Heat Shaping Acrylic Sheets

Over bend the sheet slightly to prevent memory and then let the sheet relax back into the form.

Heat shaping acrylic sheets.

Acrylic comes in two varieties. A mold any object shape you can press the acrylic into to give it shape mallet and or a peen for shaping caution i ve only tried this in an electric oven. The only major variable that can affect the forming process is the thickness of the plastic sheet. This phenomenon is relatively common in thicker sheet.

Strong reusable our sheets can be re melted again and again so you can build reshape and add to your work as often as needed. It comes in both transparent and colored options and can be machined laser cut or heated and bent into almost any shape. Force the plexiglass into the desired shape. Note that the minimum radius of the bend you create is 180 times the thickness of the plexiglass sheet.

Since plexiglas acrylic sheet is an excellent insulator the surface exposed to the heater may overheat before the rest of the sheet is hot enough for forming. Continue to direct the heat jet back and forth along the bend line until the acrylic sheet fits into the form at the correct angle. For instance the smallest complete circle you could form with a sheet of plexiglass 1 32 inch thick would have a radius of 5 6 inches. Attempting to create a smaller radius would snap the sheet.

Acrylic is a wonderful plastic that can be used for all sorts of different projects. Preparing hot air gun w. Cut out different shapes from the sheet. Acrylic oven baking sheet aluminum foil timer felt for handling the acrylic and to prevent scratches tools for forming tools for forming may include.

Hold the sheet in position for a few minutes allowing it to cool and re harden. Ideal for perspex acrylic plexiglass polycarbonate. Bending shaping plastic with hot air gun heat gun. For thicker sheets it will take longer and for thinner sheets it will take less time.

The rate of radiant heat input can be decreased but that would result in a longer heating cycle. Plexiglass or acrylic sheet this system works well for small pieces of plexiglass in thicknesses of up to 1 8 inch. I can t recommend for. For thicker acrylic you will need to use a metal bar clamped very securely and you may only be able to work with narrow strips of material as your heat source may not be able to heat wider areas of thick material.

Modify the timing as necessary.