Bending clear acrylic : Fishtanks and Ovens and Stirling Eng

[Bill-W]

Hello,

I got some clear acrylic sheets approx 1/4" thick at a closing down auction.

Have been googling for ways to bend it and make a cylinder.

Have found that aquarium hobbyists discuss this a lot and that you can put it in the oven and when it gets a bit softish it can be bent and moulded.

Any good threads or tips that people can recommend for trying this to make a striling engine - I want to see the piston go up and down.

I found a website for a company in Melbourne that can supply acrylic tube up to 2.5" diameter but was wanting bigger and wondering about diy methods.


Bill

[Ian S C]

Some plastics can be bent after putting in boiling water, and that would be a good start, if more heat is needed , a hot air gun would do the trick, just don't get it too hot, it will bubble up, and you don't want that. just mind the heat(don't want burnt fingers).
I wanted to do that on my LTD motor, but ended up using a bit of 6" plastic pipe.
Ian S C

[Aviator168]

Try this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbojup1n8xo

[Hobblerian]

If the your clear plastic is similar properies to Perspex, you can bend it cold using a folder (or homemade one) to 90deg and beyond. If you use a heat gun its very easy to get it too hot and cause unsightly wrinkles and cause blistering. I have bent 4mm Perspex using a folder, I thought it would shatter or similar but it just bent lovely.