General Bending plastic... top tip...

runFettBoyRun

Jr Hunter
Hi all,

Should be brave/stupid enough to bend your own armour -don't use the kitchen oven... messy. I've just completely ruined my chest section which I'd spent ages cutting and sanding the edges... bugger.

Hot water is ok-ish but really messy.

The best thing is the wife's hairdryer. Full blast for a minute or two each side just off the surface - touch it or it will blow a fuse - and then bend. Over bend the angle, as it will spring back a little, and hold for a couple of minutes.

Good luck and hopefully you won't make as much mess as I have!
 
I got a $20 heat gun on amazon and it works beautifully, sorry to hear about your oven mess :/ hair dryer/heat gun is the way to go in my opinion (and seeing as they're both close in price, heat gun seems probably the better route)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A
 
I don't know where you are, but the Harbor has a 1500w heat gun for $15. I get alot of "disposable" stuff from that place. I say that because after making anything, the power tool is usually toast or you can fix it with a blunt object! Okay, to be fair, some of it is easy to fix, and some has outlasted seriously tough brands. You just never know what you'll get at The Harbor.

Heat Gun - Dual Temperature Heat Gun, 1500W
 
yea the heat gun is likely the best option for that. You can do it in an oven but you have to pay close attention to it and dont over do it..obviously lol Harbor freight is def a good place to get some of these things. Like silvermitt said, some of it lasts a long time other stuff....not so much
 
I have had good success with the hair dryer -- since we had one and not the heat gun. A minute or so on each spot, not quite touching the plastic. I secured mine in the shape desired first using clamps, which keep holding until released so no nasty encounters with electric appliances and water baths...

Cheers,
dv8r
 
Thanks for all the extra tips. I'm in England so Harbor is out but we do have ScrewFix, however I work, just started, as a technology teacher so I will be borrowing the department's heat gun for the weekend. Access to a laser cutter, 3D printer and lots of magnets,switches and LEDs is also good ;)
 
LOL!!! And an OMG! You don't need any advice on the tools,do you? The tools you have access to scoffs at me. In fact, the first little thing that popped into my fuzzy morning BC (before-coffee) brain, after reading your post, was this image:

8b544bcdc3a703b206e4337979afbb5e.jpg

But I'm a huge Monty Python fan. And we just watched it a day or so ago. Still got Eric Idle singing the Universe song spinning in my brain, because, you know there's "bugger all down here on Earth."
 
I usually stick with the heat gun, but sometimes if I need even heating over a larger area I'll hold it over a stove or rangetop. Works very well.
 
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