Calling all vacuum-breathers

Tim F davi... at yahoo.com
Wed Sep 18 22:06:09 PDT 2013


September 18, 2013

Hi all --

When last we saw Will Robinson, he and the robot were racing against time to finish a device to neutralize the threat of the intelligent giant vegetables from the planet Rutabaga. We rejoin our heroes....

...Oops, sorry, wrong reality! This is Wednesday, right? Where was I?... Oh yes: I have been working on a vacuum thermo-forming system for the group. It will be used in two of our current projects: The Giant VU Meters that Emily and Mick and I are working on, and the Halloween Mask project that Nick proposed and that Jeff has been working on. The system will also be available for us to use to form plastic sheets into molded shapes, up to ten inches by ten inches by six inches, in a 12-inch square plastic sheet.

I have finished building and testing all of the parts. Today I vacuum-formed test pieces for the first time, with some success. I made four pieces, each one better and better as I learned how to do it (I haven't built or used such a system before).

Tomorrow evening during my regular Thursday night hours at the space (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) I will be trying more tests. I hope to have some thinner plastic sheets that will be easier to use.

Everyone is invited to come and play and learn and dream... what do YOU want to use this system for? Special masks for group activities (how about becoming a bunch on Minions from Despicable Me)? Wall tiles for our space? What else?

Emily and Mick: If you can make it (sorry for the short notice!) and if it is all working, do you think we should try to actually form the diffusers for the Giant VU Meters tomorrow night? Or is there a better date?

Jeff: Can you be there? It will be a good time to see how I made the pattern/positive mold, with an eye towards the mask pattern that you are making.

Everybody else: The more the merrier!

Hope to see you there... Keep on Makin' it Happen!

-- Tim F




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