DIY Plexiglas Shaping
Modern plastics present the crafty consumer with a whole plethora of possible DIY projects. Plexiglas, in particular, has a wide variety of practical applications. You can use it to make your own shelving units, your own props, even your own aquarium. The key to working with Plexiglas is knowing get it to work with you rather than against you. Fortunately, you can easily bend and shape Plexiglas with the help of a few simple tools.
Molding Plexiglass
Molding Plexiglas takes little more than a simple heat-tolerant mold, a bit of cotton, and your sheet of plastic. You will coat your mold in cotton and place your Plexiglas over it before sticking the entire bundle into the oven. The trick here is to evenly heat the Plexiglas so that it melts and sags over your mold, but not burn it. Setting your oven to 250 F for five minutes will be just right. When you remove the Plexiglas from its mold, make sure it is fully cooled so you don't accidentally bend it. Also, if there are fumes, you can turn on your oven's fan.
Sharp Bends in Plexiglas
Creating a sharp bend in Plexiglas such as you would need for an aquarium means that you simply place a heating strip over the plastic. Be sure to let the heat seep all the way through before you bend the Plexiglas. If the Plexiglas is not evenly heated, parts of it may tear.
Gradual Bends in Plexiglas
No heat is required for a gradual bend in Plexiglas. Simply grip either end of the plastic and bend it. However, be careful to do so gradually. If you use too much force or do it too quickly, you might snap the plastic or cause creases to form.
The Heat Gun
You can use a heat gun to heat your Plexiglas before bending it if you do not have a heating strip. Heat guns are usually used for stripping paint. However, a heating strip is generally better because it distributes heat more evenly.
