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Thread: Bending 3/16 Plex

  1. #1

    Bending 3/16 Plex

    Just got a call from a client who wants some custom tabletop name holders and it looks like the easiest way to make them is to bend them from a single sheet.. Not having a strip-heater or any experience.. Just how tough is it to bend and form 3/16 cast acrylic? This will only be 10 pieces or so, so I just need an idea if it's worth it to pick up a heater and work the material?

    TIA
    Bruce Clumpner
    Brandon Services Laser Engraving
    Academy Commemoratives - Personalized Memorabilia for the U.S. Service Academies
    Irvine, CA
    -
    Epilog 75-watt Helix, 40-watt 18-Mini
    Started with Corel Draw V1 now feeling the pain of CorelDraw x7
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  2. #2
    Join Date
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    In my limited experience, having a strip heater (and you can make one from an old toaster's heating elements) is extremely helpful in getting a consistent bend.
    Longtai 460 with 100 watt EFR, mostly for fun. More power is good!! And a shop with enough wood working tools to make a lot of sawdust. Ex-owner of Shenhui 460-80 and engraving business with 45 watt Epilog Mini18.

  3. #3
    They make acrylic specifically designed to be heat-bent, it works MUCH better than bending basic cast. If you can't find any close by, Regional Supply will be happy to ship you some!

    for bending, I made a fixture once that worked pretty good for heating plex and Rowmark for bending- it was nothing more than two 1/8" thick aluminum plates about 2 x 8", screwed to a couple of 2x4 'legs', with a 1/4" or so space between the plates. I marked the plastic (tiny speck of post-it note works) where the bend was to take place, then held it in place under the aluminum with the bend marks centered in the slot. Then I ran a 1500w heat gun across the slot for 8-10 seconds. The area to bend gets plenty hot, and the slot localizes the heat nicely so the plastic doesn't distort beyond the actual bend. If you don't want to just hold the plastic in place, stack up a few wood/plastic scraps to make a shelf. But I found keeping the plex against the aluminum localizes the heat better--

    looks kinda like this
    bendbar.jpg
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  4. #4
    Should of said there was a design engraved on the material... so does the bendable material mark as well as cast?
    Bruce Clumpner
    Brandon Services Laser Engraving
    Academy Commemoratives - Personalized Memorabilia for the U.S. Service Academies
    Irvine, CA
    -
    Epilog 75-watt Helix, 40-watt 18-Mini
    Started with Corel Draw V1 now feeling the pain of CorelDraw x7
    CS4 photoshop
    CS4 illustrator
    PhotoGrav

  5. #5
    Kev's shield idea is great - never thought of shielding the heat gun heat for line bending. I bought a couple heating elements from mcmaster carr for 25 bucks, wired the ends into a male plug, and fitted them into a holder with a platen on top to hold the sheet of acrylic. The heat goes straight up in a line, and bends are rather quick, but I would go with Kev's idea if you have a heat gun or a torch. Cast should bend fine with enough heat. Extruded is the most common, and bends a tad better, but you want the cast for engraving, and cast still heat bends fine.
    john.blazy_dichrolam_llc
    Delta Unisaw, Rabbit QX-80-1290 80W Laser, 5 x 12 ft laminating ovens, Powermax 22/44, Accuspray guns, Covington diamond lap and the usual assortment of cool toys / tools.

  6. #6
    You've already got a heat source....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ
    Chinese 6040 by NiceCut. Originally 60 Watt upgraded to 150 Watt.....I thought I had pretty much every problem in the book of laser cutting. It turns out that there is a set of books.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Shawa View Post
    You've already got a heat source....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ
    Totally forgot about this video. It is one of the most innovative I have ever seen. The laser is a great source for pinpoint heat right where you want it - perfect for line bending.
    john.blazy_dichrolam_llc
    Delta Unisaw, Rabbit QX-80-1290 80W Laser, 5 x 12 ft laminating ovens, Powermax 22/44, Accuspray guns, Covington diamond lap and the usual assortment of cool toys / tools.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    That has got to be the coolest thing i've seen today!



    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Shawa View Post
    You've already got a heat source....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ
    Kehui 100w 900x600 with adjustable z axis table,
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    rotary and other fun toys I know nothing about yet...lol

  9. #9

    Bending

    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    They make acrylic specifically designed to be heat-bent, it works MUCH better than bending basic cast. If you can't find any close by, Regional Supply will be happy to ship you some!

    for bending, I made a fixture once that worked pretty good for heating plex and Rowmark for bending- it was nothing more than two 1/8" thick aluminum plates about 2 x 8", screwed to a couple of 2x4 'legs', with a 1/4" or so space between the plates. I marked the plastic (tiny speck of post-it note works) where the bend was to take place, then held it in place under the aluminum with the bend marks centered in the slot. Then I ran a 1500w heat gun across the slot for 8-10 seconds. The area to bend gets plenty hot, and the slot localizes the heat nicely so the plastic doesn't distort beyond the actual bend. If you don't want to just hold the plastic in place, stack up a few wood/plastic scraps to make a shelf. But I found keeping the plex against the aluminum localizes the heat better--

    looks kinda like this
    bendbar.jpg
    Been bending for over 10 years. And a diy bender is the way to go. No need for any fancy acrylic. Especially if hey are asking for a premium. Plain extruded or cast bends easy and just fine. Just don't over heat and flip back and forth from front to back. You can do just one side also, but the chance increases that you will over heat one side.

    Make a jig for the angle so each piece comes out the same.
    Redsail x700, 50watt & Shenhui 350, 50 watt

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
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    4,443
    FYI I have a $60 or less? Heat gun (hot air) for soldering and de-soldering surface mount ICs and it works slick for that. Comes with difference size nozzles and can get plenty hot enough to bend acrylic.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
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    4,518
    Make a bender with a heating element we have been doing it that way for over 20 years. We do set a timer to let us know when to take it off the bender and put it in the jig

  12. #12
    I just have to ask, you guys who state 'no special plex is needed'... Of course, this is dead to rights true, but--I'm curious how many of you have ever used the 'designed-for-bending' plex?
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    I just have to ask, you guys who state 'no special plex is needed'... Of course, this is dead to rights true, but--I'm curious how many of you have ever used the 'designed-for-bending' plex?
    Are you talking about cold bending? There is an acrylic that you can cold bend? I've done loads of cold bending but using Lexan. It sounds like this acrylic might be an Acrylic / Lexan hybrid. So it might not laser well. Cold bending is a real art, and if you are not experienced you dimension come off wrong. Lexan shrinks a bit when cold bent.
    Redsail x700, 50watt & Shenhui 350, 50 watt

  14. #14
    No, it requires heat-- Not even sure what you call it... Regional Supply and Plastic Fabricating are only a few miles from me. Plastic Fab uses and sells the stuff. They sold me some once (been a long time ago) when I needed to make a bunch of photo holders, which were nothing more than a piece of 2" x 6" of plex bent in half to make 2" x 3". I remember it had a blue plastic masking. But what I most remember was how you could work magic with it when heated up. Took much less heat, and it's very pliable and forgiving. When folding normal cast in half tightly, the bend itself tends to push out on the sides and bunch up thicker. This other stuff doesn't do this anywhere near as bad.

    It could be a hybrid, I really don't know. I just remember it was fun to play with!
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  15. #15
    Hey kev. I used to work at plastic fab in the fab dept here in utah. The only blue masked stuff we ever used to my knowlege was extruded. Extruded heats and bends easier for sure. They may have been selling it that way. But it was extruded.

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