How do you bend rigid acrylic tubing?

[Reefbox]

I want to bend a piece of rigid acrylic tubing (1"-1.5" dia ) for my overflow box. Do I just use a torch to bend it or a strip heater or heat and bend with a pipe bender?

Thanks

 

[Ereefic]

I bent a piece of 1" once. I filled the length of pipe with sand and packed it really tight in there and capped both ends. Heated the center section with a torch being careful not to scorch the PVC. After a few minutes it was soft enough to shape it. After it was shaped, put it in a bucket of cold water holding it till it cooled enough. Took off the caps, dumped out the sand and that was it.

 

[Fast Fred]

If you have a high powered hair dryer, it might work. I have a heat gun, similar to a hair dryer. It is made and sold in model airplane hobby stores for heating the heat-shrink coverings they use on the flying model planes.

 

[natual]

If you want them for the u-tube overflows, might I make a suggestion. Use regular PVC or something dark as the clear ones grow algae which reduces the flow and they need regular maintainance.
Just a thought.

 

[hmott]

if you are doing the small tubing, like airline. I insert a 14g coated wire into the tube (it takes some twisting) a nice firm wire is best. Then I heat with a heating gun and twist it around as I heat. It gets soft and you just bend to the shape you want. Then pull the wire out.

 

[xrunner1234]

I've also heard that you can use an appropriate sided spring in place of sand.