How To Bend Acrylic Rod?

Acrylic rods are versatile and durable materials that can be used for various DIY projects, such as lamps, sculptures, furniture, and more. However, sometimes you may need to bend them to create different shapes and forms. In this blog post, we will show you how to bend acrylic rods using different methods and tools.

Tools for Bending Acrylic Rod

Worktable

  Make sure enough space for your Acrylic rod

Heat Source (choose one of the following)

  • Heat Tape (with Temperature Controller)
  • convection oven

Scrap Wood

To make jigs, you need a straight-edged piece of wood to form perfectly the angle you need.

Acrylic Rod

the material should be of high quality. Diameter less than 20mm.

Protective Equipment

  • Goggles to protect your eyes
  • Leather Work Gloves
  • Nose masks to protect you from gasses
  • Industrial boots to protect your feet

Bending Acrylic rod with heat tape

Although you can use a torch or a heat gun to heat the acrylic rod, but one misstep, the rod will scorch, ruining the acrylic. A safer alternative to a torch is special heat tape that develops enough heat to soften the acrylic rod without a fire risk and little risk for damaging the material.

Steps for Bending Acrylic Rod

  1. Place the acrylic rod flat on the work table.
  2. Wrap the heat tape tightly to the rod, starting from the bottom to the stop. Make sure evenly cover the surface of acrylic rod.
  3. Turn the temperature controller on. setting to 105℃.
  4. Put on your leather work gloves
  5. while the acrylic rod reaches its softening temperature. Grab both ends of the acrylic rod; when the rod starts to bend, turn off the temperature controller
  6. apply force with your gloved hands to bend the softened acrylic rod to the Angle you need, use the wood jig to form the shape.
  7. Hold the bent acrylic rod in position for 1 minute and then release pressure. The acrylic rod should maintain its position; if it does not, reapply pressure to the acrylic rod for an additional 1 minutes until it don’t move back.
  8. Unwrap the heat tape from the bent acrylic rod
  9. Allow the acrylic rod to cool to room temperature before using the bent rod.

Bending Acrylic Rod With Oven

  1. put acrylic rod on a metal tray in oven. Setting Oven temperature to 200 F.
  2. Put on your leather work gloves
  3. rotate every 2 minutes for 10 minutes to heat the acrylic rod evenly.
  4. Increase heat to 225 F.
  5. continue to rotate every 2 minutes until the acrylic rod become floppy.
  6. bend it around a wood form and hold it for Several minutes
  7. Allow the acrylic rod to cool to room temperature before using the bent rod.

Bending Acrylic Rod with a Heat Gun

This method requires a heat gun, a sheet of acrylic, scrap wood, cutting tools, a vise and clamps, a pencil or marker, and acrylic glue. You need to:

  1. Mark the dimensions of your desired shape on the acrylic sheet and cut it with a saw or knife.
  2. Set the acrylic between two pieces of scrap wood, one of which is your jig, and clamp it all together using the vise. The jig is a frame that helps you bend the acrylic to the correct angle.
  3. Use the heat gun to heat the acrylic slowly and evenly while pushing it with another piece of scrap wood.
  4. Once you have the desired bend, let it cool down and glue the edges if needed.

Bending Acrylic Rod with a Strip Heater

This method requires a strip heater, which is an electrical device that heats a narrow strip of material. You need to:

  1. Mark the bend line on the acrylic rod and place it on the strip heater.
  2. Turn on the heater and wait until the rod becomes soft and pliable.
  3. Bend it by hand or with a jig and hold it until it cools down and hardens.

Tips for Bending Acrylic Rod

Here are some tips to help you bend acrylic rod successfully:

  • Wear protective gloves and goggles when handling hot acrylic rod.
  • Work in a well-ventilated area and avoid inhaling the fumes from the heated acrylic rod.
  • Heat the acrylic rod gradually and evenly to avoid cracking or breaking it.
  • Use a jig or a form to help you bend the acrylic rod accurately and consistently.
  • Apply some pressure on the bent acrylic rod until it cools down completely and sets in its new shape.

Other material rods

  • Nylon Rod

  • HDPE Rod

  • PVC Rod

  • Polycarbonate Rod

  • Acrylic Rod

Conclusion

Contact us if you met any problem with your acrylic rod bending or you can use our plastic bending service to do the job for you. KUSLA is a leading supplier of acrylic sheets, acrylic rods, acrylic tubes, we provide acrylic plastic bending service as your requirement, contact us for more information.

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