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Looking for a economical heater to bend Lexan

thomj

Aluminum
Joined
May 18, 2007
Location
michigan
I ripped a dado groove in some scrap particle board and salvaged some nichrome wire coils from an old cloths drier. Set the nichrome wire in the groove and apply 110 volts instead of 220 volts and adjust the length of wire if you don't get enough heat. Mine chars the particle board groove a bit but works fine.
If you do not want to make your own then I guess you are going to have to pay :'))
 
Nichrome wire heating elements are avail off Amazon. Those elements with a 110 V variac and you are in business. Be aware that lexan needs to be dried prior to heat bending to prevent bubbles in the bend area. If bubbles are not objectionable then proceed at full speed.
 
If bubbles are not objectionable then proceed at full speed.

If I take my time bubbles will be avoided. I just bought the stuff to build one. You know, not enough time in the day to do everything. Yet, here I am... I guess I am psycho a little. Can't stand to buy some cheap POS. I will be dissatisfied. I can be dissatisfied by my own accord.... No need for help.
 
I have a hot box for bending pvc pipe. It is just a bowtie heating element in a long metal lunch box.
I would buy a NEW oven heating element and straighten it out into a rod. use. a variac to control the heat. maybe put it inside a metal pipe for even heat transfer. My understanding is they can be bent into shape only one time and only before heating cooks the insulation into a solid.
Bil lD.
 
You have already gotten the heat elements so this is not much help.But for anybody else,I used to buy heat tapes from McMaster Carr that were relatively cheap and used a variable timer for control.
I originally used them with a Chromalox 12 channel controller for some heated stainless/teflon hoses for hot melt glue transfer.

When it came time to bend Lexan I used some left over tapes with the percentage timer control and a grooved board to make a crude bender.It worked pretty well.
 
I accidentally pulled the end cap off a golden rod heater. It is just thin wall emt with a loop of fiber glass sheathed resistance wire running from one end then back. No concern with it touching or overlapping.
The resistance wire I bought is 12 feet for 120 volts. I plan to make a golden rod for under my lathe. It will be 6 feet long.
Bill D
 








 
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