Andrew Jessen

Sara Cellucci

In order to use the vacuum former, members must be signed off by an area champion after completing training. If you would like to schedule a training session, please check the Training Classes page for up-to-date info. We have new equipment, so if you were trained on the old unit please reach out for a brief conversation outlining the changes or schedule a training before using them.

Training Classes:

• Occasional open trainings which add a 2'x4' demo
• Trainings by request with hands-on 5“ demo
• Typically take <30 minutes
• No longer any cost associated with the training

Safety Guidelines:

• Do not leave either unit unattended while heater is on… EVER
• Smoke indicates overheating, reduce heat or lower plastic if encountered
• Plastic is hot when heated, do not touch without protection and due care
• Do not allow dust or debris which could contaminate the tanks onto the large bed
• Consult an area champion before using materials not on official list
• Turn off both the “Master heat” and “Side Outlet” switches when done
• Do not use buck materials which may suffer under heat or cause debris ingestion

Approved Users List

• Jinguang 5”x5“ dental vacuum former
• Proto-Form 2'x4' vacuum former

• A “Buck” is the term for the item you mold off of, but mold is fine
• A 5 degree “draft” to avoid verticals helps keep corners clean
• Extreme height difference between points of the buck could cause tearing
• Sharp corners are typically fine, but actual edges are likely to pierce the plastic
• “Undercuts” will usually form ok, but as a natural consequence prevent normal removal
• A generally convex shape for the entire buck is a good standard
• Shallow areas which do not access outside edge should have holes drilled to funnel air

• Wood of all forms, with MDF being a preferred material
• Hard plaster or ceramics are common for making molds
• Existing products and hard plastic models can be great for bucks
• Metals work great if you have something the right shape
• Renshape, urethane modeling blocks, and molded epoxy are designed for buck use
• 3D printed ABS is preferred for 3D printed bucks
• 3D printed PETG for most commonly formed plastics (check glass transition temp!).
• PLA can work but may deform. Use extra vertical & horizontal shells to sink more heat.
• NOT soft plastics or Sculpy (they melt)
• NOT wet clay/putty/etc (it squishes and drips)
• NOT soft foam (they squish)
• NOT hard styrofoam (turns out it melts into the plastic)
• NOT anything crumbly or dusty (they make a mess inside the machine)
• NOT wet clay (both squishes and makes a mess)
• NOT potatoes (mostly just a waste of food, otherwise it is pretty viable)
• If you want to use other materials or non-approved materials which do not endanger the equipment, send the area champions a quick email or message in the Discord for approval before trying.

• .030” thickness is minimum recommended merely due to difficulty of use
• .040” or 1mm is preferred thickness for most projects
• .080” or 3mm is the maximum we expect these machines to mold
• High Impact Polystyrene (preferred)
• Abs
• Pvc
• Acrylic
• Polyethylene
• Polypropylene
• Pet-g
• Butyrate
• Polycarbonate is NOT permitted until we have better ventilation