Stirlingengineforum.com

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

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

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

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.