Main > Main Forum
Plastic sheets?
(1/6) > >>
notbillcosby:
I'm looking for something with a texture similar to Formica laminate, but with greater bendability so i can wrap it around the front of my radius'd control panel lip. Does anyone know of a plastic that would fit the bill?
harveybirdman:
whats the radius of the bend you're asking it to make?  Have you tried sanding the bend area with a sander to make it thinner and easier to bend?
PL1:
Not sure what color/texture you are looking for.

If you find a polycarbonate that looks good, it bends fairly easily.


Another great choice is Kydex.



Example of working with it: http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/defensive-carry-holsters-carry-options/39371-make-your-own-kydex-holster.html

Different colors and thicknesses available: http://www.amazon.com/Kydex-T-Sheet-Thick-Calcutta-Thickness/dp/B004U6TNTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343299612&sr=8-1&keywords=kydex


Scott
Slippyblade:
Heatguns are you friend when dealing with almost any polymer.  As long as you heat slowly and evenly you usually wont discolor and you can get any bend you need.
notbillcosby:
I should say, I haven't tried doing any of this yet, i'm just trying to plan ahead. I cut out blanks for my interchangeable control panels yesterday out of 3/4" plywood and radius'd the front of them, as they will be sort of a lip that sticks out in front. I've never worked with laminate before, but it was quickly brought to my attention by my dad that it would probably crack if i was trying to make a bend that tight. After visiting the hardware store today and holding a piece of laminate in my hand, I figured he was probably right. The internet made it sound like I'd want something with a MUCH larger radius if i planned on bending Formica around it. Which is why I thought some sort of plastic would be nice.

Yep, the stuff shown above looks about right. Black, kinda glossy, with a fine texture. Whatever the X Arcade panel is covered with feels perfect to my hands, and i'd like to use something with that feeling. What kind of store do I buy the stuff you guys posted at? Is that something that'll be in a hardware store like Home Depot or Menards (if anyone here knows what Menards is...) or will I need to go somewhere special? If it IS in the hardware stores, what department? I'm tired of asking their employees where stuff is and getting walked around to a bunch of different departments until someone knows what I'm talking about. Home Depot didn't know T-Nuts the other day. Sigh.
Navigation
Message Index
Next page

Go to full version