Acrylic Advanced Basics model making for Designers, Architects & Makers

[@bobwalker1534]

A tip about flame polishing...practice several times on scraps before attempting to polish something you've spent a lot of time and money on. Acrylic retains heat and each pass of the torch adds a little more. Many times I have thought I had the perfect edge, only to see it develop hundreds of small bubbles, completely ruining the piece. I like to sand to at least 180 grit before using flame. Also, remember not to get solvent or even alcohol near a flame-polished edge, or even an edge sanded above 320. It will craze.

[@EricStrebel]

Good tips

[@mumblbeebee6546]

You even remembered how to make that face at 9:14 from the very first time you cut acrylic on a table saw! 😎 Thank you for sharing all your hard win insights!

[@javenwilson5985]

I am 1 week away from graduating teachers' college. I am going to use you videos in my tech design class because they are so awesome!

[@EricStrebel]

Thanks, feel free to share with the rest of the world on social media. That really helps the channel.

[@AdrianPardini]

Thanks for the video. I use a cheap hair iron to soften thin strips.

[@arrangemonk]

thanks for the pointing out such heat strips exist, i have to bend a panel for an acarde machine and had no idea how to do it properly (stalling the prohect for almost 2 years), now i can finally do something about it

[@EricStrebel]

Yes, they make wider ones as well

[@blackbeton3923]

very nice tips about shaping pmma, and this definitely confirms my choice for weld on 4 solvent, or the 16 thicker... and obviously, a huge thumb up for the mandalorian them 👍

[@Vichardhara303]

I like your work ...very fine and actractive work

[@KareemMetwally]

Great video, thanks for sharing ❤

[@JoseOrtega-oz2zx]

Fantastic work!!

[@EricStrebel]

Thamks

[@aptech2933]

Thanks Eric love this one so many cool ideas.

[@phaedrucide]

Awesome, thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@EricStrebel]

You're welcome that's one of the main purposes of the channel

[@deanoconnor7807]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, learned a lot from this video

[@SalvagedCircuitry]

What is the material that you used to hold the cast acryllic in the toaster oven at time 9:57? Thanks.

[@EricStrebel]

Cotton t shirt

[@SalvagedCircuitry]

@@EricStrebel Hahaha. Ok. It looked like some fibrous mineral-wool-like material for a second. Thanks!

[@Bart_Depestele]

Nice video amigo, thank you

[@T1g3rch3n]

A freaky trick to Polish Acrylic is "Vapor Polish" by holding it above the Open Container of DCM I had one really expensive sheet for a Customers Project with a tight Time-Frame to finish. It arrived with the original Foil still on as expected, BUT a huge scrach straight across it... through the Foil no time to by a new one. The scratch melted away within 5min, no sanding, no Polishing, no Cleanup. But it works only with Shallow scratches

[@EricStrebel]

Oh, interesting, I can see how that could work! Thanks for the tip!

[@T1g3rch3n]

@@EricStrebel The DCM basically 'liquify' the Surface It is a bit like 'Vapor smoothing' ABS Printed Parts Don't overdo it or the surface gets blotchy... stop before you think 'Thats about right' because it will continue to flow until the DCM is evaporated... If you drop the Container of DCM in a warm Water Bath you'll see changes within second... don't stay on one spot for more than 2-5 seconds, keep moving all the time I fixed one of my Vats for my Moai Resin Printer with that method in 2-3min

[@conceptinterface]

You mentioned wearing a mask when using DCM. What mask do you use? Or recommend?

[@EricStrebel]

An organic vapor mask

[@conceptinterface]

@@EricStrebel Thx.

[@GeorgeGraves]

You should get one of those k40 laser cutters, I have one, and it's a game-changer.

[@EricStrebel]

I own a 60 watt laser, of course is a game changer this channel is about preserving some of the old school craftsmanship that's being lost to technology

[@GeorgeGraves]

@@EricStrebel Yes, but one thing doesn't have to exclude the other. It's a great tool, just like the bandsaw. Or we could go back to rubbing rocks on things. :)

[@davebacknolaliki1452]

I know this is old but yes you could but nowadays people think “I don’t have a laser cutter or a this or a that” and just assume it can’t be done. These methods teach someone to do stuff if they don’t have money for that. Cutting this by hand may be quicker sometimes as you’d have to draw this up in CAD in the time you could do stuff by hand and then clamp the material down and everything.

[@dew-drop]

Really digging this little series. It’s really great to learn some hands on building techniques!

[@BoozyWoozy]

Hello Eric. Please advise. The situation is as follows - you need to cast a certain number of housings for electronics. Of course, the best method would be injection molding into metal molds. But it is very expensive and not suitable for small series production. I thought it would be worth trying silicone molding. But what composition to use? Probably, this should be close in properties to ABS plastic. At the same time, is not very expensive. Advise what to look for.

[@EricStrebel]

Posting your question in the wrong vid BTW, but look for a shore 70 or shore 80 hardness resin to match the ABS property

[@BoozyWoozy]

@@EricStrebel thanks. I just picked the last video for my comment. )

[@ddegn]

Be careful where you purchase your dichloromethane. I purchased some from ebay and the chemical evaporated through the plastic lids of the metal cans. The chemical worked great when I first used it but when I returned to use it again a few months later, all the cans were empty. Even the can which hadn't been opened was empty. Anyone purchasing this or other chemicals should make sure the containers and lids are appropriate for the chemical's storage. Thanks for another interesting video Eric Strebel.

[@EricStrebel]

Good advice, buyer be ware

[@orphanpixels]

Perfect timing. I'm about to try and bend an 85 by 30cm sheet of 3mm acrylic. What method would you recommend?

[@EricStrebel]

Get a big enough heat strip, and practice first

[@orphanpixels]

@@EricStrebel would a heat gun work, or is it essential to have a constant heat source?

[@EricStrebel]

Not nearly as good as the heat strip

[@LeeWhitcher]

Great vid as always, thank you! The press forming option is very interesting... Do you think the acrylic is soft enough to press into a double-curved lid for an enclosure, around 300mm square? I've always thought vacuum forming or urethane casting is the only real option for that but the former is too thin and the latter requires a more expensive mold build than a press form I can CNC out of wood.

[@EricStrebel]

Yes

[@user83673]

Respect!

[@Vichardhara303]

Very nice video

[@danielvrana9444]

What’s the best material to pour so the cold won’t crack it? Like 26 below actual temp not wind chill. The parts will be threaded and both screw into each other. They will be inside woods and polyester parts. The parts will be glued in the wood or poly parts. What a question right!! Lol Thanks Dan

[@darkonikolic8377]

Thanks a lot Eric :')

[@TalkingGIJoe]

Nice! Love that bender! Hey I don't have access to a laser cutter... can I come over and use yours? 🤪😂🤣

[@EricStrebel]

Lol!

[@aarkaarkangel]

@@EricStrebel We could all come on an extended series of bus trips - post the address and I will sort out the logistics. How much accommodation can you provide each night?

[@EricStrebel]

Build Party!

[@mvadu]

No BS series.. Just what you need to know to reproduce the results..

[@thkchay]

glad i found u

[@EricStrebel]

Ha, me too....

[@HomeStagingIvana]

Hello I was wondering if I can contact you and if you can make a mold for my chair design? Let me know please

[@EricStrebel]

Follow instructions on www.botzen.com

[@andyb7754]

Very interesting video, learned a lot, thank you. The "boob" cube was very interesting (they all were), but that poor cube needs to go back to the doctor and get the right implant!! LOL!!

[@EricStrebel]

Thanks 👍

[@satchelsieniewicz5824]

Where is your riving knife and push stick.. your rawdogging your finger eating machine

[@thesultanmerchant]

need expensive tools. show some method that every one can effort to make model with acrylic sheet.

[@davebacknolaliki1452]

He did?? He shows you how to do the stuff in the first video smarty pants.