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

[Rodney Radford]

I have an IMSAI and SOL S100 bus system and an Apple IIe. Pet 2001 and many
other old systems I like to tinker on and play with but do not have an
Altair... maybe someday

On Sat, Dec 24, 2022, 9:44 PM Mike Lisanke via TriEmbed <
triembed at triembed.org> wrote:

> 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
> _______________________________________________
> Triangle, NC Embedded Interest Group mailing list
>
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