Vacuum Forming with fiberglass mold... possible?

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#1

So the idea ran through my head today watching “how its made”

Could I do plastic vacuum forming using one of my fender flare molds?

Heat the plastic
set it in a frame over the mold
pull vacuum
let cure

sounds like it would work but i might be missing something more complicated to the whole thing.

and info?

#2

It’s possible, done it myself a long time ago. Use a release agent.

#3

What kind of plastic did you use? thickness? and temp heated to?

#4

Good question. I think polycarbonate but I’m not sure. Thickness depends on your product.

#5

You could do that, and then back the plastic with fiberglass or plaster or whatever to make it stronger. Some shapes are harder to vacuum form and sometimes you’ll need to make holes in the part so vacuum makes it to any sharper corners.

Oh and, thermoplastics don’t cure, they just harden.

#6

lol yea thanks sammy… been so focused on the fiberglass I got my wording mixed up. That should have been harden.

Thanks for the input guys. Also curious does it take less vacuum at a quicker rate? or equal vacuum as bagging fiberglass… Just still at a quicker rate before hardening

#7

You should look into vacuum forming using a vacuum frame and a thin silicone membrane.

Jon