Using a laser engraver to heat bend acrylic

[Christy Oates]

This video may have been posted before. It shows how to use the engrave setting to heat up the acrylic and let gravity bend it. I'm about to try it, wondering if anyone else has tried it and has any tips? I'm a woodworker and rarely use plastics. I'm going to use this technique on some pieces for a lamp and adhere wood veneer to the acrylic with PSA. Wish me luck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ

[Dan Hintz]

Yeah, it has been posted before... it's a cutesy idea, but from a practical standpoint it misses the mark for anything other than very specific medium-length construction projects.

[Joe Pelonio]

Good Luck. I prefer an old fashioned strip heater.

[Rodne Gold]

Problem is it makes a mark where its heating the pex for the bend...strip or wire bending is much more controllable and they pretty cheap too...

[Christy Oates]

I might try both. Any good plans online for making my own strip heater?

[Joe Pelonio]

I might try both. Any good plans online for making my own strip heater?

TAP Plastics sells the electric part (element w/cord) and has a video on how to build it on Youtube.

[Kevin Groenke]

Hey Christy,

We just have one of these: it works fine.
http://www.delviesplastics.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=DPI&Category_Code=Plastic_Strip_Heaters

This hinged bending fixture looks pretty cool we already have some nichrome wire rigs w/ power supplies for cutting foam, this will be a good second use for that stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVEf7PfuKxo

Cheers,
-kevin

[Christy Oates]

Thanks for the tips and links Joe and Kevin, I'll check into them. Kevin, I know you from Furniture Society. I did the Furniture Design program at MCAD... small world.