Who's made their own bodies??

[Baja Bandido]

I've been toying with the idea on making my own body for a Slash short course chassis. I'd like to do a Ford Bronco like these older Parma Bronco bodies I have:







Here is a video I found on YouTube:

HPI BLITZ 101 MOD # 14 VAUCUUM FORMING (THE MAKING OF A BODY) - YouTube

If anyone has made their own body, any guidance would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Chris

[panaba453]

I made that video, contact me and I can give you the all the info you need. Another person on eBay had seen my video and started making and selling his own slash and blitz bodies for $19.99 . I will pm you my phone #

[Acill]

Originally Posted by panaba453

I made that video, contact me and I can give you the all the info you need. Another person on eBay had seen my video and started making and selling his own slash and blitz bodies for $19.99 . I will pm you my phone #

I'd love the info as well, not to sell bodies but for my own use. I seem to go through them so much it would be nice to make some custom ones with a bit of personal style to them.

[LeMieux]

If you make some of those older body style broncos, id love to buy one off you. I've been wanting to do a tribute to my old 1:1 fsb

[Blown Thunder]

Originally Posted by panaba453

I made that video, contact me and I can give you the all the info you need. Another person on eBay had seen my video and started making and selling his own slash and blitz bodies for $19.99 . I will pm you my phone #

Im interested as well, looking to make a 1989-1995 Silverado for SC and MT use

[Baja Bandido]

Originally Posted by panaba453

I made that video, contact me and I can give you the all the info you need. Another person on eBay had seen my video and started making and selling his own slash and blitz bodies for $19.99 . I will pm you my phone #

Thanks Panaba! I'd definitely love to talk to you about it. I have two goals. Make a few Bronco bodies and possibly make a Robby Gordon Hummer Dakar body using Proline's Militia form but modifying the back. Have you tried creating a body buck without using an existing body? If so do you use clay?

Chris

[panaba453]

Watch all my videos on YouTube. On how to make the mold as well as the vacuum box, all i was lacking was a oven to use, my wife got pissed off when i would do it in the house with here new oven. Im sure if you look on youtube you can find other way to heat up the polly carb. Please note: vacuum forming is an art, but once you get it, it is hard to stop making them, so be prepared to go through some down falls making bodies for yourself. All in all the total cost to make a body is around $10.00 worth of lexon, but not including the cost to make the mold and the cost of making a vacuum box and a heating source, most of all your time. I'm willing to help anyone here as much as I can.

[tcm glx]

I am IN!! I want a Bronco body!!!

[Blown Thunder]

while we're talking about Fords, http://image.minitruckinweb.com/f/mi...ophy-truck.jpg or http://socalprerunner.com/wp-content..._left_side.jpg

Better yet http://www.off-road.com/aimages/arti...9203/lewis.jpg or http://4x4-lescopains.pagesperso-ora...IG%20TRUCK.jpg

[UnrealRacing]

Seems like an awful lot of work. Making the molds perfectly with no bubbles would be a pita I would think.

[Tammer]

I agree^. I think you would have way too many failures to make it worth it.
Plus at $10 a body on average, are you really saving money? You think about using your oven and then stickers and window masks that you get. The $10 average is the cost of lexan if you buy a lot of it.

[CheapTwin]

I'd get a TRX Raptor shell, pour a mold and work from there, at least the fenders would be in right places

[panaba453]

yes you do have a lot of mistakes, but there perfect for bashing around,but when you do get the hang of it ,its a breeze,,,,and yes it is a lot of work, but in the long run you save big, try to buy a body for 10th scale .050 to .060 in thickness, i still have the first one i made , sure it is not perfect but it still will out last a stock body ... Try it you might like it.

[Tammer]

Originally Posted by panaba453

yes you do have a lot of mistakes, but there perfect for bashing around,but when you do get the hang of it ,its a breeze,,,,and yes it is a lot of work, but in the long run you save big, try to buy a body for 10th scale .050 to .060 in thickness, i still have the first one i made , sure it is not perfect but it still will out last a stock body ... Try it you might like it.

Ok so any tips for a first timer to prevent some mistakes? And any schematics for the vacuum board? Thank you

[panaba453]

unfortunate mistakes are part of the process, there are a few variables on the vacuum strength/pull ability ,and how long to heat the polly carb, it is hands on feel ,it that makes any sense. i wish i could say it was easy to start making them,but the trial and error was a learning curve ....sorry no schematics on a vacuum board, but easy to make tho ,see my videos at Panaba453 on YouTube

Originally Posted by Tammer

Ok so any tips for a first timer to prevent some mistakes? And any schematics for the vacuum board? Thank you

[Baja Bandido]

Originally Posted by UnrealRacing

Seems like an awful lot of work. Making the molds perfectly with no bubbles would be a pita I would think.

Originally Posted by Tammer

I agree^. I think you would have way too many failures to make it worth it.
Plus at $10 a body on average, are you really saving money? You think about using your oven and then stickers and window masks that you get. The $10 average is the cost of lexan if you buy a lot of it.

For me, it's all about making custom bodies that aren't offered by anyone so I think it's worth trying.

Chris

[Drew]

Has anyone who's made a body considered using air pressure rather than a vacuum to form the lexan? A 100% absolute vacuum (which can't be achieved by any cost effective means) only generates 14.7 psi of pressure whereas if you use air pressure to blow the mold it can be as high as you want within reason. This might cut down on mistakes like wrinkles and bubbles.

[WTFChuck]

Originally Posted by Drew

Has anyone who's made a body considered using air pressure rather than a vacuum to form the lexan? A 100% absolute vacuum (which can't be achieved by any cost effective means) only generates 14.7 psi of pressure whereas if you use air pressure to blow the mold it can be as high as you want within reason. This might cut down on mistakes like wrinkles and bubbles.

That makes no sense at all.

They've been vacuum-forming pretty much since they invented plastic, and I'd guess that if there was an easier way somebody would have figured it out by now.

[WTFChuck]

Originally Posted by Baja Bandido

Thanks Panaba! I'd definitely love to talk to you about it. I have two goals. Make a few Bronco bodies and possibly make a Robby Gordon Hummer Dakar body using Proline's Militia form but modifying the back. Have you tried creating a body buck without using an existing body? If so do you use clay?

Chris

To copy an existing body the easiest method I've seen is to use plaster of paris. Cheap, sturdy, easy to modify and shape.
Otherwise, get a block of wood and some files and a dremel and carve away.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by WTFChuck

That makes no sense at all.

They've been vacuum-forming pretty much since they invented plastic, and I'd guess that if there was an easier way somebody would have figured it out by now.

If you watch panabas video he winds up getting a wrinkle in the lexan, if instead of a vacuum box below the mold you had a pressure box on top with an air compressor you can push harder on the lexan before it cools.