Plexiglass Bending Tool and Technique

[EdBoonSucks]

When you say power supply, does that mean a 12V battery would work also?

Or what kind of power supply would you recommend?

[typodaemon]

the way fatman sits there staring the whole time he should change his name to "creeper guy" You could have "Circuit Girl and Creeper Guy"

[looklikeaflip]

How exactly do you heat up the wire?

[jeriellsworth]

@looklikeaflip It's a resistance wire and you run a current through it from a power supply or variac.

[looklikeaflip]

@jeriellsworth I see...Do you think your method could bend .093 lexan/polycarbonate? Great video BTW! Make one on how to cut plastic by hand!

[jeriellsworth]

@looklikeaflip I think it will. Be careful Lexan gets little bubbles if it gets too warm. It can also be bent in a sheet metal break too!

[looklikeaflip]

@jeriellsworth How thick is the plexiglass you are using in the vid?

[EdBoonSucks]

@jeriellsworth When you say "power supply" do you mean, like a battery charger?

[TheSolarmike]

Thanks

Last night I connected a titanium wire up to my 24 vdc solar battery and used it to stretch a ABS megaphone with 70 amps of current passing through the wire.

It worked ok

I prefer lexan when I build prototypes. Acrylic is smelly and to brittle for me.

I am glad I'm not the only one who goes beyond

[TheFutureLooksGrimm]

That's really kool I think that beats how me and my brother use a torch to do it. With a torch it's tough because it takes correct timing and heat, and different areas are at different temperatures so this would be great.

[DanFrederiksen]

some plexiglas puts out nasty fumes when heated. might want to do it in a well ventilated area.

polycarbonate is pretty good for thermoforming I think. generally superior material too although might be more expensive. you can't shatter polycarb and it's very strong. used for headlights of cars these days

[thewii552]

what episode is this from?

[jeriellsworth]

@thewii552 I can't remember. It was probably 8 months into the show. I burned my camera stand with that. :)

[sakuraness]

You will never fully understand how you saved my life by making this video. I saved my prototype because of you.

[jeriellsworth]

@sakuraness Sweet! What are you making?

[sakuraness]

@jeriellsworth I'm making a prototype for a design research class. It's a kitchen tool designed for someone who has minor paralysis in his hands. It shields part of his fingers and keeps his hand rigid so he can cut and chop food.

[amando96]

haha fatman and circuit girl, epic name

[fuelban]

hi guys, that was very informative, and cool video, thanks, aint youtube cool, LOL,

thom in scotland.

[326jim]

u can use a door spring instead of a dryier elament

[326jim]

u can use a reastat to adjust amps

[A1260T]

this is great I want to do it, the only bit I dont understand is the adjustable power supply? where can I buy this? does it have some sort of connectors you like to either end of the hair dryer element?

[MrAbbadon72]

How about showing the whole setup!

[istepaniuk]

I use a constant current power supply and a tense wire (taken from a heater, probably like yours), but just the wire.

[analog9999]

Nice tip. Could be really useful for lots of pinball plastics. My wife will be pissed when I rip into her hair dryer! hah

[breezebro]

You're putting 110V AC across the heater element. Unless you do a perfect job with the insulating material, which is not likely, the element is touching the aluminum U-channel at various points causing the U-channel to be electrified.

[jonahansen]

First, she said to use a variable power supply to control the heat. You have to - 110 will probably produce on the order of a kilowatt, way too much. It will also immediately trash the plaster in the u metal. Also, she said to make sure the element doesn't touch the metal, to avoid the problem you foresaw. This basic technique works great - I just did it!

[breezebro]

@jonahansen

Using a variable power supply does not make it safe unless it is a variable transformer. A variable transformer costs in the neighborhood of $200.

If that wire touches the aluminum channel at any point it is electrified and has the potential to electrocute you. You can't make sure the element doesn't touch the metal unless you know how to use an ohmmeter to test it.

It is irresponsible for them to recommend it to an amateur.

Just because yours works doesn't make it safe.

[jp4rp08]

I was thinking about the transformer for an electric train. Should be available fairly inexpensively at any hobby shop.

[breezebro]

Electric train transformers output only about 15V as far as I know. That would not heat up a 110V heating element from a hair dryer.

It might be able to power one of those 12V cigarette lighter plug type car heaters. If It won't power it you know a car battery will.

[ueberRegenbogen]

The real issue is current. If only an eighth of an entire 120V element is used, then 15V would be fine, except the supply would need to deliver 20A to give you a 300W heater (not sure if that much is needed)—not something that an electric train requires.

An amusing hack would be a parallel array of switchable light-bulbs in series with the heater. Switch in more bulbs to step up the output. (It'd also be a nice practical demonstration of a series-parallel circuit.)

[breezebro]

@ueberRegenbogen

You're right, but this is beyond the capacity of most people.

A low voltage method would be the only way an untrained person should attempt to heat a wire to melt plastic. Any use of 110v to accomplish this is far more dangerous than this video makes it appear.

[ueberRegenbogen]

@breezebro. The entire activity is also beyond the interest of most people. [shrug]

[poosaypirate]

so can any of you experts tell me anything about 3d multi directional forms, meaning EG a BOWL?

i tried something like this once and it seems like the plexi i had ( tho it was thick!) only wanted to bend or curve but not actually "stretch" as with 3D forms- know what i mean?

i would GREATLY !!! appreciate help here. i know eg that there is vacuum but i dont know how thanks

[jeriellsworth]

I've done slumping (allowing the material to flow over a positive mold) and pressing into a negative mold. The trick was to have an even heat source. If the parts are small you can heat the acrylic in a toaster oven or if it's bigger you'll have to make/buy a large radiant heater element. Holding the material with a solid frame around the edges helps a lot too.

[poosaypirate]

thank you so much right now i am building a plaster positive of my project (by the way what did you have better success with ? negative or positive molds? ) I thought about doing a sandwich effect by using both the neg and the pos together. i will use a conventional household bake oven to warm the plex, then form it over my object- I also have a heat gun which could be used during the process. I am also wondering if any body knows or has tried to form ( or slump) "welded"

any thoughts?

[planemaker554]

cool now i know how to make a fish tank easy with bending instead silicone

[ytmachx]

Mmmmmm circuitgirl.

[b0e0e0f0c0a0k0e0]

where did you get the Plexiglass from reply back

[Intosia]

Thanks for the extra black Jerie!

[artist541]

nice black screen, and nice gahoolies

[anachrocomputer]

Looks like Jeri is using a PCMCIA card as a spacer! Must've been the first thing that came to hand that was the right thickness. Brilliant!

[Modern360Gaming]

Why was there a black screen for like 30seconds

[Dreelamb]

I have all this material. Very interesting. You make it look so easy. Thanks! ~Andree'

[theaggravator]

I just use my super heat vision instead of wasting twice as much on a hair dryer than a heating element cost at a local hobby supply store.

[Chick6517]

Whoa what a video I cannot take my eyes off the screen! haha this is very interesting stuff to know about.

[Dosbomber]

Not sure if this is intentional or not, but the video sorta ends prematurely at 2:11.

As far as bending plexi/acrylic, so far I've always just clamped the plastic between two aluminum angles and heated it with one of those little butane hobby torches. Your method is probably better because my way requires some skill or it can easily burn. Your method likely is more repeatable. Building your U-channel heater into a system with a hinged table (bending brake) would probably improve it further.

[jeriellsworth]

The video looks like the conversion added a little black to the end. All the content is there.

-Jer

[LPGfan]

That was some of the best black screen that I have ever seen!

[mbrusco103]

the problem with the black screen at the end is because when you exported the video from what ever program you use you didnt select the part of the video you accually did stuff with and it saved up to the point where your raw clips were put in becuase it automatically selects that amount of the video when you put in the origional clips .. if that makes any sense =]