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Go Back   WakeWorld > >> Boats, Accessories & Tow Vehicles Archive > Archive through April 09, 2007

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Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       03-14-2007, 5:24 PM Reply   
Hey all,
Not sure this is the right forum, but since it's going on an accessory to the boat...

Does anyone have any tricks to bending Lexan? I need to do a pretty tight radius and my first try resulted in destroying the finish on the Lexan before any real bending took place.

It's 1/4" Lexan for a speaker grill cover.

Thanks!
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       03-14-2007, 5:27 PM Reply   
I have bent some plastic before.

I made a jig and then I used a heet gun to heet the plastic and bent it around the jig. I dont know if Lexan will bend the same.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       03-14-2007, 5:31 PM Reply   
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Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       03-14-2007, 5:34 PM Reply   
Grant,
Do you recall how you applied the heat? Did you let it come up to temp. pretty slow as not to damage the finish? I may have gotten a little...hasty.

Thanks for the reply.

As always, great work!

Paul
Old     (peter_c)      Join Date: Sep 2001       03-14-2007, 5:36 PM Reply   
Heat is your friend. Too much heat is the enemy. A heat gun is not ideal as it is a concentrated heat, depending on how long and thick of a piece you are trying to bend. I am sure the pros use something that is able to supply heat along a broader area.

The best tip I can give is take it slow. It can take up to 15 minutes to heat the piece you are tying to bend and that is ok. Go too fast and you will scorch the plastic. Keep the heat moving, never let it sit in one area.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       03-14-2007, 5:48 PM Reply   
Great Advice as always from Peter. Thats exactley what you need to do. Heet it very slowly and try to spread the heet as wide as you can. I broke 2 peices making the LED bow that you see. To much heet and you will blister the plastic. Not enough heet and you break it,
The pro's use a heet press. The Ho's use a heet gun. Im a Ho
Here is my oop's
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Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       03-14-2007, 5:54 PM Reply   
Grant...ROFL!
I'm a Ho too then.
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll go practice some.
Old     (rallyart)      Join Date: Nov 2006       03-14-2007, 6:00 PM Reply   
The lexan is much harder to work with than acrylic and probably won't like to be bent for a grill shape. I've done it for something else and it wasn't pretty but I don't have Grant's skill. Lexan also gets more brittle after you have heated it.
I would recommend using an acrylic instead of a polycarbonate like lexan.

(Message edited by rallyart on March 14, 2007)
Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       03-14-2007, 7:32 PM Reply   
Thanks Art. I think I'm finding that out. I've got a design consideration in mind that might minimize my bending work. If that doesn't work, I'll try acrylic. Can it be found at local sources?
Old     (lukeduke95)      Join Date: May 2002       03-14-2007, 8:06 PM Reply   
Tap Plastics will have it. There scrap bin is a deal too, found most pieces I needed for 1/2 off.
Old     (captain_542)      Join Date: Oct 2006       03-20-2007, 8:24 AM Reply   
make sure you take off the protective film before you heat or the heat may melt the film to the plastic and that doesnt come off.
Old     (clubmyke)      Join Date: Aug 2004       03-20-2007, 9:33 AM Reply   
lexan is kinda unique...it can take minor cold bend's no problem.. the beauty is it can be cut and drilled without cracking or breaking up...

i heard lexan can take a hot bend but it is tricky.. you might want to confirm with your local plastic shop..
Old     (gwnkids)      Join Date: Nov 2003       03-20-2007, 9:47 AM Reply   
We used a jig and an oven set at 375. The arch was only 16" so it formed pretty well.
Old     (nautique_04_226)      Join Date: Feb 2006       03-21-2007, 1:28 PM Reply   
I was told that lexan will yellow after time when exposed to the sun. Has anyone else ever hear this about lexan?
Old     (audiopro74)      Join Date: Jun 2005       03-21-2007, 6:28 PM Reply   
Waterbed heater!!!! Yes it does work... Done lots and have never had a yellowing problem.
Old     (merge360)      Join Date: Sep 2006       03-21-2007, 8:07 PM Reply   
"G"...

I take it from the pics you made your "windbreak" for your boat.... Can you get into the specifics of how you did it? I've been thinking about doing it, but need some details (thickness, brackets, etc) Any info would greatly be appreciated...
Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       04-01-2007, 6:46 PM Reply   
Hey guys,
I wanted to thank you for all your help. The last thing I needed to do was make some sort of grill for the sub so that it wouldn't get kicked in. I'm not particularly proud of the result, but it will work until I find something different.

I bought a piece of Lexan, cut it to shape and then used a heat gun to roll back the 'grab fingers'. It just snaps on to the speaker grill bars. I also had a reverse cut MC decal made up.

The edges aren't real straight or polished as nice as I'd like, but oh well. I'll figure something better out.
Upload

(Message edited by p-hat in cincy on April 01, 2007)
Old    malibu73            04-01-2007, 8:11 PM Reply   
I think it looks awesome.
Old     (wakeeater)      Join Date: May 2002       04-01-2007, 11:10 PM Reply   
i think the mc would look better in black but other then that i like it a lot
Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       04-02-2007, 6:00 AM Reply   
wakeeater,
I wanted it to be subtle. I've got something brewing that might help it show up better.

Thanks guys.
Old     (tparider)      Join Date: Aug 2003       04-02-2007, 6:52 AM Reply   
Paul - do you think that putting something like that lexan in front of the speaker will help it reverberate and "project" the bass more than a normal grill would?
Old     (phat_in_cincy)      Join Date: May 2003       04-02-2007, 8:14 AM Reply   
Sorry David...WAY over my head with that question.
I'll assume no tho. Only 2/3 of the sub is covered and there's a 1-1.5" air gap b/w the Lexan and the sub.
Sorry...can't help with that one.

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