Bending Plexiglas

[Gooseman]

Does anyone have any ideas or tips on how to bend plexiglas without breaking, chipping, melting or any other methods of destruction? I am looking to bend plates about 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick 90 degrees and was hoping someone has already walked this road and has an easy way of doing it.

 

[daugherty]

use a torch and just heat it a bit at a time just keep the flame moving make 2 or 3 passes at a time until it bends

 

[Gooseman]

got to be an easier way than putting a flame to it ... i am worried if i dont move fast enough or stay far enough away it will melt or discolor and make it look crappy

 

[cthegame]

I dont know how you could do that without heat softening it up. Any other way i'd imagine it would just snap but maybe there is different types of plexi glass. But im not sure, maybe there is a way, i just dont know it.

 

[daugherty]

the only way it is going to bend is if you get it hot. it will turn black from the fire but will usually wash off. just put the peice on a table with part of it hanging off the edge and hace someone else hold it to the table ind holding the other end as it gets hot it will bend as soon as it gets to the right temp as soon as it starts to bend remove the heat

 

[Gooseman]

doesnt someone make a hot blanket or pad of some sort for this kind of material so that it softens the plastic without hurting it

 

[daugherty]

you msy be able to do it with boiling water

 

[cthegame]

I think you might be able to get this done without damaging it if you heat it in the oven. Maybe you can go to a home improvement store and see if they have heat guns.

 

[Gooseman]

all good ideas ... but so far i would have to go with the table edge and some heat from the flame ... it makes sense as long as the black soot comes off

 

[Stupidsreef]

There is another way. I'd go with the torch idea, it's easy and fast. But....

You can take some play sand, place it into cake pan. Put that in the oven and bake it at I think 300 or 350 for about 20 minuets. Then take the plastic and shove one end into the sand while pressing on it to bend in direction you want it to bend in. But honestly the torch idea is better.

 

[Bifferwine]

I've done it before by putting it in the oven. It worked just fine. I grabbed onto it with oven mitts and bent it by hand. Much easier than using a torch or sand.

 

[bullitt21]

do you know anyone with a sheet metal break?i bend mine in one of those and it works great.any one that makes heater ductwork will have one.just my:twocents:

 

[Gooseman]

i dont think you can bend plexiglas without making it pliable first ... how would you bend it in a break machine and make it bend without breaking it in half since it is so brittle?

 

[RyanG]

Heat it first. They do make a heat blanket for bending PVC. Dont know how well it would work on sheet plexi.

 

[bullitt21]

take it slow and it will bend.i have bent it many times.as already said u can use a heat blanket as well.

 

[Bifferwine]

Cookie sheet. Oven. Super easy. That is all.

 

[flojo]

Cookie sheet. Oven. Super easy. That is all.

im with biff....quick and easy, less maintenance and no chance of bodily injury....well, less chance haha

 

[Gooseman]

ok ... so what temp do i bake it on and for how long before i try to bend it? i mean i dont want to get it any hotter than necessary to do the job

Cookie sheet. Oven. Super easy. That is all.

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't remember :(

You might want to try googling.

 

[yote]

Bullitts right.You can can bend plexi in a break.You just have to adjust the break to the thickness of the plexi,and take it slow and easy.
I've bent several sheets of it for a glass company that used to come to the shop for sheetmetal molds.