Sunday, March 9, 2008

Day 14 - Vacuum Forming

So yeah, I came across this website with plans on how to make a very inexpensive (less than $50), but good vacuum former. I was aware that a lot of people make their storm trooper armor by vacuum forming, but I had no idea what the process was exactly or any of its other uses. I thought it involved a giant, expensive industrial machine (which it can be), but at its core, it's actually pretty simple: a flat surface with a hole (or holes) to vacuum air out, a mold, and frame-mounted plastic sheet. This video can probably best illustrate what I'm talking about, and it just so happens that this is the vacuum former I'll be making.



And why am I making one, you ask? Since the silver pieces of the nanosuit are so organically shaped (the "skeletal" parts if you will), it would be hard to make them any other way I can think of that would be both hard and flexible. And plus, it'd be so freakin' cool to have one. ;) I'm also thinking it would be a great way to make the base layer of the face mask so it would have a perfect fit by using a mold of the lower half of my face. Plus, the mold would be useful for any other future headgear I'd want to make.

I spent the day cleaning the apartment under orders from my wife ( :P ), so I only had time to buy the parts from Home Depot today before we went to my friend's birthday party.

Okay, so it's pretty late now, so I'll update you all later. Hopefully, I'll have time to build it and show you all pictures of the rig and maybe something I vacuum formed. If not, hopefully Monday.

4 comments:

Virak said...

hmmm.. thats an interesting way to go about make something form fitting. could it have potential for any other body parts?

Hero said...

Uh, where are you going with this, hmmm???

Virak said...

like all of the other major parts that need a structure behind it. the head piece is built on this.. but what about maybe.. arms and legs?

Hero said...

Pretty much anything you see on the suit that's white/silver.