Here is a home-built heating strip that allowed the creation of bent acrylic panels for a custom panel in a computer.
Plastic folding is pretty useful and often the only way that a hobbyist can create custom, clear, strong items from things like Plexiglas or other sheet acrylic without creating weak joints with glue.
In order to “fold” the plastic, you use a long heating element to create a softened area in the plastic sheet and then bend the plastic, thus forming a fold or bend. A professionally made heating element for plastic bending will generally cost you $200 or more, yet they are very simple to make.
In his post at AustinPCMods, the owner documents how he made a custom heater so that he could bend acrylic sheets to form a custom tray to use in a computer.
As you can see in his photos, the device is very simple and the results are quite nice if you take your time.
Need some information. I’m trying to create on a empty motorcycle head light shape a plastic I could heat and take the shape of the head light housing so it will not be an open hole. What type of plastic shlould I use, plain plexiglas, acrylic or what….? I have a heat gun I could use to heat a plastic sheet until it forms the eliptical shape of the empty head light. Is that correct?
Thank you.
Hi Hugo,
So, are you trying to make the lens part or the rear/reflector portion? Do you need it to be clear (as for the lens) or anything else?
Depending on the light bulb that you’re running in the housing you make, you’ll want to be careful of the heat generated by the bulb and ensure that your plastic choice can handle it.
Also, if this is to be used on a motorcycle that is outdoors often, you’ll need to keep an eye on the UV stability of the plastic that you choose. If you don’t get a UV-stabilized plastic, it will yellow, craze, and crack from the sunlight.
Feel free to post this in the forums if you feel like it, as that’s a better place to discuss things in-depth and you might also get others contributing.
Mike
TAP Plastics has a free online video showing how to make a home-made heat bender. http://www.tapplastics.com
Thanks Conrad. TAP is an awesome resource and one of the easier places to shop for those “odd” plastics working supplies you can’t easily find locally.
If you’d ever like to contribute an article to PlasticFanatics, with a return link to your site, please do – I’d be pleased to help promote your store further.