[TriEmbed] Anyone know a good way to get access to a vacuum forming machine?

[Mike Lisanke]

Paul,

<3 that there are people who could hang on to cool stuff in their past.
Reminds me of tell a Group Theory professor at FAU about my start in
computing in middle school;
I'd been reading about the MIT's Altair 8800 (or some title) in Popular
Electronic.
At that point in my story my math professor tells me he still has his on a
shelf in his garage.
I went to his Christmas party that year and got my 1st look at a DIY Built
MIT's Alair from 1976!
[image: image.png]

Anyway, I'm very happy you still have your Vac-u-form; One of the best toys
we had had as a kid! :-D

On Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 9:55 AM The MacDougals via TriEmbed <
triembed at triembed.org> wrote:

> I have a Mattel Vac-u-form machine if you want to try it out.
>
>
>
> --->Paul
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* TriEmbed <triembed-bounces at triembed.org> *On Behalf Of *Scott
> Hall via TriEmbed
> *Sent:* Tuesday, December 20, 2022 11:13 PM
> *To:* Mike Lisanke <mikelisanke at gmail.com>
> *Cc:* SplatSpace <durham-makerspace at googlegroups.com>; Triangle Embedded
> Computing Interest Group <triembed at triembed.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [TriEmbed] Anyone know a good way to get access to a
> vacuum forming machine?
>
>
>
> Charles (& Mike),
>
> Jeff Crews at SplatSpace has built a vacuum-forming machine from scratch.
> I cross-posted this message so that he might see it and respond to you.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 20, 2022, 9:56 PM Mike Lisanke via TriEmbed <
> triembed at triembed.org <triembed at triembedorg>> wrote:
>
> Charles,
>
>
>
> Hope everything is going great for you and yours.
>
> I recall as a child using this..
>
> https://www.ebay.com/b/Mattel-Vacuform/727/bn_7114054425
>
> much later in life but still years ago, I've watched DIY Youtube videos on
> vacuum forming.
>
> I was interested in the tech and was surprised that a great number of
> vacuum draw holes was Not needed.
>
> But still it all depends on the size and requirements of the product.
>
> Your product idea seems to fit in the vacuform size and pin spacing.
>
> as I recall (after very long time) it had a great number of tiny pinholes
> in its forming platen.
>
> I held thin plastic sheets in a metal frame which is held against a heater
> (opposite of the forming platen)
>
> which is then swung into place for vacuum pump down.
>
> Anyway, I hope the story helps.
>
> I haven't worked on implementing my own (yet) because there's so much
> manufacturing tech to look at/choose!
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 20, 2022 at 9:31 PM Charles West via TriEmbed <
> triembed at triembed.org> wrote:
>
> Hello!
>
>
>
> I'm kinda all over the place project wise (apologies Paul), but one of the
> things I am working on right now is a Phase 1 STTR grant from NASA for a
> new solar sail material.
>
>
>
> As part of that, I'm trying to figure out the barriers to implementing a
> new solar sail design called a "space tow".  It's composed of a bunch of
> little solar sails all strung together like sled dogs to pull on something.
>
>
>
> As part of that, I am trying to see whether it's possible to form
> corrugations in a thin plastic sheet (1-5 microns thick) so that it has
> some rigidity and won't need reinforcement to stay planar.
>
>
>
> As part of that, I would like to try vacuum forming one of the sheets and
> see if that can produce the desired change in shape.
>
>
>
> ... as part of that, I need to find, make or buy a vacuum forming machine
> and give it a go.
>
>
>
> TL;DR:
>
> Does anyone know where I could find a vacuum forming machine that I could
> use or about their experience homebrewing one?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Charlie
>
>
> Triangle, NC Embedded Interest Group mailing list
>
>
>
> --
>
> Best regards,  Mike
>
>
> Triangle, NC Embedded Interest Group mailing list
>
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-- 
Best regards,  Mike
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