?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649  1 sheet of foil faced OSB for the enclosure and a couple 2x2-8' =low buck sheet heater. A pic of the console cover I will bravely attempt (this may be an exercise in stupidity!) and yes ,those are cup holders!!!!
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 05, 2018, 09:23:49 PM
I'll do the platen/vac motor  tomorrow assuming the vac motor gets here. 210" w.c. and 15+- CFM will apply approx 15psi atmosphere pressure over the entire pattern. Hopefully that will be sufficient with ABS @300* ish temp and .125 thickness. It will either work or not.   :m   :nw   LMAO
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 05, 2018, 09:30:45 PM
And ,yes,it's all wood.????????? WTH????? I was very surprised to see most hobby units are DIYed from wood. I've tested this out and wood placed directly over it and plastic will get to around 300-325*F . Wood doesn't combust till somewhere around 450 minimum. The foil faced stuff the box is made from doesn't even get hardly warm. Even right up to the heaters you can very comfortably place your hands.  Go figure. Still i have extinguishers at the ready.   ;) ;)




I even saw one made from a cardboard box!!
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on December 06, 2018, 09:47:07 AM
 gg:
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: big dave on December 06, 2018, 10:00:27 AM
looks like its coming together. look forward to seeing the end product
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: wightsparks on December 06, 2018, 10:53:51 AM
Looks good. I haven't done ABS vac forming since school - cough-ahem years ago. Will be interested to see if those cup holder form.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 06, 2018, 02:44:58 PM
Sparks,I also am most concerned with the cup holders. Pretty deep and close together. I do have 8 vac ports around the bottom of each. .125 is pretty thick for it but we'll see.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 06, 2018, 02:47:52 PM
With some preliminary experimentation I think I will try to get the ABS to 375F.  Also am going to make first pull with .065 material.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on December 06, 2018, 03:45:48 PM
 :nw gg:
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 10, 2018, 07:10:39 PM
First pull was today. Going by internet wisdom/consensus/my basic experimentation I only heated the .065 ABS to 275-300F. It took approx 3 minutes to get it there. Really happy with that. I only went to 275ish because the net says most vac formers just go by how much the material sags and how it waves . From my screwing around experimenting with a heat gun I thought I had a pretty good idea what would work. Pulled the sheet off the oven and placed on the vac table and it sucked right down in about a second and a half at most. The 5 stage vac motor worked really well IMO. Too well as a matter of fact with the .065 material. As soon as it had pulled down it sucked a hole right through it in an area that trims off.I had the pattern on 1/2 inch spacers to allow vacuum to reach the full perimeter. I think that had I used 1/4 inch it would not have pulled through.  I'll do a pull tomorrow with the .125 . I "think" it will work well and 1/4 inch spacers are more than adequate and not suck a hole in it.  All in all though I was completely happy with today's results.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 10, 2018, 07:40:39 PM
Few pics. Vac motor is only 6" diamater and 8" high. Pretty impressive capabilities for it's size. Same one as has been used in some Superflow flow benches.   One is of the abs in the heating frame,one is of the vac table and a couple showing red arrows where the holes sucked through. Both were in areas of no concern. I hope/believe the .125 won't have the issue. The wavy area of the part along the bottom of the pull all trims off so that is of no concern.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: DeepBusch69 on December 11, 2018, 06:19:19 AM
Cool stuff fabr, keep posting updates and final product. 
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: big dave on December 11, 2018, 10:43:23 AM
Looks Dam good for the First Go at It. It only gets better Now.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: Grimm Reaper Racing on December 12, 2018, 09:31:56 AM
Lookin good Wes! 😎
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 12, 2018, 01:13:40 PM
I had a relatively successful third try. Second pull was with .125 so,I thought it a good idea to heat a bit higher than the .065 . Nope did not do as well as the .065. on third pull with .125 about 25 F less than the .065. worked damn well but for bottom of the cupholders. Complete, no holes but too thin still. I'll be pulling some .185 today as soon as the squirrel  killed power is back on in shop.  :m
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 12, 2018, 05:29:00 PM
Well,the third time was not the charm but the 4th sure was. Used .185. Was hard to get to temperature on top side and I probably got the bottom side too hot. It's actually the core temperature that is important .I think the core was a bit too high but I did get a good part. Very rigid and should take a lot of abuse.  Everything is a learning curve and I'm sure as I do more I will get better. The cup holders were a huge gamble and I got away with it.When I get up from shop I will post a pic or 2 of the semi finished part.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 12, 2018, 07:11:19 PM
I like it.  Still need to section it for the hinged portion ,attach hinge and attach stationary front portion to the tunnel. Yup,I likey.  :) :)
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on December 12, 2018, 08:30:41 PM
very nice!! i can see several applications for this!
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 12, 2018, 08:55:30 PM
 :m  I didn't build it just for this one part!   :m
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: big dave on December 13, 2018, 01:58:25 PM
Looks like it was made for it. ha ha ha .
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: fabr on December 13, 2018, 06:06:53 PM
Ya,ain't it cool?!?!?!?!!!! Man,I just love doing what many won't. I get such a HUGE sense of satisfaction from it. BTW,thanks guys for the kind words. 

Still have to section it,add hinge and mount it. I have added a bit of inner structure that glues into it for the hinge to mount to and make a more finished looking part. I'll let that have ample time to cure . Should mount it all to the console Sat and I can move on to other projects for a bit.
Title: Re: ABS Vacumn Forming
Post by: dsrace on December 16, 2018, 10:45:28 AM
i like it, nice job!
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