There are a ton of different guides on YouTube, Makezine, and Instructables about how to make a vacuum former. I like the vacuum former version that uses a “Buckethead” attachment since, when not in use, it basically turns into a bucket you can use to store all the parts.
Whether you make an entire systems as complicated as Adam Savage’s huge setup or as simple as something made from a peanut butter jar, the theory and operation is essentially the same:
- Build an enclosure that can pull a vacuum
- Put a bunch of holes in a side of that enclosure
- Warm a sheet of plastic until it begins to soften
- Turn on the vacuum and lower the warmed plastic over an object for the vacuum to pull the plastic around the object
In recent years there have been several Kickstarters for vacuum formers. At a few Maker Faires in the past I’ve gotten to see several of them up close. Don’t get me wrong – those professionally built models are great, but I probably won’t ever buy one. They’re probably great for consistent temperatures, going quickly and precisely from heat to vacuum, much bigger than my own DIY setup, and probably has some kind of safety testing.
That said, this is one of those “Pareto Principle” type tools. I can get way more than 80% of what I need way less than 20% of the cost. The bucket vacuum former costs probably $50 worth of materials plus a cheap heat source versus $500 – $5,000 for a more professional setup.