I broke the top hatch going into the cabin on my 33, and I have a bunch of 1/2" thick white chemcast cell-cast acrylic sheet so I figured it matches the boat I would make a new one with this to see how it looks. I own an autobody shop so I am familiar with working with plastics and figured it would bend with heat like plexi does, well it does but it also warps pretty bad, I did a test piece left it clamped to the table where I made the bend, let it cool completly helped it cool a little with water when I unclamped it it warped. I used a heat gun on 1 piece and a propane torch with map gas on another with same results, wondering if I got it to hot, not really sure anybody got any experience wiht this stuff? teak isle is next door maybe I should call them, any help would be appreciated.
need advice bending cell cast acrylic
- Thread starter ocdansar
- Start date
Maybe if you were to make a male form from wood for the plastic to conform to and then let it cool on its own? Would a strip (line) heater work better for you than a gun? I had a video from the internet on how to make and use a strip heater but have lost it. You could probably google strip heater and find it for info.
Any access to a "break"? Maybe you could use a "break" and some towels or something soft to protect it from scratching . I've "broke" some 1/4" lexan for race cars like that . I know that 1/2" is bound to be harder to bend but maybe its doable. 
They bend it somehow. Probably in a hydraulic press brake.
They bend it somehow. Probably in a hydraulic press brake.using a break was what I was going to try next, maybe use just a little heat, I'm thinking I got it to hot thanks for the advice
I've seen it done with a metal tube, blow torch and a vise/clamps.
You lay down the plastic upside down, clamp the tube(the size you want to bend)over the area, apply heat in the tube, when tube is hot start bending by hand. When you're done, clamp the bend part with the rest of the plastic, put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour or so and should stay like that for ever.
You lay down the plastic upside down, clamp the tube(the size you want to bend)over the area, apply heat in the tube, when tube is hot start bending by hand. When you're done, clamp the bend part with the rest of the plastic, put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour or so and should stay like that for ever.
thanks for the replys guys, my problem is not making the bend or holding shape it's the fact that the whole piece is warping after being unclamped so my main concern was maybe using to much heat I'm not familiar with this product and not much info on it on the internet.