Happy New Year everyone!
I'm writing this from an undisclosed location somewhere in New Jersey (actually my dad's house). Naturally, spending the Christmas holiday away from the modeling lair has slowed progress down to nil, BUT, I was able to finished one part while here.
I decided for the canopy fabrication to vacuform rather that "heat and smash". About 15 years years ago, in my heyday of plastic modeling, I built myself a vacuum forming device. It's been in storage here in NJ for awhile, so I figures, as long as I'm here, maybe it was time to drag it out and give it a spin:
I made this when I had access to a machine shop and some scrap aluminum lo those many years ago. It was intended to used several sizes of plastic sheet from 4" X 3" up to 11" X 14", which is the size of plastic sheet Micro-Mark carries. The 11" X 14" size required the use of an extended bed adapted to the basic box. Never used it in that size, but I figured it should work in theory. Since I was making small canopies, I needed to reconfigure the contraption to the smallest size. Took awhile to remember how it all goes together but got it set up:
That's the plug with the layer of Milliput for the final shaping which I subsequently did:
At that point on the pic, I had applied some super-glue to fill some last minute imperfections. Suction for this rig comes from my dad's shop-vac. A standard crevis cleaner attachment plugs into the end of the box. Then using a hot-plate, I heat-up the plastic (I also used a heat gun to augment and ensure even heating:
Then when it's hot, flip down the lid, turn on the vacuum:
Viola!
After several crappy attempts (pile of plastic in the upper portion of the last pic), I picked up the hang of doing this kind of stuff again, and it was nothing to bang out a few copies. My dad graciously consented to man the vacuum when it came time to turn it on so I could concentrate on heating. Canopies came out pretty clear:
Haven't decided yet, but I think I may section these up and and make individual pieces and solid paper frames vice a whole bubble with frames applied on top. I never thought the later method was very convincing. We'll see....
Mike