Another session in the workshop, i had to restart my ball bearing game as i over wound the vice and cracked my plastic pumkin shape (twice actually) .....
It occurred to me that the two part mould is a shaping technique! re-doing this part of the process also made me time my plastic in the oven as i left my plastic in the oven for too long and it went bubbly and then for not long enough and the shape didn't form very well.
Another positive note from ruining my first two pumpkins is it gave me another chance to cut out and shape my game lid and base. I was much more confident using the Bandsaw, although had to use the wood Bandsaw as there was a lesson in the other workshop, i noticed what a difference the wider toothed blade made when cutting the plastic and in future will wait and use the other Bandsaw with a much finer blade as i would not want to crack my plastic.
When shaping my plastic pieces, I changed the blade in the Fret saw which allowed me to cut in any direction which made things a lot easier. As I was nervous about getting my fingers too close to the fretsaw blade I drew round my top piece onto my base and carefully cut down my plastic using a coping saw and then finished off using various files to round off my game and make it look more pumpkin like! Ive found that sometimes just one tool or machine will do the whole job and some times it is necessary swtich between various toold and machines just to do one job. This can be not only to make the task more successful but also make it safer!
It occurred to me that the two part mould is a shaping technique! re-doing this part of the process also made me time my plastic in the oven as i left my plastic in the oven for too long and it went bubbly and then for not long enough and the shape didn't form very well.
Another positive note from ruining my first two pumpkins is it gave me another chance to cut out and shape my game lid and base. I was much more confident using the Bandsaw, although had to use the wood Bandsaw as there was a lesson in the other workshop, i noticed what a difference the wider toothed blade made when cutting the plastic and in future will wait and use the other Bandsaw with a much finer blade as i would not want to crack my plastic.
When shaping my plastic pieces, I changed the blade in the Fret saw which allowed me to cut in any direction which made things a lot easier. As I was nervous about getting my fingers too close to the fretsaw blade I drew round my top piece onto my base and carefully cut down my plastic using a coping saw and then finished off using various files to round off my game and make it look more pumpkin like! Ive found that sometimes just one tool or machine will do the whole job and some times it is necessary swtich between various toold and machines just to do one job. This can be not only to make the task more successful but also make it safer!