The use of the kitchen oven and the remnants of the plastic smell afterwards had not go down well after I first tested my vacuum forming machines so before I did any more I spent just under £11 on a single ring electric hob. This is my first use of that hob. It's only 1500W but is more than hot enough to melt the plastic for vacuum forming.
I am much happier with the whole process being in the shed.
I didn't quite heat the plastic up for long enough yesterday but it was sufficient to get most of the mould covered. In future I think it needs to have drooped by at least 15mm before taking off the heat.
Trimmed up, I fitted it to check alignment. The front windows all fitted perfectly but towards the rear they are a fraction out.
I marked up the changes needed and adjusted the 3D model. I have increased the resolution to the best for my printer which is down to a Z height of only 0.06mm however that means the mould will take 12 hours to print.
I also vacuum formed the head lamps glass and I've offered them up. With a bit of trimming they fit as intended.
In both cases the lines from the 3D print were visible in the finished components so I am going to sand down the next moulds to have a better finish.
Talking of sanding down. I've probably done as much as I can without too much detail being lost so now the body just needs a final top coat of paint.
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