RCCrawler Forums

RobCam · 06-13-2009, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAPO

Great tutorial! I always wanted to make bodies for my other rc trucks!

How about duplicating an existing one? There is no way to melt the foam inside an existing body, let it dry and then use your method?

ive made a helios body a while back... i used plaster for my mold let me find the thread..........here it is.. worlds only helios hard body

Jamus · 12-26-2009, 02:32 PM

I expect the answer is no, but can you use plexiglass to form a body? It's the only clear sheet I can find locally.

RobCam · 12-26-2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamus

I expect the answer is no, but can you use plexiglass to form a body? It's the only clear sheet I can find locally.

you can but it will easily crack when you crash, really you want to use lexan

jwalker · 12-27-2009, 01:26 PM

this is a great tutorial, i might have to try it out. i have been thinking of doing something like this.

509 Media · 12-28-2009, 09:08 PM

Very cool.

Tanis · 12-28-2009, 10:05 PM

I was watching some vids a couple weeks ago on how to pull your own styrene bodies with vaccuuforming, good stuff man

Shadow Fox · 12-28-2009, 11:18 PM

indeed..cool tutorial...i'd like to for mmy own body for my Slash...I'll try it out! I got all the materials readily available..

very cool!!

fuyutime2 · 12-31-2009, 08:34 PM

what else can be used besides lexan and petg (unless you can find it CHEAP at 2X2feet square.)

ColquittCustom405 · 01-01-2010, 03:34 AM

nice write up!

rrev · 01-03-2010, 10:50 PM

Very cool write up. SOOOOO many options!!! hehehe

crawler_clod · 01-04-2010, 09:16 PM

takes the saying "i built that" to a whole new level

Riksss · 01-05-2010, 12:22 PM

Very informative!! I may have to try this now!!

GrndLvls Brain · 01-09-2010, 12:00 AM

Sweet write up, now I have another reason to go to the shop and use the vacuum table we built not to long ago. Now if only I can think up a design I like..... If it its even still setup, let alone have the material still.

mcss aerocoupe · 03-25-2010, 09:25 AM

Would a vacuum mold work on a scale accurate model? I really need a lexan body of a '66 Chevelle. An image of the model is below. I have taken the frame and interior away, leaving just the body, grill, bumpers, hood, doors, trunk lid, and front/rear windows in place.

My biggest worry, from reading this and similar articles, is since the body is metal, there would be poor suction, and therefore the resulting lexan car body would not be as good as it should be.

Also, since the body curves back in at the bottom, how hard will it be to get the lexan off of the metal body?

Thanks.

mtnbiker93 · 03-25-2010, 07:27 PM

where did you get that sheet of petg for so cheap??? i cant find it anywhere

foolish 1 · 08-30-2010, 01:21 AM

Dam now I gotta try it

ARC MotorSports · 08-30-2010, 04:35 AM

Very cool thread!

Nice work.

bigal53021 · 08-31-2010, 02:07 PM

the closest PETG that i could find is on http://www.mcmaster.com/#petg/=8naicw it is like $6.59

spacephrawg · 09-03-2010, 05:34 AM

There are a few good reasons you can't mold Nikko, Tamiya, and other brand's hard bodies and/or lots of other options and that is that they have undercuts, that is, places where form curves under or has a protrusion or incision large enough to catch on the vacuum formed plastic when you try to lift it off. The reason why OP's thing works is because he had to destroy the original mold to get it out. You can't really do that effectively when you're pulling from something harder like a hard body. Look at any lexan shell body you own: they all get wider as they go to the bottom or at least not narrower. This is so they can pull the plastic off of the mold in the factory.

There is a way around the problem of undercuts, which is to make a mulit-part mold that can disassemble inside the cast shell after everything has cooled down. You'd have a keystone piece that you remove that frees up everything else. An Axial rep told me once about his time working for HPI, and how they had such a mold for a Camaro body.

The seam lines where the mold parts meet up will show in the casting so it helps if you've divided up the pieces along panel lines of the real car (not sure if that makes any grammatical sense but I hope the meaning is clear.)

Apparently, manufacturers drill vacuum holes all over the molds in places there they want detail to pick up. For instance that right angle where the windshield meets the hood, or where a bulging fender meets the body, or in the corners of windows so that the plastic picks up the detail there too.

About working with Lexan, Lexan is basically "polycarbonate". There exist generic clones of it just like there are for pharmaceuticals.

A tip I picked up recently was that you should pre-heat the plastic for a little while before you heat it for molding, so as to get the moisture out of it because that kind of plastic is a "hydrophile".

There are a load of other tricks to make this work that professional manufacturers use, that you can learn about on the www.tk560.com prop-making forums. They also talk about how to build better vacuum forming machines with more effective vacuum pumps and built in heaters.

motorman · 09-03-2010, 07:54 AM

Can someone make me a 2010 Camaro body???

LinkBacks (?) LinkBack to this Thread: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/paint-body/174580-step-step-home-made-body.html
Posted By	For	Type	Date
A Hummer or Bust! - Page 8	This thread	Refback	10-05-2011 03:48 AM

12-26-2009, 02:32 PM	#42
Jamus RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Naoma, WV Posts: 1,479	I expect the answer is no, but can you use plexiglass to form a body? It's the only clear sheet I can find locally.

12-27-2009, 01:26 PM	#44
jwalker RCC Addict Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hallsville, Tx Posts: 1,820	this is a great tutorial, i might have to try it out. i have been thinking of doing something like this.

12-28-2009, 09:08 PM	#45
509 Media Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dothan, AL Posts: 251	Very cool.

12-28-2009, 10:05 PM	#46
Tanis Keep it real Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Yakima,WA Posts: 6,532	I was watching some vids a couple weeks ago on how to pull your own styrene bodies with vaccuuforming, good stuff man

12-28-2009, 11:18 PM	#47
Shadow Fox Rock Crawler Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 511	indeed..cool tutorial...i'd like to for mmy own body for my Slash...I'll try it out! I got all the materials readily available.. very cool!!

12-31-2009, 08:34 PM	#48
fuyutime2 Pebble Pounder Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: My House Posts: 138	what else can be used besides lexan and petg (unless you can find it CHEAP at 2X2feet square.)

01-01-2010, 03:34 AM	#49
ColquittCustom405 I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Orlando Posts: 7,420	nice write up!

01-03-2010, 10:50 PM	#50
rrev Newbie Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Beatrice Posts: 42	Very cool write up. SOOOOO many options!!! hehehe

01-04-2010, 09:16 PM	#51
crawler_clod Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: roanoke Posts: 19	takes the saying "i built that" to a whole new level

01-05-2010, 12:22 PM	#52
Riksss Rock Stacker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 84	Very informative!! I may have to try this now!!

Sponsored Links

01-09-2010, 12:00 AM	#53
GrndLvls Brain Newbie Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: McDonough, Ga Posts: 16	Sweet write up, now I have another reason to go to the shop and use the vacuum table we built not to long ago. Now if only I can think up a design I like..... If it its even still setup, let alone have the material still.

03-25-2010, 09:25 AM	#54
mcss aerocoupe Newbie Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: USA Posts: 3	Would a vacuum mold work on a scale accurate model? I really need a lexan body of a '66 Chevelle. An image of the model is below. I have taken the frame and interior away, leaving just the body, grill, bumpers, hood, doors, trunk lid, and front/rear windows in place. My biggest worry, from reading this and similar articles, is since the body is metal, there would be poor suction, and therefore the resulting lexan car body would not be as good as it should be. Also, since the body curves back in at the bottom, how hard will it be to get the lexan off of the metal body? Thanks.

03-25-2010, 07:27 PM	#55
mtnbiker93 Pebble Pounder Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: orinda Posts: 134	where did you get that sheet of petg for so cheap??? i cant find it anywhere

08-30-2010, 01:21 AM	#56
foolish 1 Newbie Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: surprise Posts: 37	Dam now I gotta try it

08-30-2010, 04:35 AM	#57
ARC MotorSports Rock Stacker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 76	Very cool thread! Nice work.

08-31-2010, 02:07 PM	#58
bigal53021 Rock Stacker Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: fredonia Posts: 95	the closest PETG that i could find is on http://www.mcmaster.com/#petg/=8naicw it is like $6.59

09-03-2010, 05:34 AM	#59
spacephrawg Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Posts: 127	There are a few good reasons you can't mold Nikko, Tamiya, and other brand's hard bodies and/or lots of other options and that is that they have undercuts, that is, places where form curves under or has a protrusion or incision large enough to catch on the vacuum formed plastic when you try to lift it off. The reason why OP's thing works is because he had to destroy the original mold to get it out. You can't really do that effectively when you're pulling from something harder like a hard body. Look at any lexan shell body you own: they all get wider as they go to the bottom or at least not narrower. This is so they can pull the plastic off of the mold in the factory. There is a way around the problem of undercuts, which is to make a mulit-part mold that can disassemble inside the cast shell after everything has cooled down. You'd have a keystone piece that you remove that frees up everything else. An Axial rep told me once about his time working for HPI, and how they had such a mold for a Camaro body. The seam lines where the mold parts meet up will show in the casting so it helps if you've divided up the pieces along panel lines of the real car (not sure if that makes any grammatical sense but I hope the meaning is clear.) Apparently, manufacturers drill vacuum holes all over the molds in places there they want detail to pick up. For instance that right angle where the windshield meets the hood, or where a bulging fender meets the body, or in the corners of windows so that the plastic picks up the detail there too. About working with Lexan, Lexan is basically "polycarbonate". There exist generic clones of it just like there are for pharmaceuticals. A tip I picked up recently was that you should pre-heat the plastic for a little while before you heat it for molding, so as to get the moisture out of it because that kind of plastic is a "hydrophile". There are a load of other tricks to make this work that professional manufacturers use, that you can learn about on the www.tk560.com prop-making forums. They also talk about how to build better vacuum forming machines with more effective vacuum pumps and built in heaters.

09-03-2010, 07:54 AM	#60
motorman Quarry Creeper Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: florida Posts: 353	Can someone make me a 2010 Camaro body???

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Thread: Step by Step ... HOME MADE BODY