Vacuum Veneering Tutorials

[Ted Hunter]

I have been working on a vacuum veneering blog for anyone interested in vacuum laminating. Their are a number of tutorials and videos that I have done that will be helpul in showing the different ways you can use vacuum for pressing and bending wood veneers. The blog will be updated frequently. Any comments would be great.



Ted

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Ted

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sure that members will be interested in your tutorials.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Philly]

Ted
Welcolm to the forum!
Some very useful info there-thanks. I'll be keeping my eye on your blog.
Cheers
Philly

 

[Woodythepecker]

Ted, welcome to the forum.

Regards

Woody

 

[Ted Hunter]

I have added 3 more tutorials to the blog.
Ted

 

[Steve Maskery]

Excellent Ted. I've done a reasonable amount of vac-pressing, but I've still learned new things from you. Thank you.

Now then, Ted uses pink builder's foam for moulds. Having built a few moulds myself, this looks to be a very attractive alternative. Does anyone know if this stuff is available in the UK? I've never seen it, but then I've never looked for it either.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mr]

Funnily enough I was looking at the Roarockit site only last night and thinking to myself that I never had a skateboard as a kiddie despite always wanting one. I reckon I have about 3 or 4 years before my own boy will be after one. Skatings big round these parts - theres even talk of a skate park being built, mind theyve been campaigning to get one for years. Will be watching your blog with interest.
Mike

 

[Ted Hunter]

It is the solid insulating foam that comes in sheets of 4 X 8'. Here in Canada it is made by Owens Corning. The stuff comes with different R ratings. The higher the number the more denser it is. An R rating of between 7 to 10 is the best for making molds.
http://www.owenscorning.com/worldwi...f.pdf.OCPinkExtrudedPolystyreneInsulation.pdf

Ted

 

[mr]

Does anyone know if this stuff is available in the UK? I've never seen it, but then I've never looked for it either.

This stuff looks to be the same


http://www.floorheating.ltd.uk/products.php?CAT_ID=4&SUB_ID=&P_ID=12

Mike

 

[Scrit]

Ted uses pink builder's foam for moulds. Having built a few moulds myself, this looks to be a very attractive alternative. Does anyone know if this stuff is available in the UK? I've never seen it, but then I've never looked for it either.

In the UK British Vita, amongst others, manufactures high-density styrofoam. Bagpress offer a CNC shape cutting service for Styromould. They certainly used to sell the materials on their on, as well, and have been promoting its use for some years now (it's cut by hot wire). Another source is the packaging industry.

Scrit

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've just been down to B&Q to see what they had. Most of the insulation was as glass fibre rolls, but they did have 2.4 x 1.2m (that's 8x4 to you, Ted ) sheets of expanded polystyrene in various thicknesses up to 100mm (4"). Such a sheet is £20.

So, Ted, I have a q for you. Just how firm is your pink stuff? Does it mark if you squeeze it twix finger and thumb? This stuff does, but it doesn't collapse, just a dent, and not a big one at that. If it's of the same order, I think I might be very pleased.

I'm thinking that maybe a 6mm (1/4") baseboard, with MDF sides shaped to the profile, then filled with this polystyrene, shaped to the profile of the sides and a 3mm hardboard skin over the top would make a robust but cheap and light former.

Next q. How does one cut this stuff without the workshop ending up looking like Santa's grotto in Debenham's? A hot wire would be great, but how to power it? How about a guitar string and a battery charger? Or am I asking to plunge the house into darkness and have my wife dialling 999?

As ever, all suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Scrit]

I've just been down to B&Q to see what they had. Most of the insulation was as glass fibre rolls, but they did have 2.4 x 1.2m (that's 8x4 to you, Ted ) sheets of expanded polystyrene in various thicknesses up to 100mm (4"). Such a sheet is £20.

Steve, the stuff that Bagpress sell is a lot denser and less likely to compression set than the white insulation stuff. That might do, it just depends how many items you are going to press on it.

I'm thinking that maybe a 6mm (1/4") baseboard, with MDF sides shaped to the profile, then filled with this polystyrene, shaped to the profile of the sides and a 3mm hardboard skin over the top would make a robust but cheap and light former.

If you use the denser foam to start with the entire form can be made in one piece without the need to cobble various bits together. I tried what you are suggesting when I first built a press a while back and found the form edges had a tendency to telegraph through when laminating. Moving to a denser foam - with sufficient density to stand up at the corners - cured this problem.

Next q. How does one cut this stuff without the workshop ending up looking like Santa's grotto in Debenham's? A hot wire would be great, but how to power it? How about a guitar string and a battery charger?

If guitar strings are stainless steel, then you've almost got it. What you need is something like a 12 volt electric train transformer (which should have an overload cut-out) and some 21 SWG (.032in) stainless steel lock wire sometimes sold as EZWire, stainless being a resistor. I've had the stuff from a radio control model shop in the past because aircraft modellers us it for guide wire, etc. In fact first hit I did on Google came up with this relevant article. You don't want to get the wire red hot as it will cause melt back of the expanded material, blobs on the wire and take the temper out of the wire as well - that means it will break earlier. Your cutting action must be smooth and progressive to keep a smooth surface on the form. The real experts on this are all on the model plane fora, y'know :lol:

Scrit

 

[jasonB]

John Lloyd did a review of the blue Bagpress foama while back in F&C. He made his moulds up in sections that could pass under his bandsaw approx 8", tack glued them together and then sanded the whole mould as the foam is dense enoughto do so.

I think normal white expanded polystyrene will be too soft and may distort.

Jason

 

[Ted Hunter]

The foam, when pressed down with your thumb will slightly distort. It only has to withstand 13 pounds per square inch as this is all the vacuum bag can exert per square inch. The foam that comes packed around product like tv sets or stereos is similar to the density of the foam we use here.

I put out a call on another forum where there are a bunch of skateboard deckbuilders using foam. I know some of them live in the UK. They may have some answers.

Using a hot wire setup is great but not necessary for this type of moldmaking. Making templates and using a flat surform or long sanding block is surprisingly fast and accurate. I have built foam molds with a hot wire setup and know that by the time you build the setup for guiding the wire you would already be long done your mold if you had done the hand and eye method.

There are also tutorials on making foam molds on the blog (drawer face build, laminating a chair back) and a video here:
http://www.roarockit.com/rc_resources.php

Hope this helps.

Ted

 

[nickson71]

if you want a hot wire cutter for polystyrene I expect you can get them from gamesworkshop ....... It's the warhammer etc gaming / model painting etc you see in the high street ..... normally full of spotty kids on a Saturday (and the odd adult that likes playing toy soldiers ...... not a dig at this type of hobby mind ... I play ..... no wonder my sister thinks I'm a geek) ...... on-line at www.gamesworkshop.com



Ian

 

[Ted Hunter]

A UK longboarder wrote me on another forum.

I got some but it wasn't pink.......

I went into my local builders merchant and purchased some 'insulation' foam. Its the stuff they use to line houses.

Was about 3 inch thick, in 4foot by 2 foot sheets.

It did have silver foil on one side but that came off easily....

Sounds like foam is available in the UK at some building supply places.
This would be perfect for molds as it is thicker than the stuff we can buy here in Canada.

 

[Steve Maskery]

OK, well at least I know what sort of stuff he's talking about. Does he say whether or not it was suitable?

Thanks
Steve

 

[Ted Hunter]

Here is a UK company that sells extruded foam. Took a while to locate but it looks as if they have several outlets around the UK.

http://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/output/products/page_277.html


Ted

 

[norman]

Hi all

Interesting .Subject!! I don`t know if its any use to you but I made a vac press some years ago and for some of the detailed shapes I used the beans out of a bean bag enclosed in a plastic bag and the air removed and sealed kepted the shape very well . A quick former to be used inside the veneer bag. need to watch out for support otherwise ok.
Norman

 

[Chris Knight]

Norman,
That is an interesting idea. It is reminiscent of using sand moulds for casting metal. A foundry sand keeps its shape which can be very detailed. Next time I have the veneer press out, I will try some sand in a bit of shrink wrap and see what happens when I try to laminate a few leaves of veneer to some bendy test shape.