Can you heat and bend Lexan?

Answer 1

Yes, I do it occasionally at work using a lexan bender, which is a box-like thing (about 6" wide and 4" high and 30" long). It has a heating element down the middle of it. You just turn on the bender and place a piece of lexan upon it. In several minutes the lexan will become soft enough along the line of where the heating element is and then you can bend the plastic. Don't heat it too long or it will begin to bubble. Newer-style lexan benders are available online at "tapplastics.com," being listed under "Plastic tools," then under "Free-standing heaters." The price is about $226 for a 2' long bender, $267 for a 4' long one. But if you don't want to buy a lexan bender, some people advice using a heat gun or butane heater. Just apply the heat along the line of where you want the lexan to bend. It would work better if you place two strips of wood on either side of the line in order to channel the heat exactly where you want the bend to occur. In the past, when working at home, I have used a row of birthday candles as a heater. Just take a piece of wood like a 2x2, drill some holes into it about an inch apart, and insert the candles. Some advise that it is a good idea to clamp down one side to keep it from warping. Since I don't have a clamping system, what I do it to apply pressure to both sides of the sheet (as by placing two 2x4 pieces of wood on either side and manually pressing down on them as the middle part is being heated). Then as soon as you remove it from the heat, press down on one side down (using one of the 2x4s) upon the table to keep it from warping as you bend it. If you are trying for a 90 degree bend, then press down on the flat side as you lift up on the other half (or press it downward, whichever is the case in orde to get the 90 degree bend). At work I have attached two 2x6s together for a 90 degree form and press the heated lexan into it, using another board to press into the apex of the plastic. When you bend the lexan after heating it properly, sometimes it is helpful to bend it a little further than you want it to go since there may be a little spring back as it cools. Bend it further, release it, bend it further, release it, doing this several times until it loses its spring, and then hold it exactly where you want it until it cools. By the way, I am contributor #1149200503 and Gary147. For some reason, when I first posted this answer, I was not required to enter an ID; I was just automatically given an ID number.