Acrylic bending

[gracoope]

Hi guys,
Not exactly a woodworking question, but anyone got experience in bending and glueing acrylic sheet?

[durwood]

Are you talking about perpex?

If so you can bend it by using heat ( a heat gun works or a LPG flame ) just take it easyyou only want to warm it up not melt it. Practice on some scrap first. Any glue which has acetone as a solvent (plastic model glue) should glue it.

[Metal Head]

Are you talking about perpex?

If so you can bend it by using heat ( a heat gun works or a LPG flame ) just take it easyyou only want to warm it up not melt it. Practice on some scrap first. Any glue which has acetone as a solvent (plastic model glue) should glue it.

It's more commonly know as perspex in the trade. As Durwood said, a heat gun works well and you can use the acetone the take the paper (or plastic) cover sheet off. If you have to drill holes in it later, remember to put negative rake on the drill's cutting edges, or wise it will snatch the material and most likely crack it:mad:. Also use coolant frequently or you will melt the material - which is likely to crack the material. Also remember to chamfer the edge (can use a steel rule for that) as the edges can be very sharp.

Regards
David

[tameriska]

Hi, at school, we had something like bench mounted bar radiators, on the top of these were an adjustable bars, so that you could heat the acrylic in a straight line, for 45, 90 etc. degree bends. Before we wernt allowed to use it, chloroform was used to melt the edges of the acrylic to join together.

[Dan]

... at school, we had something like bench mounted bar radiators, on the top of these were an adjustable bars, so that you could heat the acrylic in a straight line, for 45, 90 etc. degree bends.

I remember those, we wern't allowed to call it perspex either. As a substitute you could use a piece of ply placed either side of the line where you want the bend. Make the gap about 6-8mm so that the heat from the heat gun can only get to the area where the bend will be.

[Wood Butcher]

Hi, at school, we had something like bench mounted bar radiators, on the top of these were an adjustable bars, so that you could heat the acrylic in a straight line, for 45, 90 etc. degree bends. Before we wernt allowed to use it, chloroform was used to melt the edges of the acrylic to join together.

Called a strip heater and they are still used in Man Arts today

I remember those, we wern't allowed to call it perspex either. As a substitute you could use a piece of ply placed either side of the line where you want the bend. Make the gap about 6-8mm so that the heat from the heat gun can only get to the area where the bend will be.

Nope I won't let students call it that either, its Polymethylmethacrylate although we call it acrylic sheet in the classroom (gotta know this useless BS when you have to teach it ). Great idea on the improvised heater BTW!.

[Iain]

Trichlorethylene (sp) is also a good solvent for joining plastics, just use with a fine artists brush.
Spill some of styrene, great effect