Quote:
Originally Posted by craig smith
Hi there although you really should n do this i have a brand new uncut shell which if i filled it with plaster of paris you could then take the mold to school college and make a load of them in polycarbonate or coloured abs poly be more durable
let me no cheers craig
|
I'd be wary of doing this as unreinforced Plaster of Paris shrinks a fair amount and isnt the toughest or durable of materials. It might last a couple of pulls if your lucky but no more.
Remember to have no major undercuts on the master or you will struggle to get the buck out once you've pulled it. You can get away with small undercuts and verticals on larger, thin material moulds, but a small draw of 1 degree on all verticals will make sure the buck comes out very easily.
As Si ( Mr Speedy ) says, MDF & car body filler are fine for a buck which will do a few dozen pulls if needed, as you can keep repairing it easily enough, or modifing it as you need. If you get a design you like and want to do more, you need to get a decent hard buck made. Certain higher grades of Fibre Board can be machined relatively easily and last ages if looked after.
Its not too expensive to make a mould with MDF & filler, especially if you can scrounge some. If your good with hand tools, a leisurely day will see you to a decent buggy buck. If not, just stick with it and you will get there...
Once you get it sorted, then most schools and colleges still have a small vac-former sitting somewhere in the corner under a dust sheet - sweet talk the technician and you will probably get a couple of pulls for beer money. They might also have some Polycarb kicking around somewhere as well. If not, there are lots of places you can go to to get some off cuts, or even a large 10x5 sheet if you want to save money in the long run. Just remember to check the minimum cut size needed for the machine your going to be using.
Or when the time comes speak to Mr Speedy, he can get it pulled for you
