Lexan molding, help needed!

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the_atomic_punk - 07 Dec 2004 03:42 GMT

I am curious to what temp lexan gets soft enough to work with.
The reason i ask is that i plan to mod a radio shack zip zap car into a
funny car.I have a metal hotwheels funny car body that is cast metal.
I am thinking about using it as a form. Would or could it be possible
to lay a shhet of lexan over the cast form and place it into a oven and
have it somewhat melt over the form.Maybe even using cool gloves to
help shape it over the form while its still hot and plyable?
If so what tempature would be good to work with and form lexan?
Maybe i am offbase about this even being possible?
I remember when i was a kid guys at the local hobby shop where molding
bodies for 1/32 slot cars with little alluminun molds.Anyone know of
this also?

Any advice,links or ideas?

Thanks group!
Atom

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SimRacer - 07 Dec 2004 22:10 GMT

> I am curious to what temp lexan gets soft enough to work with.
> The reason i ask is that i plan to mod a radio shack zip zap car into a
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Thanks group!
> Atom

Try the forums here:

www.hobbytalk.com

If someone there in the R/C or Modeling forums can't answer your question,
they may be able to at least point you to someone who can.

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Steve & Chris Clark - 09 Dec 2004 23:32 GMT

I would, if I were you, make an appointment to talk to your dentist on a
non professional non working term when he has a couple of minutes to spare.
If he has a lab in his office he just might be a nice guy and help you out.
He more than likely has the tool you are looking for! He uses it to make
skins when he makes temporary crowns over top of a model. I think the
pressure flask of the machine will be adequate for the size of the object
you wish to mould. It goes by two names and are Vacu-Former or
Pressure-former. It makes what are called "skins". He will also have a
sheet of clear plastic you will offer to pay for, couple of bucks at most.
Take the Hotwheels with you and talk nice, he just might be a big kid at
heart too! It would help if the wheels were to be removed as to make a nice
skin. It would only take twenty minutes to do, five minutes if the machine
is already turned on!
--
Steve

> I am curious to what temp lexan gets soft enough to work with.
> The reason i ask is that i plan to mod a radio shack zip zap car into a
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Thanks group!
> Atom

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Wayne Lundberg - 14 Dec 2004 19:14 GMT

> I am curious to what temp lexan gets soft enough to work with.
> The reason i ask is that i plan to mod a radio shack zip zap car into a
> funny car.I have a metal hotwheels funny car body that is cast metal.
> I am thinking about using it as a form. Would or

---snip---

You have the right idea. Thin Lexan will become plastic at about 350 in your
home oven and using gloves you can 'encourage' the plastic to mold to your
pattern. Experiment with stuff first!!!

Of course the ideal would be for you to make a box onto which you put the
Lexan, then draw a vacuum with your home vac while the part is in the oven
over the mold. Punch some holes alongside the mold and link them to the vac.

Wayne
www.rcsailcars.com

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bendix - 13 Mar 2009 09:19 GMT

Plastic molding is really a nice fun to do... i think you should have t
do it with plastic injection molding...

--
bendi

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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / March 2009

Lexan molding, help needed!