Bend Radius Acrylic Sheet

The freight for 1 2 x 48 x 96 sheet of gray acrylic is 90 00 sometimes there is a 65 00 pallet charge.

Bend radius acrylic sheet. To calculate the minimum bend radius of curvature multiply the thickness of the sheet to be used by 330. The rest of the sheet is heated largely by conduction. Before you bend acrylic set it between 2 pieces of scrap wood and clamp them together with a vice. This radius is applied in all cold bending procedures.

Set up plastic or acrylic sheet in a simple bending jig. Cold forming plexiglas sheet can be cold formed bent at room temperature in a smooth arc and held to a radius by forcing the material into a curved channel support. Since plexiglas acrylic sheet is an excellent insulator the surface. Please keep in mind the bigger and thicker the part is the more it cost to bend.

Tutorial for how to. Tighter radii may result in crazing or cracking of the coating. As the acrylic heats up move the heat gun from side to side and steadily push on it with a piece of scrap wood to help it bend. The freight on a 1 2 x 48 x 96 sheet of clear acrylic is 0 0.

Ensure good ventilation because heated acrylic creates mildly toxic fumes. To set up your plastic or acrylic sheet to bend simple curves for your miniature and model projects you need to first remove the protective covering from the material you wish to bend. Bending shaping plastic with hot air gun heat gun. Then aim a heat gun at the point on the acrylic you want to bend.

Screw the boards together through the second board straight into the base board placing a screw every 6 inches. This is the completed form you will use to bend your acrylic sheet. Never heat acrylic sheet in a kitchen oven. Since plexiglas acrylic sheet is opaque to most wavelengths in the infrared spectrum the surface exposed to the heater absorbs almost all the energy.

The recommended radius of curvature should be a value greater than 180 times the thickness of the sheet for plexiglas g sheet and 300 times the thickness for plexiglas mc sheet see table below. Ideal for perspex acrylic plexiglass polycarbonate. Preparing hot air gun w. Minimum cold forming radius sheet thickness x 100.

Line bending or thermoforming a brasion resistant acrylic sheet is not recommended. Cold forming is possible. Use long thin 1 inch or so in width test strips to practice your technique and learn how your particular heat source affects your chosen thickness of plastic. Mark your plexiglas sheet along the line where you want to bend it.