I have a spare set i'm mucking around with, and i have one question. How well does clear plastic vaccuform?

I'll post pics when i finish

 

do you have a machine that does that?? i need someone to do a set so i can finish my altezzas for my iroc...

lemme know man..i REALLY need these


iroc2nv

 

Hurry up with these I wanna see pics already!!!

 

I don't have one right now, i was going to make one when i was set to go. I have plans in a model airplane magazine, and i'll scan if i find them.

First you need a template object, but then basically you just need to make a box closed on 5 sides which is airtight. The top edges of this box should have a wether stripping (like for house windows and doors) on it, heck a bead of silicone caulking might even work. Then you need to build 2 frames the same dimension of your box, (think 2d). Then hook your shopvac to the box somehow

Sandwich the material your using between the two frames, and heat it up in the oven or microwave untill it's very flixible. If i remember correctly, the difficult part is keeping the material from sagging when in the oven.

When it's flexible enough take the frame and press it against the sealing edge of the box, and turn on the vaccum. if all goes well it should suck down the plastic around your template.

That's my plan anyways, I think i'm going to make a softwood template, or maybe use another old light and some body filler.

If all goes well, the result will be kind of like what the new mustangs have. clear red, with mirrored insides, the shape of blackouts (rounded sligthly) with a black indented grid. I'm using the inside stock piece (modified shape of the pockets slightly) as a base

I'll put up pics as i progress, i figure i can get one done this weekend (started today)

 

oh btw, the template has to be up above the top of the box, on a stick maybe

 

Forget the Microwave, it does not heat evenly, ever notice when you put 2 cups of water in it, they are never exactly the same temperature? the same will happen to the plastic...

in A standard electric Oven you can heat up Plexiglas (acrylic) set it at about 250° - 350°F (depending on matierial check with manufacturer) and heat it for the thickness of the material. For example if you have 1/4" thats .250" thick you heat it for 25 min.

NOT every oven is exactly the same so the set temperature may vary.

.100" = 10min
1/8" = 12min
3/16 = 18 min

there is more information here: http://av-info.faa.gov/dst/43-13/ (Chapter 3 section 3)

Keep in mind that our original tailight lenses were made of acrylic.

hope this helps.

John

 

Thanks alot okfoz, that's exactly the kind of info i'm looking for.

Did i say microwave???? dear lord it must have been late when i made that post.

Thanks again

 

sounds cool. Hope it works

 

lets see some pics of it when you build it

 

A microwave wouldn't heat the plastic up at all, unevenly or otherwise. A microwave will only heat items that have moisture in them. I suppose you could smear the plastic with refried beans and then nuke it.

 

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if you could put that into fabrication, that would be HELLA COOL!!!!

 

We have a vacu-forming machine here, and i could do tailights here actually.... But i *wouldnt* recommend using the lense as the mold. Why risk breaking it and ruining the plastic if you dont have to?

Do one of a few things:

1. Make a model of the tailights out of a solid block of wood... The pair shouldnt cost more than fifteen bucks, and thats if there arent any scraps lying around.

2. Make a mold of the tailight (a negative, off the lense), and then pour it out of something more rigid....

I didnt realize that many people were interested in making tailights..... should i try vacuforming one tomorrow??

lol

 

yes yes yes a million times yes... and please get back to me on how it went...if you find good success ill buy them from you..

iroc2nv

 

Dang thats a huge sig pic. I'd like to make some tailights of my own but not altezzas not a real big fan of those since everyone has them now.

 

Wait wait wait....

The originals WERE acrylic??? Cuz i can try to form that too...

I took acrylic and shaped it in to eight panels that made a half of a sphere when assembled, i cant see a tailight lens being that much more difficult....

Gimme a couple days, ill get back to you guys........

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

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altezzas.............. whats that???

 

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altezzas are the **** burner lights..much like clear outs(which they are)..if im not mistaken

 

Actually, I kind of like that mod on the black Iroc concept above. It doesn't look to bad in digital form. How it plays out in the real world will be interesting to see. Don't like the rims, but the tail lights don't look too bad.

Not against it, but I generally like more solid colors on Camaro's and 'birds.

 

yea..i agree..didnt mean to come off rude..but i just dont like seeing a camaro and watching people make fun of it..the lights "may" look good....rims do need adjustment..heck..if anyone laughs..blow em away..chevy power

 

by the way..my friend has a sweet supra(600+rwhp) and has a new front lip identical to that camaro picture...blitz makes it i believe...lol..funny.. i like the exhaust and the rear end on that camaro...it looks alright

 

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Damn dude, we get the point.

Thanks for taking a discussion about BODY and INTERIOR and turning it in to another 4th grade debate. STFU already.

I tried last night again to separate one of those lenses i have, the damn thing sliced my thumb opened, LOL.

And Iroc2nv, do you already have the predator kit for that design? I have one on my car, but am going to take it off hopefully this summer, to repalce it with 85-90 TA GFX.

 

i dont know if you seen this yet but these were ones i found on cardomain.com

 

Ugh, I decidedly dont' like those. I dunno, I guess the lines just don't seem to fit with the car itself.

 

already been a topic about these dont ruin the guys thread, i was just postin them so he knew what he had to beat if he made them

 

Well.... i finally got my set of lenses apart, off my Formy. What a Pain in the ***. Theyre actually sealed together, and i had to dremel off the little clips, then pry them apart and separate the sealant.

I dont think ill make it to the shop with them today, so i think ill try and hit the vacuformer later this week.

I would have if i had them seaparated last night, but they really were a PITA to get apart, and one gouged my hand opened, LOL.

 

i have it..i just dont have it installed yet..

iroc2nv

 

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Read the user agreement before clicking "I Agree",-edit

 

Wow, heres a thread out of nowhere, lol.

Ive gotten one lense vaccumformed already, and im using the new plastic form to make a negative mold, and im going to try getting them in acrylic based on that. The plastic for the vaccuformer is a little thin, they wouldnt make good tailights.

May take a week or two, finals coming up.......

 

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I don't necessarily like those taillights at all, but some of you people on this board are so ignorant and immature its not even funny.

And why even bring this post back up? Just to cause problems?

 

Yeah seriously guys, wtf...

If you dont like them, the STFU and go away. Some of us are actually talking about DOING things, instead of sitting around like toothless losers ripping on everyone else.

So lets not get the damn thread locked.

And in case i didnt answer the ORIGINAL question properly, it doesnt affect its vacuforming properties weither its clear or colored, BUT, if you vacuform the actual tailights, your repro is now too large, by the size of the plastic. As i said, its also VERY flimsy. Ill post an update in a week or so...

 

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Ok, this is starting to get out of hand. Watch what words you are using.

If anyone post any more BS in this thread, it will be locked, maybe even deleted. Keep it clean and tech-related. Some people are trying to be helpful, others are just being plain rude.

Consider this a warning.

 

Although I'm not a fan of altezzas (at all), I'm curious as to how you make custom lights?


What's this "vaccuform" thing you're talking about?

 

Vaccuformers are machines that lock very thin acrylic in a tray, and heat it up until its hot enough to mold. If you touch it at that temperature, it ripples like water in a pond. That tray sits at the top of the machine and slides vertically. At the bottom of the machine is a table with a vaccuum underneath it, that sucks air down. You place the object you wish to mimmick on the table above the vaccum, with a wall around it (usually made of wood, with sealant or weatherstripping around the perimeter, to avoid any air intake), and you lower the tray with the acrylic (or plastic) and turn on the vaccuum.

The plastic takes the shape of whats below it (the original tailight), and the vaccuum sucks it even tighter to the shape of the light.

There are major cons to this method though:

Vaccuuforming any shape on the underside of the widest piece is difficult, as well as any indentations on the top. it involves drilling holes through the mold (or original light). Also, making very steep shapes (such as the side of a tailight lense) makes the plastic too weak, and when it hardens you can usually crush it with your finger. If you use thicker plastic, it wont take the shape properly.

Also, if you vacuform the light, your new light is too big, by the size of the plastic.

I vacuformed (forgive the multiple spellings, im not sure how it goes) the original Formy lense i have 9although its broken), as a test piece, and am using that to make a positive mold of the light itself, and then im attempting to make one out of acrylic, as that material seems more suitable than the vacu-plastic.

Hopefully I can get the trial lense done in the next couple of weeks. Then. (if it works) ill have to start gathering lenses to copy, as i only have one bad Formy lense. Ill need 85-90 TA lights, and camaro lights for anyone that wants them... (assuming it all works)

Guys, please take the fight outside this thread, some of us are trying to accomplish something....

 

Wow someone used search. Ain't it great!

Ok, I'm glad someone is finally trying something and is will to show us here an tell us how it goes! About the best I was able to do was to mod a separated TA tailight, so the grids were gone. Having a vacuum forming machine like that would sure make stuff like this easier. Alot less sanding & buffing for me! :sillylol: I'm still trying to come up with a nice custom design of my own to make. Something undated, less common then euros, and complimentory to the lines of the car. So I'm glad for the how 2 info!

Please keep us posted on your progress! And I have some base style taillights for birds that are a bit trashed for actual use, but might could be used for vacuum forming. Also I go to a junkyard that has great prices and I might be able to get some rough camaro tailights. So let me know if you decide to go forward with this and need some lights to mold from.

Not sure what I really think of the euro style lights on cars like ours. I think iroc2nv's concept above was nice cause it was a smaller light. A larger version say the whole length of the tailight, I think would be too much. I think his looks tasteful though. I'm just glad he's trying to make something different.

And for those who don't show much, different cars can & do win at Super chevy and World of Wheels. I have won 2 x at SC and won at my first WOW show. Also won at the TA nats. Its all in how you present the car (cleanliness and quality of workmanship), not what mods you have done! So if you are going to make you own tailights, just do it well and that is what will count at shows.

Either way, you have my applaud for going for it!

 

That looks good redraif. How were you able to get the lense seperated? Think I would be able to seperate the lense from my camaro taillights? The only thing I have that might be useful to me is a heat gun.

 

Wow I have to let the Camaro guys field that one. I think it is like my stock lights (not the above). They have a glue on them. You could carfully heat the edges and separate then I believe. Too hot and it will warp the tailight. But i have honestly never looked at a camro light up close. I have no clue how they are attached!

 

I didnt use search, lol, but i dont know if you were referring to me. I have access to a vacuformer at school. Im a student in the University of Buffalo's Architecture and Planning school, and we have a complete shop there, and the vacuformer is in there. Its a nice unit.

I have base tailights, but for the customs, ld like to use 85-90 TA style for the final ones. They offer a much easier method of including reflectors, and keeping the lights legal. the changes i want to make for my own are very minor, just a slight change in the juxtaposition of colors, but id like the reflectors to remian similar to their current position.

Redraif, i saw your modded lights, they came out nice... id just like to attempt at least, to give us all an option to get NEW lenses, so we dont have to always hunt for unmolested, unscratched products....

Like i said, im not sure how well it will work, but this first one is a really rough test.... Once i know the METHOD works, then the real project will start.....

 

if anyone actually has the outter lenze facuuformed (sp)..

lemme know...thats all i need in order for my altezzas to be complete... i have 2 tails without the top lenze..so i cant put them on yet..

pm me if you have anything..

or even post here for others to see..

thanks again

iroc2nv

 

im glad this was brought back... he said hed vaccuform it in a day and tell us how it went... its been months so i have ot ask....


Howd it go?

 

I have a question, while on the subject of taillights and custom stuff. How would you go about making the red or amber reflective piece clear? You know the reflective piece inside the taillight that sits in front of the bulb (when looking from the rear). The reflector piece is what makes the light red or amber (the bulbs are all white or clear). Is it possible to make those loose the red or amber color and make them clear? Or if not, is it possible to make my own clear reflector pieces?

 

Iroc and Hamed:

I did vacuform one light already, its in my classroom, done. The verdict is its NOT something you can use as a tailight. Its much too thin, and its the wrong size.

Im using that vacuform, however, to make the CORRECT size positive mold of the light (because it creates a PERFECT positive mold), and then im going to se about using acrylic with the mold.

Crazy, in reproduction those reflective pieces wouldnt be there, it would JUST be a clear lense... So you wouldnt have to bother with the reflective colored pieces, unless you wanted too.

Itll be at least a week till i touch that mold..... Im in my last week of school right now, and its nasty

 

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