Best way to bend Polycarbonate/lexan for a lathe chucksheild.......... need advice TIA
 

I believe it has to be heated. I have a magazine article somewhere that
describes bending polycarbonate for use in greenhouse enclosures. If you
really want to see the article, I could probably dig it out and send it to
you.

--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX
www.powdercoatoven.4t.com

Mary,
Apparently your post was so, welll, errrr, "naughty" that the news group
blanked out the whole thing. Whyn't you clean it up and try again?

Bob (only slightly naughty) Swinney
"Naughty Mary" wrote in message
...

"Naughty Mary" wrote in message
...

Try this for starters:

http://www.sheffieldplastics.com/web...EF_MAK_FAB.pdf


I've used strip heaters a few time.

Actually, the idiot just used the subject line to ask his question. Another
version of not doing things right.

--
Bob May
Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less.
Works every time it is tried!

I simply bent my chuck guard to fit the radius of the tubular frame I
mounted it to......Just took it a little at a time and it worked right
in nice and snug. It may or may not work for you dependin gon how
small of a diameter you need. Plexiglass has to be heated, but the
lexan or PC I have can be bent pretty darn hard without breaking. I
have an image and how I made it on my website under my projects
page........

Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

"Naughty Mary" wrote in message
...

Here's a cut-n-paste of an earlier post on the subject:

Searching around for info on bending and shaping acrylic ("Plexiglas",
"Lucite", etc.) in order to make a curved splash guard for a lathe, I
ran across this web site which has extensive info on the subject.
Everything you might need to know, including proper angles for special
ground drill bits and lathe turning tools, speeds and feeds, thermoforming
and annealing, and much more.

Seemingly very complete info at:

http://www.bayplastics.co.uk/product%20guide/Altuglas-guidenavbar/prod-altuglass-tech(intro).htm

or

http://tinyurl.com/242wc

Poly carb can bent like sheet metal in a brake. It won't snap apart like
plexi glass. Plexi needs to be heated to about 150 degrees to shape it or
slump into forms.

I made my own wind screen for my motor cycle out of Plexi. I cut out the
pattern to match the old one only 4" higher than the old one. I heated it
by waving it in front of a Salamander garage heater till it got soft. I just
laid it over the old screen to take the shape. It worked great!

Randy Hansen
SC Glass Tech
Scam Diego, Comi-fornia




"Roy" wrote in message
...
I simply bent my chuck guard to fit the radius of the tubular frame I
mounted it to......Just took it a little at a time and it worked right
in nice and snug. It may or may not work for you dependin gon how
small of a diameter you need. Plexiglass has to be heated, but the
lexan or PC I have can be bent pretty darn hard without breaking. I
have an image and how I made it on my website under my projects
page........

Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 12:29:13 -0700, "Randy H."
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I made my own wind screen for my motor cycle out of Plexi. I cut out the
pattern to match the old one only 4" higher than the old one. I heated it
by waving it in front of a Salamander garage heater till it got soft. I just
laid it over the old screen to take the shape. It worked great!

Sorry. I know your post is genuine, but it sounds a bit umm..

"I waved the new shield material over a salamander and it fitted!"

Leg of newt, anyone? G
************************************************** ***
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 13:30:06 -0500, "Tim Williams"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

Excellent reply Tim. I will archive that one. It covers the OP's
enquiry very nicely! G
************************************************** ***
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.

It's true I tell you, It's true! its true! it's true!

I still have the bike with the wind screen on it. I'll take pictures!
I just wanted a taller screen because I'm 6'4" tall.

When I worked for Dow one of our "other" services was to make plexi and poly
carb shields for equipment and such. We did it because we had the ovens to
fit most anything for slumping.

The reason I used the Salamander in the garage was because the wind screen
would not fit in my oven at home. Which would have been preferable because
it would heat the entire piece evenly for a even bend. Being a glass blower
I understood about even heating and making bends.

The Salamander puts out plenty of heat up close. It can heat a good wide
area. I dawned some heavy gloves, put on some La cuka rachca music, and
started working both sides of the entire piece from end to end. You will
feel it when it softens up. I just laid it over the original to get the
shape of the curve. I had left the paper on to protect it.

I cut it after I shaped it. Cutting the basic shape was easy enough once I
shaped it. I traced the out line off the old one. I used a jig saw to cut
it out, sanded the edges, and then polished the edges with a cork belt
sander. I then could line up the mounting holes on the faring, mark em, and
drill em.

Nothing to it!

Now Nick I don't mean to disappoint you, but I usually save my "magic wand"
stories for the girls! :-D

Randy Hansen
SC Glass Tech
Scam Diego, Comi-fornia


"Old Nick" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 12:29:13 -0700, "Randy H."
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I made my own wind screen for my motor cycle out of Plexi. I cut out the
pattern to match the old one only 4" higher than the old one. I heated
it
by waving it in front of a Salamander garage heater till it got soft. I
just
laid it over the old screen to take the shape. It worked great!

Sorry. I know your post is genuine, but it sounds a bit umm..

"I waved the new shield material over a salamander and it fitted!"

Leg of newt, anyone? G
************************************************** ***
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.

Artemia Salina writes:

http://tinyurl.com/242wc

Or course PMMA (acrylic) is not polycarbonate, especially with regard to
making shields.

Polycarbonate also can be weakened by cutting oils.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 16:52:04 -0700, "Randy H."
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I _believe_ you. It was the Salamander that concerned me a bit! G

It's true I tell you, It's true! its true! it's true!

snip of stuff to remember for later for sure

Nothing to it!

Now Nick I don't mean to disappoint you, but I usually save my "magic wand"
stories for the girls! :-D

hmp-hmp!
************************************************** ***
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 22:43:54 -0500, Richard J Kinch
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Artemia Salina writes:

http://tinyurl.com/242wc

Or course PMMA (acrylic) is not polycarbonate, especially with regard to
making shields.

Polycarbonate also can be weakened by cutting oils.

Interesting you should mention that. I get PC safety glasses (fit all
races, religions and genders G). If I put personal fly repellant on,
the umm...ear, side pieces simply snap when I take the specs off after
wearing them next. You can just about tie knots in them normally.
************************************************** ***
It's not the milk and honey we hate. It's having it
rammed down our throats.

Old Nick writes:

If I put personal fly repellant on,
the umm...ear, side pieces simply snap when I take the specs off after
wearing them next.

DEET is a very nasty solvent.

I take an Rx (doxycycline form of tetracycline) that the DEET reacts with
on contact. I get a strong burning sensation from spraying on DEET. The
stuff soaks into you. Ugh. No wonder the mosquitoes don't like it.

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:18:06 -0500, Richard J Kinch
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Old Nick writes:

If I put personal fly repellant on,
the umm...ear, side pieces simply snap when I take the specs off after
wearing them next.

DEET is a very nasty solvent.

I take an Rx (doxycycline form of tetracycline) that the DEET reacts with
on contact. I get a strong burning sensation from spraying on DEET. The
stuff soaks into you. Ugh. No wonder the mosquitoes don't like it.

Yeah, I know. "Here. Spary this all over yourself. But do not spray
near food, pets, plastics, paint...."!
************************************************** ***
Marriage. Where two people decide to get together so
that neither of them can do what they want to because
of the other one.