Perspex acrylic sheet help !!!!

[tomahawknutter]

hi everyone, ive been reading as many posts as i can and many people have suggested PLEXIGLASS for visors, ive searched for this in uk and this is what came up on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180651442147

it says this
A SHEET OF 3MM THICK CAST ACRYLIC MANUFACTURED BY PERSPEX THE SIZE IS 210MM X 297MM WHICK IS A4 PAPER SIZE

THE COLOUR OF THIS SHEET IS RED TINT REF 4401

IDEAL FOR CRAFT AND COURSE WORK, ALSO IDEAL FOR POINT OF SALE DISPLAYS


can some please tell me would it be easy to bend and cut somehing like this, i have a rocketeer helmet that needs black eyes and a cylops visor which needs red glass. would this stuff work ?? would i need a different thickness ??

sorry for annoying everyone with this post, hope someone can help
thank you

 

[McPrimus]

3mm is about 1/8". This is a thin but workable size. I don't suggest you try and do much bending, but you can cut it easy with a dremel tool . When you get the shape you want, carefully swipe the edges with a soft flame from a propane torch to dull the sharp edges and protect from cracks and fractures. It sounds like this will work perfectly for your Cyclops mask. Good luck.

 

[tomahawknutter]

brilliant cheers mate, yeah with the bending it was mainly for the rocketeer helmet, the eyes have a slight curve. glad that a dremel will cut it though, will make things easier, and sadly dont have access to a torch like that :/ any other suggestions or would it be ok to just leave it and glue it, the visor wont be worn, its ornamental purpose only.

oh and is 3mm good or would you suggest going thicker, the site said they have up 3mm though to 10mm

once again, thanks

 

[McPrimus]

3mm should be plyable enough to conform to small curves without bending. You can carefully heat it in boiling water quickly (play with tests pieces first). I would stick to 3mm. You can use silicon or similar type glue agents, but hot glue will not hold for long. Boiling might actually solve the sharp edge issue as well (as would sanding).

 

[tomahawknutter]

one again cheers mate, just seen viedo on youtube, they say to use a ordinary heat gun you would use for wallpaper stripping, i think my nan has one so it maybe an option would exroy glue work do you think, it would be gluing to something made from pepakura, goin through the stages and ending as painted bodyfiller.

sorry about all this, really new to all of it

 

[Arioch]

1/8 inch would be easy to work with. I like the boiling water idea too! As far as sealing it in place, I just use white bathroom caulking for that. A heat gun will cause it to bubble if you arent careful.

 

[tomahawknutter]

thanks guys, both of ya need all the help i can with this, dont wana waste my money or ruin my projects which ive spent ages on. and i have the white bathroom calking glad i dont to get more crap

 

[McPrimus]

yeah, you could even get the black colored caulk and it would look better. agree that heat gun can bubble the plastic. definetly need to practice with a couple of pieces before working on the final product, but it looks like you will have plenty. good luck.

 

[tomahawknutter]

thanks mate, i really apreciate your input, yeah its pretty cheap so im willing to get 2, its the cheapest ive found, and it seems to be my best option, just been trying to finish these projects for ages, and this is the last stage

 

[JUSTINIAN 117]

I work with plastics all day long, and I am familiar with acrylic.

It said it was Cast acrylic, so don't use any type of flame, as it will turn it white. I am not sure about boiling water, so I would only recommend you try it on a small piece. A heat gun is your best bet.

Heat it up on one side, and always keep the gun moving, never in one spot. Heat one side for about 10 seconds, and then flip it over, and do the other side for 10 seconds. Do this for about a minute, or until it bends. For best results have something that you can shape it to, like a paint can, that way you get a good curve. Be sure to hold it until it is cool enough that it won't unbend.

Once it has cooled, about 5 minutes, you can use just about any type of glue to hold it in place, epoxy, hot glue, super glue... etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[tomahawknutter]

yeah thats been a big help, thanks mate like the idea about the apint can too, will find something near to the curve i need
thanks again everyone