Results

1. 
   
   

   Post on Bending Polycarbonate in Avid Flyer General Hangar

   By RDavidson, posted 25 Mar 2015

   I thought I would start another thread for bending polycarbonate...
   
   I watched some youtube videos on bending plexi, most guys were using a heat gun. So I pulled the heat gun out and put a piece of plexi (.125) in my break. I started with a strip 2" wide and about 2' long. It was surprisingly easy to bend once warmed up. I had to keep the heat gun moving back and forth to avoid getting the plastic too hot and distorting it. It would bend almost a perfect 90 degrees with a very small turn radius, but looked best when given about 3/16" to make the bend.
   I also figured out that I could leave the protective plastic sheets on both sides of the plexi and they did not melt into the surface and prevented the break from leaving marks on the plexi.
   Next I tried a bigger piece, 1 foot by 1 foot. I tried to bend it right down the middle. It wouldn't do it! I guess polycarbonate can release heat in a hurry? I couldn't get enough heat spread evenly to make it bend.
   I'm taking my cut pieces to the plexi expert tomorrow, and I'll let you know how he does it! I didn't want to risk screwing up this Plastic Gold $$$$$!!!
   I read that one guy used a heating element from an old heater, stretched it out in a straight line.
   
   Anyway, I'll let you know.
   
   Ron
   
   bottom bend (bending left) was done with basically no bend radius, top bend I used about 3/16" of space for the bend radius.