mayku vacform box 2017

[Richschindler]

It sure looks interesting, but guess I'll stick with my old Matel vac u form machine. You can get pre cut, clear and colored sheet for it online. If and when it goes DOA on me, I can find them on eBay for like $30 and up. Far cry from the $350 I belive they are asking for this one. I've had my machine for well over twenty five years now and it still works.
On the other hand, the machine in the ad can do much bigger canopies and such. Guess I'll just limit my paper builds to the clear canopies which I can make in the Matel machine, For now. Or even worse, make the canopy out of, get this, paper!!!
Once I win lotto and can buy all these great toys, I'll buy this one as well.

[airdave]

Rich...do you have a modified Mattel Vac-U-Form machine?
Meaning, has it been adapted for ShopVac or Vacuum Pump?

Or is it still original?
If so, how does that work? Is it some sort of hand pump thingy?

[John Wagenseil]

Originally Posted by VinceM

Where do you get the plastic sheets?

Plastruct; Evergreen; MicroMark; theplasticmart; usplasticstore outside of Lima, Ohio (not cheap or friendly but they have a warehouse full of exotic plastics, it is a good place for "makers" who need a specific material), or your town might have an industrial supplier that sells scrap and off cuts by the pound.

Or if you only need a small piece, cut out a small piece from the clear thermoplastic used for packaging. You can use needing a piece of thermoplastic as an excuse to buy a box of cookies from a local bakery, the plastic cover for a large sheet of brownies provides a nice sized plastic sheet, and the brownies are a bonus that come with the plastic.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by airdave

Rich...
If so, how does that work? Is it some sort of hand pump thingy?

Nevermind Rich.
I found a copy of the original Vac-U-Form Instructions online.
Obviously its a hand pump vacuum mechanism.

I'm curious as to how well it worked when the machine/toy was new.

1960s mattel Vacu-U-Form Machine Instruction Manual
Vac-U-Form Instructions - Page 1 of 12

[Richschindler]

Hey Dave
It still works for for being as old as it it. Wish I worked as well.
The big thing I've found is get the plastic sheet hot, hot, hot. If it says leave it there for five minutes, I leave it for like eight to get the plastic even softer and more plyable. Then with one quick motion of the swing arm that holds the plastic sheet in place over what is to be vacuformed, you then pump the black handle on the side and normally it pulls down quite nicely. Every once in a while with a larger canopy I may go through a few sheets of clear before I get it right, but what the heck. I don't make all that many clear parts anyway.
Is it the best, no, but it works for my applications.
Hope this helped.