SpudFiles

Hi all,
in another topic someone suggested to me to use PVC to melt it and shape it to a desirable gun and use it as the outer shell.
So far i figured if a make a wooden model of the gun and then melt the PVC over it it would work but i just need to know how i would melt it and how do i get the PVC in the right melting position.

Thanks.

PVC does not melt, it softens. So get a PVC sheet(there is thread some where on how to make this) heat it up with a heat gun and use thick gloves to shape it over your model.

whats a heat gun?would i be able to substitute it for a blowtorch?

a heat gun is virtually a super powered hair dryer. You could easily use a blow torch, just don't hold it too close.

Well it's more the other way around,blowtorch for a heat gun.A heat gun is like a supped up hair dryer and is less chance of setting things on fire burning the PVC.


PVC DOES melt,it is just required to get to the right temperature.How else would they mould pipes and fittings if they couldn't make the PVC into a liquid state.

have you considered vacuum forming?

i dont have enough cash sadly

Would i be able to Cut a Pvc Pipe down the centre into two halves and then melt them to flatten them out?

BTW, I am trying to make a Vektor Cr-21

PVC is a thermo set plastic they soften but do not melt (becoming liquid). To recycle it it is heated and cut in too small pellets then these pellets are forced in to the mold under pressure and heated so they bond. I had my materials science class yesterday and we looked at polymers
plasticized PVC might be different.

Also PVC is generally self extinguishing so there is less chance of it all catching fire. it can still catch fire but the fire should not spread

Have you thought of fibreglass instead of using pvc? Much more simple to use cheap and strong too. Check your autostore for some and any imperfections you can fix with some bondo and sand paper. Ohh and did I mention it will be light as a feather?

From_Hamsterdam wrote:PVC is a thermo set plastic they soften but do not melt (becoming liquid). To recycle it it is heated and cut in too small pellets then these pellets are forced in to the mold under pressure and heated so they bond. I had my materials science class yesterday and we looked at polymers
plasticized PVC might be different.

Also PVC is generally self extinguishing so there is less chance of it all catching fire. it can still catch fire but the fire should not spread

Im doing pretty much the same thing in science right now (polymers, monomers and stuff...

integral wrote:Have you thought of fibreglass instead of using pvc? Much more simple to use cheap and strong too. Check your autostore for some and any imperfections you can fix with some bondo and sand paper. Ohh and did I mention it will be light as a feather?

i want it to be relatiely heavy i like the feeling of a heavy gun.

In the other thread ,How to flatten PVC Pipe, It explains that you heat it in an oven until it starts to deform.And then you take it out and straiten it and wiegh it down till it hardens could i just take it out of the oven and mold it onto my model?

thanks

Imperialist1 wrote:i want it to be relatiely heavy i like the feeling of a heavy gun.

You can fill the hollow shell with plaster I´d go with the fibreglass idea.

Is the stock you are making be solid? For example will there be alot of components within the stock? If not, the stock will be as heavy as whatever you decide to use as a mould. Why not keep the wooden model and used it as the base structure and have the fibre glass as the texture for your stock. I'm suggesting this because to heat and then mold pvc around a shaped wooden block won't be as easy as it seems. The Cr-21 you posted looked very ergo which means more detail to mold around. Still this is up to you.

If the model doesn't have alot of grooves and stuff... mold half the stock, then mold the other side seperately. Cut to fit and stick each half with eproxy? That's what I would do. Good luck!