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YOU CAN 3D PRINT A VACUUM FORMER THAT COPIES ANY OBJECT IN PLASTIC

Print a vacuum former that wraps heated plastic tight around any shape you need to copy.

by Creative 3D Printing

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Workshop

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●○○○
time
an evening
license
MakerWorld Exclusive (non-commercial)
repo
repo FINISHED0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

A fully printable vacuum former that runs off the household vacuum cleaner you already own. The designer, Creative Electronics, publishes STL and STEP files for two sizes (MiniVF2 for 100 x 100 sheets and the larger MiniVF3), and the MakerWorld page is more useful than it first looks: it lists the screws and other materials, gives tested preheat times for 0.6 to 1 mm sheets and heat-gun distance, explains how to print your own sheets, and links two short build videos. You still source your sheets and learn the timing by doing. The licence is MakerWorld Exclusive and non-commercial, so this is a home workshop tool, not a production machine.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —STL files and STEP files are on MakerWorld for two sizes: 100 x 100 mm and 200 x 200 mm.
  • —Short written parts list on MakerWorld: DIN912 M3x8 screws (9 for MiniVF2, 20 for MiniVF3, +4 for TPU feet), a heat gun or hairdryer, and a vacuum cleaner.
  • —Assembly is shown in short YouTube videos (about 4 minutes for MiniVF2, plus one for MiniVF3); the MakerWorld description adds written tips on heating, vacuum attachment and mould removal.
  • —Licence is MakerWorld Exclusive, non-commercial use only.
  • —No firmware or electronics — this is a mechanical tool that connects to your vacuum cleaner.
  • —Optional TPU feet are included in the STL files.

Parts to buy

3 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • DIN912 M3x8 screwsFind
  • Thermoplastic sheetsFind
  • Heat gun or hairdryerFind

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Can I build this?

PrintAll structural parts (box, frame, feet) and TPU vibration feet. Two sizes: 100 x 100 mm or 200 x 200 mm forming area.
BuyDIN912 M3x8 screws (9 for MiniVF2, 20 for MiniVF3, plus 4 if you use the TPU feet), thermoplastic sheets (PS, PETG or even 3D-printed PLA, roughly 0.6–1 mm), heat gun or hairdryer.
Tools3D printer, vacuum cleaner with hose attachment, heat gun or hairdryer, screwdriver.
SkillsBasic 3D printing and assembly. No prior vacuum forming experience required, but expect to waste a few sheets learning the timing.
TimeOne evening to print and assemble, then experimentation time to learn the heating and pressing technique.
Cost$$ — dominated by thermoplastic sheet stock if you buy in bulk. Screws and filament are minor.
SafetyHot plastic and heat gun. Standard heat tool caution: burns if you touch the sheet too soon, fumes if you overheat. Work in a ventilated space.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

Creative 3D Printing vacuum former build and demonstration3:50

Four-minute walkthrough showing assembly, vacuum setup, heating the sheet and getting the moulds out. The MakerWorld page adds the parts list and heating times.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download the STL files from MakerWorld (Choose MiniVF2 (100 x 100 mm) or MiniVF3 (200 x 200 mm) depending on your printer bed and forming area needs.)
  2. 2.Watch the YouTube video and note the screw count (Watch the assembly, then check the MakerWorld description for screw counts and the dimensions for a vacuum nozzle that fits the former.)
  3. 3.Source thermoplastic forming sheets locally(PS, PETG or even your own 3D-printed PLA sheets work. The creator tested 0.6–1 mm thick sheets and lists heating times for each. Art supply shops and plastic fabricators stock ready-made sheets.)
  4. 4.Print the box, frame, and TPU feet(The TPU feet are optional and need 4 extra M3x8 screws. MiniVF3 parts are large: on X1/P1-series printers you may need to disable the filament cutter.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The licence is non-commercial. You cannot sell formed parts or run a production line with this design.
  • The parts list is short and lives in the MakerWorld description: 9 (MiniVF2) or 20 (MiniVF3) DIN912 M3x8 screws, plus 4 more if you print the TPU feet. Read it before you order hardware.
  • Heating times depend on your heat gun. The creator's tested starting points: 0.6 mm PLA/PETG for 30 s, 0.8 mm PLA for 50 s, 1 mm polystyrene for 60 s, gun 30–100 mm from the sheet. Expect to tune from there.
  • Expect a few failed sheets at first. Vacuum forming is about timing: too cold and the plastic does not stretch, too hot and it sags or tears.
  • You need a vacuum cleaner and an attachment that seals into the former. The designer used a Miele Blizzard CX1 and gives nozzle dimensions for the community nozzle generator, or you can design an adapter from the STEP files.
  • There is no full troubleshooting guide, only the creator's testing notes (heating times, gun distance, print moulds in PETG for PLA sheets, chill the part to release it). Beyond that you tune heat and vacuum seal yourself.

Can I use a hairdryer instead of a heat gun?

Yes. The designer lists a heat gun or a hairdryer for preheating the sheets. His tested preheat times were measured with a heat gun, so with a hairdryer expect to find your own timing.

Where do I buy thermoplastic forming sheets?

Plastic suppliers and craft shops sell PETG and polystyrene sheet. The designer tested 0.6 mm PLA/PETG, 0.8 mm PLA and 1 mm polystyrene, and you can also print your own PLA or PETG sheets on your 3D printer.

What is the largest object I can form?

The forming area is 100 x 100 mm (MiniVF2) or 200 x 200 mm (MiniVF3). The object must be shorter than the frame depth, which is visible in the video but not dimensioned in writing.

Can I scale this design up?

The STEP files are included, so you can modify the design. The designer has also released a separate model with more variants, mostly larger ones for large-format printers, so check that before scaling it yourself.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

This vacuum former prints at home and runs off the vacuum cleaner you already own. What would you form first: packaging inserts, custom trays, or something else?

CompareeTEAM8d agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the MakerWorld page has STL and STEP files for two sizes, plus TPU feet for vibration damping, and the written description is more useful than it first looks. It has a Necessary materials section (9 or 20 DIN912 M3x8 screws depending on size, plus 4 more for the TPU feet, a vacuum cleaner and a heat gun or hairdryer) and a section of tips from the designer's own testing. The YouTube guide is short, under four minutes, and there is a second instructional video for the smaller MiniVF3 version. The designer also lists tested sheets and preheat times: PLA or PETG at 0.6 mm about 30 seconds, PLA at 0.8 mm about 50 seconds, polystyrene at 1 mm about 60 seconds, with the heat gun 30 to 100 mm from the sheet. The licence is MakerWorld Exclusive, non-commercial only, so this is for home workshop use. Treat those times as a starting point and expect a few practice sheets before your heat gun and vacuum are dialled in. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Creative 3D Printing

Creative Electronics (Creative 3D Printing on YouTube) designs printable workshop tools. This vacuum former is designed to be fully printable and easy to assemble, works with a standard household vacuum cleaner, and keeps getting updates: a larger MiniVF3, faster-printing hole plates and more variants.

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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