Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
for this stuff.
I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time)
The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of
particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the
two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
clamp it off.
Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
prevent cracking?
"Roger Shoaf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bending acrylic is fairly simple but toaster wire at 24V might not give
you
> enough heat. At the plastics shop I worked at they hat a kluged strip
> heater like you describe but it had a cal rod heating element running at
> 220V about 3 or 4 inches from the plastic.
>
> Try setting up some bricks about an inch apart and then take some foil and
> wrap it around the bricks so it will droop in the middle to make a
> reflector.
>
> For the heater coil, take your ni-chrome and coil it around an 1/8 inch
rod
> and when you have a coil tightly wrapped about 3/4 of the length of the
> piece you will be bending. Remove the core and stretch out the coil to
> length. You can try your transformer, but I suspect you might want to run
> this at 110V. It kind of depends on the size and of the wire and the
> length. If it glows white you have too much voltage, or too short of a
> length.
>
> You might also want to dry out the plastic prior to forming. Acrylic
> absorbs moisture that will cause a rice crispies effect as the plastic
> softens. We had an oven where we would dry sheets overnight at about 150F
> with air circulation.
>
> Good luck.
Thanks Roger,
I've been looking for a detailed 'how to' for one of these gadgets, without
too much luck. It seems most people use a car battery or a Variac for the
power source. Neither of which I have laying around. The other big unknown
is the wire guage/ohms as you indicated. I was considering 36 guage, but I
suspect it won't generate enough heat. At least the wire is cheap enough for
experimenting.
> --
>
> Roger Shoaf
>
> About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube,
then
> they come up with this striped stuff.
> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
group
> > for this stuff.
> >
> > I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
> time)
> > The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
> of
> > particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
> the
> > two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer.
Once
> > the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> > clamp it off.
> >
> > Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> > sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move,
to
> > prevent cracking?
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Keywords:
In article <[email protected]>, "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote:
<snip>
>I've been looking for a detailed 'how to' for one of these gadgets, without
>too much luck. It seems most people use a car battery or a Variac for the
>power source. Neither of which I have laying around. The other big unknown
>is the wire guage/ohms as you indicated. I was considering 36 guage, but I
>suspect it won't generate enough heat. At least the wire is cheap enough for
>experimenting.
I bought a strip heater from a local plastics shop, and they had
instructions on how to mount & hook it up. It was about 15 years ago,
and I don't think I still have the info, but I've got the heater still
mounted on a board with fiberglass felt insulation. Just plug it in,
wait a bit & bend.
The heater is a flat flexible woven sort of thing, about 30" long. It
probably doesn't draw more than a few hundred watts. It's mounted in a
groove between two pieces of the felt covered in aluminum foil. No
Variac required. It takes about 5-10 minutes to warm up enough to bend
1/8" plexy, but it's always worked nicely. I don't recall trying to bend
anything heavier, but I think it will work up to 1/4" if you are patient.
Doug White
Bending acrylic is fairly simple but toaster wire at 24V might not give you
enough heat. At the plastics shop I worked at they hat a kluged strip
heater like you describe but it had a cal rod heating element running at
220V about 3 or 4 inches from the plastic.
Try setting up some bricks about an inch apart and then take some foil and
wrap it around the bricks so it will droop in the middle to make a
reflector.
For the heater coil, take your ni-chrome and coil it around an 1/8 inch rod
and when you have a coil tightly wrapped about 3/4 of the length of the
piece you will be bending. Remove the core and stretch out the coil to
length. You can try your transformer, but I suspect you might want to run
this at 110V. It kind of depends on the size and of the wire and the
length. If it glows white you have too much voltage, or too short of a
length.
You might also want to dry out the plastic prior to forming. Acrylic
absorbs moisture that will cause a rice crispies effect as the plastic
softens. We had an oven where we would dry sheets overnight at about 150F
with air circulation.
Good luck.
--
Roger Shoaf
About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
>
>
>
if you go to your favorite thrift store and buy an old toaster, hair dryer,
or electric grill, you'll get nice heating elements, properly sized, really
cheap. Put them in series with a lamp dimmer so you can control
temperature.
snip 00000000000
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Roger Shoaf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Bending acrylic is fairly simple but toaster wire at 24V might not give
> you
> > enough heat. At the plastics shop I worked at they hat a kluged strip
> > heater like you describe but it had a cal rod heating element running at
> > 220V about 3 or 4 inches from the plastic.
> >
Fri, Dec 3, 2004, 10:15am (EST-3) [email protected] (william_b_noble)
says:
if you go to your favorite thrift store and buy an old toaster, hair
dryer, or electric grill, you'll get nice heating elements, properly
sized, really cheap. Put them in series with a lamp dimmer so you can
control temperature.
Or maybe just put a big cardboard box over the whole project, or
tent it, to keep the heat in. Be best to keep a close eye tho, to make
sure you don't set it all on fire.
JOAT
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont
matter, and those who matter dont mind.
- Dr Seuss
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've been looking for a detailed 'how to' for one of these gadgets,
without
> too much luck. It seems most people use a car battery or a Variac for the
> power source. Neither of which I have laying around. The other big unknown
> is the wire guage/ohms as you indicated. I was considering 36 guage, but I
> suspect it won't generate enough heat. At least the wire is cheap enough
for
> experimenting.
>
IRRC the cal-rod heating elements are a nominal cost. That way you can get
one rated for line voltage and avoid all of the experimenting.
--
Roger Shoaf
About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
Made many tables and plotting boards with bends using a heat gun, the
oven in your kitchen works well too if the pieces will fit.
I tried something similar without the transformer and " pop" off like a flash
bulb. So I bought a 30" electric space heater ( looks like a baseboard type) and
cut an opening in the back to allow me to slide the plexy through to the proper
location. Worked like a charm. Cheers, JG
Bill Stock wrote:
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
The heat tape is what I use. The one I have is 15 years old. It works
really well. The trick is to use the right kind of plastic, and not
too thick. 1/4 works very well.
Jack
"Auerbach" <auerbach_no_spam@no_spam_pacbell.net> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> A simple, not-very-expensive option is to use heat tape which warms the
> plastic enough for the bend. Take a look at:
> http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=59&product%5Fid=2301
>
> (If the link is broken, to to www.USPlastic.com and search on "Plastrip
> heater".)
>
> Alex
>
> "Didereaux" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in
> > news:[email protected]:
> >
> >> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
> >> group for this stuff.
> >>
> >> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
> >> time) The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1")
> >> two pieces of particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome
> >> wire (2') between the two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer
> >> and a light dimmer. Once the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge
> >> to the desire location and clamp it off.
> >>
> >> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on
> >> both sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to
> >> move, to prevent cracking?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Forget the putting of the nichrome between boards(you wanna collect
> > insurance?)
> >
> > I'm going from memory, but I believe the book "This Old Boat' describes
> > what you are doing. I don't remember it saying to clamp both edges, but
> > I suspect that has more to do with the size of the piece than anything
> > else. Take a look at the book, I have tried many things from it and all
> > have worked, I don't see why that project would be any different.
> >
> >
> > --
> > MonteP
> > "Let bygones be bygones...send a concilliatory PRETZEL to the
> > Whitehouse!"
> > "Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain." -
> > Friedrich von Schiller
> > "Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths
> > of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian
"Billy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| must be done gently, or air bubbles and\or white discoloration.
|
|
Will result. "must be done gently, or air bubbles and\or white
discoloration will result."
my bad.
Hi Bill,
No discoloration that I noticed. Your best bet is to try some scraps first,
before spending money on a sheet of material. For scraps, check your local
sign shops, glass shops, etc.
HTH
Rick
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Rick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi Bill,
> >
> > I've been traveling and am coming into this late ... but my question is
> why
> > are you using Plexiglas? If you use Polycarbonate, you can bend it
without
> > heating.
> >
> > The ONLY disadvantage to polycarbonate over acrylic is that
polycarbonate
> > surface will scratch much easier than acrylic. Acrylic, on the other
hand,
> > will shatter when struck or bent, but is very hard to scratch (well,
> > compared to polycarbonate).
> >
> > I was at a local machine shop the other month, and they were working
> > polycarbonate with their sheet metal working tools ... shear it, put a
90°
> > bend in it, mill it ... all without problems.
> >
>
> I'm rather new to this stuff. So most of my information comes from a buddy
> who did a some Acrylic work 15+ years ago. Although I was doing some
reading
> on Lexan my original post. It certainly sounds like it's easier to work
> with, cost being the major down side.
>
> Does the Lexan discolour (turn white) when you bend it without heat?
>
>
"Rick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Billy,
|
| Acrylic (Plexiglas) has that characteristic, while Polycarbonate
(Lexan)
| does not.
|
| These two items are completely different products with different
properties.
<shrug> Then perhaps what we used wasn't Lexan, sure said that on the
sticky-paper. It was quite brittle, and bending had to be done with
heat. I made dozens of guards and screens with it over several years
time.
Bill Stock wrote:
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
>
>
>
I fear you won't get enough 'heat' that way.
I did a fluted ashtray 6" or so - and I warmed it in a small bench top kiln.
The acrylic was rubbery long enough to get it into the bottom and top clamp.
Temp isn't the story - heat or calories is.
Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer [email protected]
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
A simple, not-very-expensive option is to use heat tape which warms the
plastic enough for the bend. Take a look at:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=59&product%5Fid=2301
(If the link is broken, to to www.USPlastic.com and search on "Plastrip
heater".)
Alex
"Didereaux" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
>> group for this stuff.
>>
>> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
>> time) The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1")
>> two pieces of particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome
>> wire (2') between the two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer
>> and a light dimmer. Once the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge
>> to the desire location and clamp it off.
>>
>> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on
>> both sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to
>> move, to prevent cracking?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> Forget the putting of the nichrome between boards(you wanna collect
> insurance?)
>
> I'm going from memory, but I believe the book "This Old Boat' describes
> what you are doing. I don't remember it saying to clamp both edges, but
> I suspect that has more to do with the size of the piece than anything
> else. Take a look at the book, I have tried many things from it and all
> have worked, I don't see why that project would be any different.
>
>
> --
> MonteP
> "Let bygones be bygones...send a concilliatory PRETZEL to the
> Whitehouse!"
> "Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain." -
> Friedrich von Schiller
> "Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths
> of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian
"J" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Some data to help you calculate what you need:
>
> http://www.wiretron.com/nicrdat.html
>
> -j
Thanks, very useful.
> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
group
> > for this stuff.
> >
> > I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
> time)
> > The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
> of
> > particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
> the
> > two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer.
Once
> > the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> > clamp it off.
> >
> > Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> > sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move,
to
> > prevent cracking?
> >
> >
> >
>
>
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
> group for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
> time) The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1")
> two pieces of particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome
> wire (2') between the two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer
> and a light dimmer. Once the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge
> to the desire location and clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on
> both sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to
> move, to prevent cracking?
>
>
>
>
Forget the putting of the nichrome between boards(you wanna collect
insurance?)
I'm going from memory, but I believe the book "This Old Boat' describes
what you are doing. I don't remember it saying to clamp both edges, but
I suspect that has more to do with the size of the piece than anything
else. Take a look at the book, I have tried many things from it and all
have worked, I don't see why that project would be any different.
--
MonteP
"Let bygones be bygones...send a concilliatory PRETZEL to the
Whitehouse!"
"Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain." -
Friedrich von Schiller
"Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths
of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian
Billy,
Acrylic (Plexiglas) has that characteristic, while Polycarbonate (Lexan)
does not.
These two items are completely different products with different properties.
Regards,
Rick
"Billy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> | Does the Lexan discolour (turn white) when you bend it without
> heat?
> |
>
> I've worked extensively with Lexan at work. It will snap or shatter
> if bent more than a couple degrees without heating. Also, the heating
> must be done gently, or air bubbles and\or white discoloration.
>
>
On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 14:00:34 -0500, "Bill Stock" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
>for this stuff.
>
>I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time)
>The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of
>particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the
>two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
>the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
>clamp it off.
>
>Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
>sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
>prevent cracking?
>
>
Not quite like that, I clamped up some in the bench vice, then heated
with a hot air gun, then bent it around some wooden forms. It worked
reasonably well. It helps to have an assistant (SWMBO) and leather
gloves for all.
Barry Lennox
If its a pipe you're bending, you can fill it with sand before bending it,
this will stop the pipe from getting kinks once bent.!
"Barry Lennox" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 14:00:34 -0500, "Bill Stock" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> >for this stuff.
> >
> >I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
time)
> >The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
of
> >particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
the
> >two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer.
Once
> >the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> >clamp it off.
> >
> >Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> >sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move,
to
> >prevent cracking?
> >
> >
>
> Not quite like that, I clamped up some in the bench vice, then heated
> with a hot air gun, then bent it around some wooden forms. It worked
> reasonably well. It helps to have an assistant (SWMBO) and leather
> gloves for all.
>
> Barry Lennox
>
you might try contacting euclid, who make resistive elements for kilns.
http://www.euclids.com/
they can tell you how much you need at what gauge at what power to produce
the heat that you need. they're very helpful if you give them a call and
talk to them directly. they may also have what you need in stock.
regards,
charlie
cave creek, az
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Roger Shoaf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Bending acrylic is fairly simple but toaster wire at 24V might not give
> you
>> enough heat. At the plastics shop I worked at they hat a kluged strip
>> heater like you describe but it had a cal rod heating element running at
>> 220V about 3 or 4 inches from the plastic.
>>
>> Try setting up some bricks about an inch apart and then take some foil
>> and
>> wrap it around the bricks so it will droop in the middle to make a
>> reflector.
>>
>> For the heater coil, take your ni-chrome and coil it around an 1/8 inch
> rod
>> and when you have a coil tightly wrapped about 3/4 of the length of the
>> piece you will be bending. Remove the core and stretch out the coil to
>> length. You can try your transformer, but I suspect you might want to
>> run
>> this at 110V. It kind of depends on the size and of the wire and the
>> length. If it glows white you have too much voltage, or too short of a
>> length.
>>
>> You might also want to dry out the plastic prior to forming. Acrylic
>> absorbs moisture that will cause a rice crispies effect as the plastic
>> softens. We had an oven where we would dry sheets overnight at about
>> 150F
>> with air circulation.
>>
>> Good luck.
>
> Thanks Roger,
>
> I've been looking for a detailed 'how to' for one of these gadgets,
> without
> too much luck. It seems most people use a car battery or a Variac for the
> power source. Neither of which I have laying around. The other big unknown
> is the wire guage/ohms as you indicated. I was considering 36 guage, but I
> suspect it won't generate enough heat. At least the wire is cheap enough
> for
> experimenting.
>
>
>> --
>>
>> Roger Shoaf
>>
>> About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube,
> then
>> they come up with this striped stuff.
>> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one
> group
>> > for this stuff.
>> >
>> > I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
>> time)
>> > The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two
>> > pieces
>> of
>> > particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2')
>> > between
>> the
>> > two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer.
> Once
>> > the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
>> > clamp it off.
>> >
>> > Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on
>> > both
>> > sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move,
> to
>> > prevent cracking?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
Some data to help you calculate what you need:
http://www.wiretron.com/nicrdat.html
-j
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
>
>
>
In article <1102097307.FzvlOjRghAr39wREl8SIbg@teranews>,
"william_b_noble" <[email protected]> wrote:
Also you might try your wife's hair dryer. You might have the super
model designed for peeling paint. That would have lots of heat.
Dick
> if you go to your favorite thrift store and buy an old toaster, hair
> dryer,
> or electric grill, you'll get nice heating elements, properly sized,
> really
> cheap. Put them in series with a lamp dimmer so you can control
> temperature.
>
> snip 00000000000
>
> "Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Roger Shoaf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Bending acrylic is fairly simple but toaster wire at 24V might not
> > > give
> > you
> > > enough heat. At the plastics shop I worked at they hat a kluged
> > > strip
> > > heater like you describe but it had a cal rod heating element running
> > > at
> > > 220V about 3 or 4 inches from the plastic.
> > >
>
>
"Rick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Bill,
>
> I've been traveling and am coming into this late ... but my question is
why
> are you using Plexiglas? If you use Polycarbonate, you can bend it without
> heating.
>
> The ONLY disadvantage to polycarbonate over acrylic is that polycarbonate
> surface will scratch much easier than acrylic. Acrylic, on the other hand,
> will shatter when struck or bent, but is very hard to scratch (well,
> compared to polycarbonate).
>
> I was at a local machine shop the other month, and they were working
> polycarbonate with their sheet metal working tools ... shear it, put a 90°
> bend in it, mill it ... all without problems.
>
I'm rather new to this stuff. So most of my information comes from a buddy
who did a some Acrylic work 15+ years ago. Although I was doing some reading
on Lexan my original post. It certainly sounds like it's easier to work
with, cost being the major down side.
Does the Lexan discolour (turn white) when you bend it without heat?
Hi Bill,
I've been traveling and am coming into this late ... but my question is why
are you using Plexiglas? If you use Polycarbonate, you can bend it without
heating.
The ONLY disadvantage to polycarbonate over acrylic is that polycarbonate
surface will scratch much easier than acrylic. Acrylic, on the other hand,
will shatter when struck or bent, but is very hard to scratch (well,
compared to polycarbonate).
I was at a local machine shop the other month, and they were working
polycarbonate with their sheet metal working tools ... shear it, put a 90°
bend in it, mill it ... all without problems.
Regards,
Rick
Much safer:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=59&product%5Fid=2301
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group
> for this stuff.
>
> I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free
> time)
> The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces
> of
> particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between
> the
> two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once
> the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and
> clamp it off.
>
> Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both
> sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to
> prevent cracking?
>
>
>
Fri, Dec 3, 2004, 6:14am (EST+5) [email protected] (CheezWiz) put out:
Much safer:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=59&product%5Fid=2301
But pricey. I got a little ceramic heater, the type with a fan,
and it oscillates, for about $19-20 at K-Mart. Screwed up and had it
pointed at a telephone, about 16" away from it, and it on only half powr
- softened the plastic enough to change its shape.
Or, if you want to go even cheaper, try borrowing your wife's hair
blower, bet that'd work too.
JOAT
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont
matter, and those who matter dont mind.
- Dr Seuss
"J T" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Fri, Dec 3, 2004, 6:14am (EST+5) [email protected] (CheezWiz) put out:
> Much safer:
>
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=59&product%5Fid=2301
>
> But pricey. I got a little ceramic heater, the type with a fan,
> and it oscillates, for about $19-20 at K-Mart. Screwed up and had it
> pointed at a telephone, about 16" away from it, and it on only half powr
> - softened the plastic enough to change its shape.
How'd you know I was a cheap bastard? :) Yes, I thought the $50 was a little
spendy, but the big problem is that these guys use UPS. Since I'm north of
the border, it would be more like $100 by the time they're done with their
gouging. Besides, they're on strike up here now.
> Or, if you want to go even cheaper, try borrowing your wife's hair
> blower, bet that'd work too.
I considered the blow torch route, but the idea of standing there for half
an hour breathing monomers or getting impatient and burning the plastic
didn't turn me on.
>
> JOAT
> Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont
> matter, and those who matter dont mind.
> - Dr Seuss
>
"Bill Stock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Does the Lexan discolour (turn white) when you bend it without
heat?
|
I've worked extensively with Lexan at work. It will snap or shatter
if bent more than a couple degrees without heating. Also, the heating
must be done gently, or air bubbles and\or white discoloration.