How Do You Make A Vacuum Former?
Vacuum forming is a way to heat plastic and shape it into a variety of items such as masks, fake body parts or figurines. Once the plastic is slightly melted, you place it on a form and use the vacuum to suck the soft plastic onto the form. Draw a grid of 1-inch squares on a heavy-duty cookie sheet. Drill a 1/16-inch diameter hole at every line intersection. Drill more holes every 2 inches along the top of the cookie sheet. Slice a hole in the middle of a 19-by-13 1/2-by-1/4 inch sheet of Plexiglas, and be sure the hole is large enough to hold a Shop Vac vacuum hose adapter tightly. Glue the adapter in place, leaving no more than 1/8 inch of the adapter through the top of the hole. Seal around the adapter with a silicone caulk. Build a frame for the vacuum forming table from a 1/2-inch thick sheet of plywood. Make the frame 12 inches high, 19 inches long and 13 1/2 inches wide. Cut an arch-shaped hole in the bottom of one of the side pieces large enough for a vacuum hose to fit through
