sintra heating question

[kibosh]

hey all,

I fianlly have time to get back into my Fett project, but I need help shaping my sintra. Do they sell heat guns at Home Depot or Lowes? If so, where would they be, and roughly how much are they?

Could I use a hair dryer to heat sintra enough to shape it?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[MARROW SUN]

You can use you stove BUT heating sintra releases toxic fumes so make sure you open a window and use the hood fan on your oven.

If you do want a heat gun look in around the painting section. There usually in there for paint removal.

 

[kibosh]

Yeah, it's the fumes that worry me. It's finally warming up around here, so I'll be doing this out in the garage with the door open. That's why I need a heat gun. My wife is pregnant, so it'd be a big no-no heating plastic inside.

Does a respirator give a decent measure of protection against harmful fumes, or is it just particles like dust?

 

[GCNgamer128]

You can use you stove BUT heating sintra releases toxic fumes so make sure you open a window and use the hood fan on your oven.

If you do want a heat gun look in around the painting section. There usually in there for paint removal.

Me speeek engrish goood now.



Thanks for the tip! I know I'll still do the stove with sintra while I'm hovering right over it without the vent above me on, but thanks!


Andy

 

[psberetta]

I boiled water in a big pot and dipped it in untill it got to the point that I could bend it, then cooled it with cold water. The back plate was to big for that. I "carefully" used a plumbers torch outside.
Just my two cents.......
-Tim-

 

[fettishist]

A hairdryer works fine, and does not cause the sintra to release fumes-I used this method and it worked a treat!!

 

[Kivas]

Interesting about the hair dryer... but I'd wear a proper mask just to be safe (along with when cutting it)

 

[Cruzer]

Depends on what you're using. Sintra or Styrene? Some people mix the two up.

Because styrene is harder, the stove or a heat gun works best. I use both applications for all of my fab. work. If it's a big piece and a pretty narley bend, I will definitely use the stove set at 250 degrees and place my pieces on an air-bake type sheet and warm them for about 25-30 minutes. The pieces will be hot comming out of the oven so get a pair of those thicker rubber cleaning/dishwashing gloves and they'll help take some of the heat off your hands. Have your item that your going to use to help make the bend nearby and have cool water running in the sink so it's ready for you to put your piece under when you've got the shape you want. I just open the windows/sliding door in the kitchen and surrounding areas when I'm warming anything and set the timer so that I don't forget the dang thing.

When I've worked with sintra(softer) I used the boiling water in the bean pot method. I've never tried putting sintra in the oven.

And get a heat gun if you can, it'll work 10x's faster than a hairdrier, and a cheapy one is all you need because styrene and especially sintra doesn't need the high heat that some of those expensive ones put out. I've got one that adjusts between 350 and 750 and most the time I find myself using the 350 setting on styrene, partly so that I don't cook my fingers .

Hope this helps,
Cruzer

 

[Boba Swede]

Personally i would stay away from rubber gloves... cuz when they do get hot they get hot fast.. i would recomend using regualr "carpenters" working gloves made from leather or cloth. They heat up slow and give you a chance to throw them off if they get too hot... (unlike rubber which tend to stick to your sweaty skin..)

 

[Farva]

I used a heat gun and some blocks of wood to help shape my back plate. For my chest armor I heated up the center and used my knee (I was wearing jens of course) but i have several pairs of Mechanix brand gloves for different tupes of hobbies.....

 

[drokkul]

Cheapest place to get a decent heat gun would probably be a Harbor Freight, Inc.