VACCUMM FORMING COIL HOUSING

[daverave]

is the mounting bracket on the coil housing vaccumm formed as one moulding or is the mounting moulded separately then glued on.

[Overtheedge]

First, I haven't vacuum formed a housing yet. I do use ABS to build sluices and classifiers for gold prospecting. This requires heat forming, cutting and solvent welding.

Almost all the pictures and videos I've seen show molded and then filled with epoxy.

As soon as I make a detector that suits my particular needs, I'll make a housing to fit. However, I will just heat and form the mounting ears to match the shaft and solvent weld it in place. Here in Alaska, ABS sheets aren't cheap. Cut-offs can be had much cheaper. Thicker pieces of salvage ABS can be heated and flattened. Another easy option is solvent welding thinner stock in layers to get the thickness you need.

ABS pipe glue works, but is expensive. I use MEK and add scraps of ABS to thicken it up. Works real well as ABS putty when I make a screw-up in measuring and cutting.

For heat forming, I've use a heat gun and my kitchen stove for small sections. For a bit larger, I use my toaster-oven and for even larger pieces that I'm just bending, I use an electric space heater.

For bending I have used my 30" sheet metal brake, but wood boards and hinges work just fine.

Hope this helps a bit.

Oh, somewhere on this site, I saw a posting on using a press rather than vacuum for forming coil housings.
er

[dfbowers]

You can form the ears into the coil but it's tricky as everything is so time and temperature sensitive. If you are only going to make one coil it might make more sense to glue the ears onto your coil. Also if you don't have a great vacuum source you have to coax the plastic into the center section with a tool. I posted a video a few months back on the forum on how I do it. Look under the section of tools and techniques for a thread on building a vacuum table.

[seadoggy]

hello can i use HIPS High Impact Polystyrene for vacuum making covers for the coil???

[dfbowers]

Hot off the vacuum table.. I'm offering coil shells for any builders who may need one for finishing their DIY projects:
https://sites.google.com/site/dbcoilshells/home
I have a dozen or so 10" shells that I can ship immediately plus a few 9" shells. The 10" coils shells are made for Ivconics TGSL coil pattern, just drop your coils in!
I have a few other shapes available as well but may need a week lead time to form. I'm targeting the lower 48 states as shells seem to be easy to obtain overseas.
Don..

[sinclairuser]

Hot off the vacuum table.. I'm offering coil shells for any builders who may need one for finishing their DIY projects:
https://sites.google.com/site/dbcoilshells/home
I have a dozen or so 10" shells that I can ship immediately plus a few 9" shells. The 10" coils shells are made for Ivconics TGSL coil pattern, just drop your coils in!
I have a few other shapes available as well but may need a week lead time to form. I'm targeting the lower 48 states as shells seem to be easy to obtain overseas.
Don..

its a shame about the postage don, as its impossible to get them in the uk as well, georgi sells them in europe, but what folks want is 1 or 2 NOT shed loads!, if us-uk postage was not so expensive i'd buy a couple.
what we in the uk need is someone like you knocking them out, i suspect its due to price of the sheets, only found small quantities and they are very expensive(craft shops).

[dfbowers]

New Vacuum forming video

Just uploaded a new vacuum forming video that shows how to make a clam style coil housing.

https://youtu.be/6prgi5MrtQQ

Enjoy!
Don

[Chet]

Hi Don

Great video, thank you for sharing the information. But for my part it is easier and less cost to leave the coil forming to you.

Have a great day,
Chet

[dfbowers]

Hi Don

Great video, thank you for sharing the information. But for my part it is easier and less cost to leave the coil forming to you.

Have a great day,
Chet

Ha.. Hi Chet. Yes, for most of us, our interests are metal detectors and not vacuum forming. But we all find out that most things we learn in life are learned while we are trying to do something else. I just needed shells!

Don

[Geo]

Excelent video.

Thanks Don

[greylourie]

Really nice video.

[WM6]

Very inventive solution Don. Congratulations.

[barwildi]

I was curious of how you got that perfect "lip" edge on the bottom half of the clamshells. Nice!

Thanks for sharing.

-Barry

[dfbowers]

Hi Barry. You can form the top half OVER a trimmed bottom half that has been placed back on the form, or in my case I use a plastic ring that was cut from a half that was a dud. Either way, a relief is needed so the halves fit together. Another thing that is super important.. wooden forms must be stored with care as they swell and change in size with the change in weather! I generally have to make both halves at the same time.
Don..

[WM6]

Hi Don, I didn't catch how long in oven and at what temperature? Thanks.