Molding Acrylic Sheets

After forming cool.

Molding acrylic sheets.

Simple bends can be made by heating the bend point with a wire heater. Molds for thermoforming can be made out of many materials ranging from wood or plaster to aluminum or steel. Have a mold ready to use. Caution iu0019ve only tried this in an electric oven.

Plexiglass or acrylic sheet this system works well for small pieces of plexiglass in thicknesses of up to 1 8 inch. Acrylic sheets can be relatively easily heated and formed to a desired shape. Five years later this resin was formed into a transparent sheet and the acrylic era began. Work on a smooth glass surface as the heated plastic won t stick to glass.

Once soft mold them into any shape you desire. In order to cast with acrylic resin you need a mold. A mold any object shape you can press the acrylic into to give it shape. For thicker acrylic you will need to use a metal bar clamped very securely and you may only be able to work with narrow strips of material as your heat source may not be able to heat wider areas of thick material.

Upon cooling they will be strong and permanent. In designing a part for thermoforming several things must be taken into consideration to. Measure the inside of your oven. The example here is the outside of a mold but it can work inside too.

Or the entire sheet can be heated and draped or forced to take the shape of a desired form. Plexiglas acrylic sheet has been considered the standard of the industry since it was first introduced 75 years ago because of its unsurpassed quality ease of use and wide range of colors patterns thicknesses and sizes. Make adjustments appropriate to the specifications of your project. Mallet and or a peen for shaping.

These acrylic sheets served as a useful bullet resistant glazing on fighter planes during world war ii as it was light strong and easily molded onto the skin of the aircraft. Perspex sheet is a tradename for acrylic sheet known throughout the world just like lucite acrylic sheet. Step 2 make a mold. Just heat the sheets above 150 degrees f for 2 3 minutes until they turn from translucent to clear using a heat gun.

You can get mold release spray at any hobby store. Protect the surface you re working on by laying down sheets of newspaper and spraying them with cooking spray or a mold release product. As you ll need to put the plastic sheet into the oven this is your size limitation. Thermoforming acrylic sheet part design considerations.