Downing's Case Making Guide

[cndowning]

Hey everyone! Just figured I'd post my guide for reference over here as well. It's about a year old and I've ammended some of the techniques, but as a basic guide line it's still quite detailed.

This guide answers many of the normal case making questions and is very theoretical in it's approach. Rather than just showing you a picture and a sentence, I tried to show the reasons as to why these techniques work and how the can be applied to many other projects outside of modding. It even includes Thermal Images of High Impact Styrene on my vacuum former table as it heats and is formed so you really get a good idea of not only how the plastic reacts, but also the variables and flaws in certain table designs, (like mine!)

The idea hear is to pass on knowledge that I've learned first hand and make others capable of learning these techniques from a theoretical perspective.

Our good friend Hailrazer was kind enough to contribute to this guide as well and anything contributed by the overall master of case work is a very much appreciated endorsement!

So feel free to click on the image below to be taken to the site and give it a read! Thanks guys!

[lexxion83]

I do not post much but I logged int to just say you guys did an awesome work!!!
I looked at all the parts and the guide is very nice. I like the pictures that come with the guide. Remember, a picture is worth a 1000 words

Awsome job.

[Life of Brian]

Thank you for making such an excellent guide! I read it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved every bit of it. It is inspiring and encouraging, and I feel that my next portable definitely needs to be vacuum formed. I'll be using many of the tips you taught me

[cndowning]

Thank you for making such an excellent guide! I read it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved every bit of it. It is inspiring and encouraging, and I feel that my next portable definitely needs to be vacuum formed. I'll be using many of the tips you taught me

Thanks man! Means a lot to me to hear seasoned modding vets who have been in the game a lot longer than I have to have such interest in my work/guides and can actually take something away from it.

Like I said before though, this guide is due for an update as some techniques I've refined a bit and other suggestions in there are flat out overkill and can be toned back a bit. But most of it is still relevant and useful. I mean the Thermal Images of the plastic heating and being formed I though were quite unique and fun to look at.

I'll also be starting up a new thread in the misc section as I'm building a pneumatic/electric vacuum former which in all honesty will be one of the finest home-made vacuum formers in the hobby. I've sunk over 6 months into the design of it and over grand into materials already and I haven't even cut a piece of metal yet. It's a good thing I have some professional help though, completely CAD and co-designed by a professional machinest who's helping me for free in exchange for use of the machine when it's complete! Very good deal!

But if anyone has any questions feel free to let me know. I'm gonna start being active over here again, though it feels like starting from scratch as all 300 of my old posts and Nimbus 64 work log were completely deleted a couple years ago