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Can anyone bend acrylic for me?

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DNA Dan:

A radiant type heater such as a heat gun or toaster element are easier to use for this. I tried it with a blowtorch before, and lets just say it's like burning a marshmallow.

robertsig:

I tried a heat gun.  It bent, but bent wrong.  I'm still not sure how people can target heat to a 2mm thick line, but kudos to those who can.

At this point, I don't mind paying for it.


DNA Dan:

I think it's pretty impossible to only heat a 2mm line. The heat is going to spread no matter how thin you apply it. The bending is all in the technique. They probably use a very good form and support the plexi with flat wood. Then make the bend by "creasing" it against a form. You just have to have the right setup to do it right, which isn't cheap. So you're probably better off going to a plastics store like TAP or something locally.

RandyT:


--- Quote from: DNA Dan on April 25, 2011, 03:22:34 pm ---I think it's pretty impossible to only heat a 2mm line.

--- End quote ---

Sort of.  Some of the better benders use a movable "heat mask" creating whatever size window for the element you want.  There is a physical limit to the radius of a bend (without distortion), based on the thickness of the material.  So a 2mm aperture of heat is probably not going to be enough to make a nice bend on thicker material anyway.

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