How to bend acrylic?

[CAPSLOK]

What is the easiest / safest way to bend a sheet of plexiglass into a curve? I do not have a heat gun.

Someone had suggested to stick it in the oven over a large coffee can - temp recommendations?

Doesn't have to be a perfect angle or anything precision - I'm just trying to use it to make a little terrace in the tank.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[scubaprashant]

A powerful hairdryer could probably do the job as well if the acrylic isn't too thick. I bought a heatgun used for $5. It's a handy tool to have.

 

[sp0k]

a friend put some in his oven at a low temp..but for me would not do it..lol

 

[jimmyj7090]

Acrylic in the oven will release some concerning fumes. That said, plenty of people have done it.

How thick is the material you're working with?

I wouldn't count on a hair dryer being very effective for this. It takes a while with a heat gun to soften 1/4" acrylic sheet, I'd guess it would take a very long time with a regular hair dryer.

 

[tallball158]

I have used a simple lighter to bend thin acrylic before. Do not breathe in the fumes! Lol! If your material is thick the lighter may only melt the surface.

 

[hoppycalif]

For this type of job you don't need the very best heat gun. I have the cheapest one I could get at Home Depot, and it works well for occasional jobs like this, although I generally just use it for shrinkable tubing. Now that I have it, I wonder why I waited so long to buy one.

When I used the oven to bend acrylic I was disappointed in how hard it was to get the right temperature. My oven tends to heat to 300F or higher, and won't hold a 200F temperature at all.

 

[peppie]

Check the spec sheet for the type of acrylic you are wanting to form.
The spec sheet can be found on the net.
If the material is thin enough you can use the heat gun. If it is 3/8' or above the heat gun will be troublesome. At 1/2'' the heat gun is useless.
I formed 3/8 material with a home built oven using a propane burner. Again you need to check the spec sheet for that type of acrylic for temp and cook time.

 

[CAPSLOK]

Ended up borrowing a heat gun from someone at the local reef club. Worked perfectly.

 

[Paul B]

If you don't have a heat gun you can bend it with a propane torch but it will make a sharp bend and you have to keep moving the flame over the material fast then wait until the heat sinks in or it will bubble, you need to practice. I build a lot of things out of acrylic up to 1 1/4" thick. I also made my platform bed from acrylic and it has all round corners which I did with a torch but a heat gun is much easier and only costs about $29.00