Everything you want and need to know about vacuum forming is in this handy guide from Formech, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of vacuum forming, thermoforming, and packaging machines. Check the link for your free download and if you still have any questions, feel free to send them to us! We’re always happy to share with you what we know.
Create a box for your mold to support the sides and bottom. This will also make an environment for you to pour your resin so that you decrease the chances of spilling or uneven pouring. Keep the size and shape in mind when building the box. This example is rather large and will be quite heavy when completely filled.
Select a casting resin that will be able to withstand the heat from the thermoforming process. This particular resin has an aluminum base and will do the job well. Other resins that are useable for this process have mineral a mineral base. Companies like Smooth-On make several viable options (i.e. Task 18). These resins come in two parts, the resin and the activator. The most common ratios are 1:1 or 1:10 and are always measured by weight. www.smooth-on.com
Using an electric mixing attachment is vital to achieve uniform consistency so that all the resin cures properly. When purchasing a resign pay attention to the pot life. This is the amount of time you have to work with the resign before it starts to cure.
Next we will allow the mixed resin to sit for a 1-5 minutes to release any air bubbles that may be present. Air bubbles can have a drastic effect on the aesthetic and functionality of the tooling.
Remember to coat all surfaces of the mold with mold release so that you can easily extract the finished tooling. Then apply a thin layer of casting resin to the surface of the mold. Including this step
will drastically reduce air bubbles on the surface of the tooling and leave a a smooth exterior.
Once you have coated the mold it is time to pour the rest of the compound into the cavity being mindful of the pot life. Once it is cured (cure times will very), you should easily be able to separate the cast (or tooling) from the mold provided you used he mold release properly.
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