# Vacuforming documentation video



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

This is not the only way to vacufrom slot car bodies but this is how I've been doing it for 23 years. I have no idea how many cars I've done this way but it would be several thousand over those years. Some of the molds seen are 18 or more years old.

I want to thank Greg for sending them back to me, without him this would not have been possible and this art would have been lost. Most of the molds I got back are irreplaceable.

Part 1

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/?action=view&current=MOV00058.flv

Part 2

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/?action=view&current=MOV00059.flv

Part 3

http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/?action=view&current=MOV00060.flv

If there is any part of this anyone would like in more detail please post it here and I'll do what I can to document it better.

The construction of the buck is the one thing I can't really document well. The current production dirt modified took more than 40 hours to produce. Others seen in the video took longer, like the Odyssey Daytona Prototype took probably 50 hours. It takes an incredible amount of engineering to design something that will actually work as a slot car body, and I can't really explain how I do it. I just start building with an idea in mind and keep working until it gets there. Having done this so long it's all pretty much automatic now, even having not done it for almost two years while my vacuformer and molds were not in my possession. I've done a total of 25 of the new dirt modifieds including the one made in this demonstration. 

Hope this explains how it's done.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Extra cool Pete!

A picture's worth a thousand words. Thanx for sharing your process.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Yes, Thank you Pete :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Man I'm enjoying and understanding more and more from these videos you guys are posting. I like the pictures, but the videos just explain the process so much more!!! Thank you guys...RM


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Great how to! Thanks.....:thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

where are you getting the plastic to make these??? I made a vacumformer an need plastic. Also do you have any pics of how you create your molds??


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

*Process de-mystified!!*

I've looked at tons of pictures of vacuformers, but never imagined the process was that easy, or fast. It is very understandable the multitude of hours that go into making the buck. Suddenly, vacuformed "glass parts" are a feasible reality, and I will be looking into this whole process in depth as I intend to start resin casting this coming year. Thank you for the videos!! The whole process makes sense now!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

UtherJoe


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Tim, I get my PETG from Tower Hobby:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0095p?FVPROFIL=&FVSEARCH=+++clear+plastic+sheet

Scroll down to the K&S stuff: It comes in 0.015 and 0.010, both I use to do the bodies. $3.49 for a package that will do 12 cars on my vacuformer (4.5"X6") equals 29 cents a car. I screw a few up from time to time so I just round up to about 40 cents each to make. The reason I still sell them (when I sell them) for $2 each is because the molds take so long to make. 

If you figure I were to get paid my usual wage of $9 an hour for doing a mold that takes 30 hours to make, that's $270. It would take selling a lot of bodies to break even. For me it's not about the money, I've given away more than I have sold several times over, I just want to see and hear about my creations kicking butt on the track. 

Like I said, creating the mold is a very long and drawn out process. I usually start with a basic box lower shape and go from there. There is no set way I do it, I bend and shape sheet plastic and epoxy until it "looks" like the car I want. Not every mold is a winner but I can generally salvage one that looks like crap and make something better from it. I make my molds to last, most have for more than 10 years of pretty heavy use. You have to figure being continually wrapped in 200 degree plastic every 2 minutes or so you'd better have the construction to stand up to that. I do consider making molds for others if there is a decent enough trade in it for me. 

An alternative to scratch building a mold is to use a die cast car. You need to fill in the underside with clay but the principal is the same. I had some diecast molds once but I'm not sure if I tossed them.


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## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

TY Pete, Its acually Kevin. Couldnt fit the "idator" to the end  AN I know Tower Hobbies well, Its 45 mins from me as is most major distros for hobby product in Champaign Il


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*nice how to....thanks Pete*

Pete,

Thanks here also. Like UtherJoe stated, this might be a way for me to make windows for my resin casted car bodies in the future....Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

You did a great job with the vidieo and was wondering, don't your hands burn when pulling this out from the oven or is it not that hot for such a short time? 

Bob...you learn something every day...zilla


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Kevin, you can also mold in white and colored plastic if you like the same way. The "industry standard" is clear when you order MADD or any of the lexan type bodies. But you can immediately feel the difference between PETG and lexan by touch. PETG is more flexible, rubbery feeling, and will accept hobby enamels, lexan generally needs a special polycarbonate paint. PETG also holds acrylic paints too. I've drawn cars in lexan and in styrene, I like PETG because it is more forgiving. 

Bob, I do burn my hands occasionally, not like Sarah did the other day (she didn't hear the 'sizzle' like I did) but the thicker Plexiglas of the rack doesn't heat up as fast as the thinner sheets. When I do like a dozen at a time I take a break after 6 and let things cool down. I don't have a lot of sensation on my left hand from an incident that happened a long time ago, I can scorch the fingertips pretty good before I feel anything.


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

Thanks Pete!
That was very interesting and informative.... And it looks like you have slapped the plastic on the vacuum box a time or two... lol
Who knows... One day I may try this myself...

Scott


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

My first box I build in '85 was made of wood with a cut up clipboard for the rack. It lasted for about a month, then one day I decided to try a stronger vacuum source than my 30 year old Kenmore. The suction of the new vac collapsed the mold plate once the plastic hit it and caused negative pressure in the box. It broke almost perfectly in the shape of the mold along the relief holes. 

It took about 3 months before I built the one I still use today just after my birthday in '86. It's made of 1/4" Plexiglas and glued together with fish tank epoxy. I've had to replace the rack 3 times from the heat warping it over time, but the box is the same. 

Scott, all you need is an airbox, a rack with clips, a heat source and a vacuum source. And then the patience to ruin about your first 10 bodies. What I could suggest is a Radio Shack project box, put 4 suction cup feet on it, a nozzle to hook a vacuum clear to and then cut the rack so that the inside cut out fits over the top of the box. I'd practice doing diecasts first, then maybe convert existing HO scale bodies to molds. And yes Deane, I am in the process of converting the Tomy Toyota into a mold at this very time. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the rear wing.


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## slingshot392 (Nov 27, 2008)

Excellent tutorial videos! Thanks for posting them.

Have you ever tried Sculpey for your masters? http://www.sculpey.com/ I have just started working with it even though I have had my box of it in the closet for 10 years. It stays pliable until baked.

Has anyone ever used the Mattel vac machine and if they did, does it do a good job? We had one when I was a little kid, but I barely remember it.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I had one of those old vacuformers but like most stuff when I was a kid and traveling with my dad across Europe it either got lost or destroyed. Sculpey is nice stuff but I've been a plastic model car builder for most of my life, and using sheet plastic, Squadron Green and glue just fits better.


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

That's funny- I've been back in the shop this week working with our thermoformer operators on our Comet 84" X 60" machine smoking some .125" HDPE sheet. Funny to watch Pete's video's in miniature. Our machine has an oven that is capable of 175,000 watts. 

What's your shrink factor on that PETG? What, no temp control on the mold?  -just kidding Pete...

-Scott V.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Wow...so how many TV dinners can YOUR vacuformer do...Hummmmmmm? I bet you guys don't burn your hands much though.


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## slotcarbus (May 24, 2007)

Hi Pete,

Your videos are great! what is the rack made of that holds the plastic sheets. I think I have to try this.

Later
Buster


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Buster, just 1/4" black plexiglas, the first 2 were clear and warped after a while then broke through one of the corners.


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## ampracing99 (Jun 17, 2008)

whats a good type of clay to use for making die cast molds? looks like a simple process and i would love to try this myself, using hot wheels,matchbox,ect. diecast bodys. this would be interesting. you done a great job on the videos, and your bodies, and explaining everything. shon


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## fastlap (Nov 11, 2007)

*another version?*

Pete, excellent tutorial and subject.

I need to post photos of my old vacuforming stuff. I made a box from wood, that emulates the old Mattel Vacu-from Machine with the pump on the side. Only mine has a shopvac hooked to the bottom. My box is double hinged with allows the captured plastic to swing onto the buck. It's a decrepid looking thing, but for about $5 in materials, it has served me well over the past 20 years. I have vacuformed in styrene and clear buteryte<sp>. Same principal, however, I use a flameless paint stripper gun instead off the oven. I'll take some photos tonight.

Gar


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Gar, would love to see it. There are so many ways to do this, it's not hard and even though the days of "lexan" bodies in our type of racing seem to be passing it's still nice to have something that isn't very common. I laugh every once in a while, I'll go to a local HO race and see cars I did a very long time ago, being driven by people who have no earthly idea who I am. Then I break out the mold for their body and it's like "Oh YOU'RE the guy!" Next thing you know they have a few "new" bodies for their old cars.


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## fastlap (Nov 11, 2007)

*that's funny*

Pete,

You're right on the money with that one. When I see some folks at local slot shows that will ask me if I still do bodies. I politely explain that I moved on to resin casting. Funny, because my bodies, even though popular locally years ago, were heavier and not as shiney as those pretty lexan bodies. But I sure made a lot of them!!! Now, my vacuforming is more to make clear windows for the resin cars. I'll post a couple pics of the C5R with and without windows tonight. 

You'll get a kick out of the box. :thumbsup: That thing is 25+ years old and has been patched and reglued numerous times. :drunk:


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

bump bump


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## fastlap (Nov 11, 2007)

*oops.*

sorry guys. I'll get a couple pics of my old stuff up here soon. Just been alittle busy, as my youngest is getting married this weekend.:woohoo:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Bump of an informational thread.


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

wow super cool tutorial pete!i have been curious about this process aswell,and had no idea it could be done so simple and cheaply!just how much detail is possible,however?i imagine it would have its limits...


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Depends on the thickness of the mold material. I draw from either 0.010 or 0.015 and I can get rivets on late models pretty easy. My dirt modified has a corregated rear deck that shows up nicely in both 0.010 and 0.015.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Pete McKay said:


> Depends on the thickness of the mold material. I draw from either 0.010 or 0.015 and I can get rivets on late models pretty easy. My dirt modified has a corregated rear deck that shows up nicely in both 0.010 and 0.015.


I picked up your dirt modified in the HOHT auction - what was it done with? Can't wait to get it!

PD2:thumbsup:


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

any opinions on the parma lexan bodies?i saw some at the LHS and was curious...


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Paul, those are in 0.015, thicker than my usual 0.010. 

Parma has been around a very long time, they have some excellent classic slot car designs. Lexan takes a special polycarbonate paint though, where as my cars are drawn in PETG and can be painted with regular hobby paints. I have even cleaned off mistakes with lacquer thinner and not ruined a body. You can't soak them but a little thinner on a Q-tip allowed me to fix a screw up. 

My problem with painting is I have Parkinsons and usually have some sort of tremor most of the time. Getting a straight line now-a-days is very rare. When I can afford to get some plastic I will be offering them unpainted, I just can't paint like I used to.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

Cool bro! Thanks for the info! I should be getting the car anytime now. Anything I should know about the setup or the car itself? I'm glad I won one of your cars!

I always wondered why slot car guys were drawing bodies in PETG....that makes sense now. They still paint the inside just like lexan, right?

Thanks for the info bro!
PD2:thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Sand the tires, run the snot out of it. Should hook up on a nice clean flat track.


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## PD2 (Feb 27, 2003)

SWEET! It showed up yesterday! This is a cool car bro! I have a creation from Pete now! LOL! Totally diggin it! I need to setup my HO bullring and run this and some other cars I've been neglecting. Oh, and I also have one of those tri-leve power packs from AFX that I need to check out too. It's like Christmas all over again!

Thanks again Pete!
PD2:thumbsup:


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