hazmail Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 (edited) How to bend it and below how to make a press - It does not have to be that complicated, I done my first lips with 2 spoons and a paper clamp. 1. Get a small can, I used a SMALL discarded, chopped tomato can, something you can heat cooking oil on the stove and is narrow and tall. Put about 2" of cooking oil in it, I used olive oil (I have a cholesterol problem), but any cooking oil should do. Place the oil on a very low heat gas or electric burner and SLOWLY heat for a few minutes to get it around 170 C to 180 C (350-360 F). Tip- Hang a piece of Polycarbonate in the oil and periodically move it in the oil- when @ correct temp the Poly will start to bend easily, now lower the heat a bit so oil does not overheat, test every so often to make sure the temp is O.K. Don Edited June 1, 2008 by Spike-A-Pike Upgrade Header Image Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KcDano Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Slick little rig, Pete! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskyman Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Thanks loads Pete for posting this, as it was extremely helpful. Up until now I had been doing it by using a solder torch to heat it for the bend while pressing the lip on the end of a table. Worked anyhow, just not to accurate. If you could, would you send me all the pics you have on your method & how to construct your wee bending machine. -Cheers! The Muskyman;)(Y) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 muskyman - for straight bends there is something much more simple- pinch your wife/daughters 'hair straightener'. Set it at 160"C (or whatever F equivalent) and it will work like butter. There is one of my posts in here somewhere on it. Don't tell them I told you. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny.Barile Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Pete To remedy the water/hot oil hazard: When you load the new blank lip in the fixture, dip it in a cup of unheated oil first. It immedialately sheds the water in the oil. I know this isnt a new tutorial, but I just found it today, so it is new to me. Great piece of work! You really do think out of the box. Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Pete To remedy the water/hot oil hazard: When you load the new blank lip in the fixture, dip it in a cup of unheated oil first. It immedialately sheds the water in the oil. I know this isnt a new tutorial, but I just found it today, so it is new to me. Great piece of work! You really do think out of the box. Sonny Thanks Sonny, I will have to try that one next time I'm bending. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Hot Oil and Water is far safer than screwing up my wifes hair straightener. Great topic, thanks, I may have to buy a hair straightner of my own :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLT785 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Just wondering how a curling iron would do, has anybody tried something like a crockpot with sand or something similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 A curling iron would be o.k for curves--maybe !! A correct EVEN temperature is critical with 'polycarbonate'--- Try heating cooking oil (rice oil is best) in the 'crockpot' and dipping the poly into it---AGAIN, constant temperature is critical (about 175 -180C). Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
