# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories >  How to 'curve' Acrylic sheet using home tools

## gummynut

1. How to make a curved piece of acrylic sheet using home tools?
2. At what temperature does acrylic become soft enough to be moulded?
3. What home appliances can be used for the works?

anyone with past experience kindly share and give some advice.

----------


## Cacatuoides

Back in school's technical design lessons, we put the acrylic sheet in the oven to soften it before moulding it....maybe you can try this method?

----------


## r4211z

hair dryer or an open face stove,
the stove with the open flame you have to have good control.
Keep moving around the spot just to get it soften then bend it over an edge.
Need to make sure it's reallt soft or it will snap.

I did that for all my ayclic.

----------


## Justikanz

Pardon me... I want to ask the opposite...  :Opps: 

How to straighten acrylic sheet that had warped and bent?  :Razz:

----------


## gummynut

hi thomas, you could either do the reverse of what i'll be eventually doing OR we just exchange acrylic sheets :Blah:   :Laughing:

----------


## diki

> Pardon me... I want to ask the opposite... 
> 
> How to straighten acrylic sheet that had warped and bent?


Need to soften the whole piece of acryclic sheet or at the bended areas (either in oven or over the stove. Then place it on the floor (with newpapers and a wooden board (better to ensure flat surface) and place another piece of wooden board over it. Then place heavy stuff evening on the surface of the wooden board. Leave it for a while to cool (few hours?!?) and then should be ok. 

Disclaimer: Just a thought and never tested! Try at your own risk!  :Grin:  

Well, the idea is to soften the sheet before making it bend or flat. Best to make the whole sheet soft but not easy at home. Also not sure which temp should set for oven. Maybe easier to get a new one???  :Exasperated:

----------


## Justikanz

I think so too... Actually got a new piece, just wondering if the old one can be salvaged...  :Razz:  Gummy, if you want a piece (quite thick) to play with, let me know...  :Grin: 

Now got to think of cutting the acrylic...  :Razz:

----------


## gummynut

hi thomas, thanks for your offer, but i'll pass. i am just thinking of working with 1-2mm thick(or thin) sheet :Laughing:  . the thicker it is, the harder to work with. it is just some project i have in my mind right now. wonder if anyone has this material to spare. also, do you think that an electric iron is hot enough to soften the material?

----------


## kemp

would a hair dryer be better idea? isit hot enough?

----------


## Justikanz

I seriously think an iron would spell trouble... Try a hair dryer first. Then try the 'barbeque' method over the fire... I seriously don't think you want to use your oven... There might be poisonous fumes emitted and staying within the oven... Not good if you are going to use the oven again for food...  :Opps: 

My usual paranoid 2 cents worth...  :Razz:

----------


## gummynut

Noted.. thanks for your professional advice.. Mr. material engineering.. any websites that shows the properties of acrylic or MSDS(if available)??? :Opps:

----------


## Justikanz

Eh? How do you know I studied Materials Eng?...  :Huh?: 

Anyway, that has nothing to do with my studies...  :Razz:  

MSDS? For acrylic? I don't think so... Unless you have the specific molecular structure of acrylic... Then should be able to find over the Internet...

----------


## gummynut

ha. saw that from one of your 2,638 posts. could be from your introduction.
meanwhile, i'll try to do some internet research on acrylic properties.

----------


## XnSdVd

Actually you could just boil it, the 100 degrees will make it soft and ensure it doesn't get hot enough to bubble.

----------


## skf

> Actually you could just boil it, the 100 degrees will make it soft and ensure it doesn't get hot enough to bubble.


You just kidding  :Grin:  or you tried before? 

So far, I have just justed a candle only to heat up the portion to be bent. That limits me to straight lines only :Exasperated:  That also means that I have to use new sheets with the covering sheet still on. Else, I have a hardtime cleaning away the soot left by the open flame.

----------


## gummynut

"_Characteristics of the material
Acrylic Plastic
Half the weight of glass
Impact resistant
Unaffected by sun or salt spray
Temperature range of -30 to 160° F for continuous service 

..Acrylic can be heated to make it pliable. It will become rigid again when it cools. Never heat acrylic in a kitchen oven. Explosive fumes can accumulate inside the oven, and ignite..._" extracted from http://www.sdplastics.com/acrylic.html :Shocked:  

i guess that from the above, acrylic should not be heated inside an oven over reasons of fire and toxic.

skf, have you tried using a hair dryer? is it feasible?

----------


## skf

> "[I]Characteristics of the material
> .....
> skf, have you tried using a hair dryer? is it feasible?


Nope, never used a hair dryer before. 

My guess was that it might take too long and I am a little impatient..

----------


## yappeyap

How about using the heat generated from the toaster, just place the portion you want to bend. Once it soften bend it on some pre-form surface (kitchen table to get right angle or milo cans to form semi circle  :Grin:  )

Ya...one more thing u need to peel the protective sheet off before you heat it, mark it with whiteboard mark on the portion of the bend...and get the balls rolling  :Cool:  




> 1. How to make a curved piece of acrylic sheet using home tools?
> 2. At what temperature does acrylic become soft enough to be moulded?
> 3. What home appliances can be used for the works?
> 
> anyone with past experience kindly share and give some advice.

----------


## vinz

> Pardon me... I want to ask the opposite... 
> 
> How to straighten acrylic sheet that had warped and bent?


Depends on how it got warped. If it warped just like mine because you placed it on top of a tank as a cover, you just have to flip it. It'll warp back... then warp the other way...  :Razz:

----------


## XnSdVd

> You just kidding  or you tried before?



Yup, i've tried it before. Just boil it like you would pasta.

----------


## skf

> Yup, i've tried it before. Just boil it like you would pasta.


thanks :Grin:  will try that the next time if i need to do some acrylic bending.

----------


## ranmasatome

you can actually use the oven....BUT BUT BUT!!! you need to be there constantly... to see whats happening...

Preheat first to 150 degrees.
then Dump the acrylic on a piece of material that is flat.. and shove the whole thing in.. wait about 5mins.. then open.. 
Check to see if its manageable.. then repeat...
Opening the door releases gases so it doesn't build up.. it also releases excess heat...

----------


## BFG

Get an extra person to watch if possible. It's better if that person has done it before and know what to do. Ventilate the area well if possible.

----------


## ranmasatome

The other alternative would be a heat gun.. i almost never use the oven methond unless i want the ENTIRE piece to be soft.. it gets pretty hard to manage when ALL of it is soft.. i prefer doing section by section with a heat gun.. gives me more control

----------


## mishelly1986

Could you place a cloth over the acrylic and then try the iron?

----------


## kklim

I used my snack toaster to bend small length of acrylic to make light support :Smile:  
1) Stick disposable chopstick in snack toaster door to create a small gap at top
2) Turn on snack toaster
3) Place part that you want to bend over gap 
4) When acrylic softens, bend to shape

----------

