Looking for bendable acrylic

[omreardon]

Hey guys,

I am looking for either very thin acrylic that I can bend easily or, ideally, that stuff that you get in diy auto-top off kits that comes in a sheet that you put in hot water and becomes clear and moldable and then when it cools off it holds it's shape. Anyone have any idea where I could get either of these items? I tried home depot but their acrylic is all so thick that I couldn't really bend it at all.

Thanks!

 

[cee]

Heat it in the oven. It all bends easily when it is the correct temperature. Don't ask me what the right temperature is as I forget

 

[omreardon]

Dang. I should have thought of that. Thanks cee!!!!

 

[cee]

It's kinda tricky, too much heat and the acrylic deforms, too little and it won't bend easily. You can also use a heat gun (blow dryer isn't hot enough) or a propane torch to heat along a line you want to bend (clamp it to a table first and use the table edge to help "define" where you want the bend to be). The pros use a electrical heating element which you can build yourself but will require a bit of an investment. Practice will small inexpensive pieces first until you get the hang of it and I think you'll find it's not too hard.

 

[DevinWolfe]

I used the ones below to do my ATO switches. I didn't find anything similar when browsing through Home Depot or Lowes. This stuff was SUPER easy to work with. You just dip one end in really hot water until it starts to turn clear, you'll know when your "play time" is running out because it starts to get hazy (translucent?) before it turns opaque and hardens.

http://www.aquahub.com/store/moldaholder9.html - 9 inch

http://www.aquahub.com/store/moldaholder18.html - 18 inch