Form Bending Sheet Acrylic for a Curved Display Case

Heat forming acrylic into a circular arc shape. This video includes how to make the curved arc form from wood, and heating the acrylic in my kitchen oven, which is NOT a safe way to do it.
Display case build video...
• How to Make a Curved C...
Links referenced in this video. *affiliate
Sheet acrylic - amzn.to/3xfIrlt
Cotton gloves - amzn.to/3Ypjbp1
Intro - 0:00
Making form - 0:34
Cutting acrylic - 3:31
Heating acrylic - 4:29
Out of oven and forming - 6:45
*affiliate - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

[@SaMiChi]

Looks nice. Beside the explosion safety concern, any time you're heating any kind of plastic, you must vent. Plastic fumes are toxic.

[@namolokaman2393]

Instead of aluminum, which is not perfectly flat, in the oven, I'd recommend using a silicon mat. That's what we do in our heat press, to prevent the canvas / paint texture of both plates from marring the acrylic sheet: we use 2 identical silicon mats, about 24" x 18" ( 1/16 thick or so ) to sandwich the acrylic. Then, use the silicon mat to lift the acrylic out of the oven, and deposit it onto your form. Keep the warm silicon mat underneath, on you form. Don't use the cloth, as the warm silicon mat - with residual heat from the oven - will ensure that the acrylic sheet cools _slowly and evenly_ over your form: you don't want big differentials in temperature between surfaces, as this will warble the acrylic; also, the cloth texture could potentially imprint on the hot acrylic.

[@jkmwoodworking]

This is really great info, thanks so much! I'll try the silicon mat next time!

[@AndyMorrisArt]

Thanks for the warning about potential explosions! As my oven is decades old there's zero chance that I'll risk it. I think instead I'll try draping the sheet of acrylic over my form and using a heat gun to slowly heat it and hopefully it will become flexible enough to form to the form.

[@johanlindeberg7304]

An alternative could be to heat the air in the form from the inside. Could work if it is metal. And the have e.g. Teflon-like baking sheet on the top.

[@user-hx2md7he3p]

Thank you, This is just what I needed tot bend a screen for my motorcycle. :) :) :) :) :) 😃

[@jkmwoodworking]

Glad I could help!

[@williammagee7514]

As with all your videos this was very informative, I enjoyed. A side note, back in the day I went to a several day seminar on effective presentation. An important theme taught was: 1) Tell them what you are going to tell them; 2) Tell Them; and 3) Tell them what you told them. I've got interested in several of your videos and you seem to follow this theme and I do enjoy it. Keep up the great videos and I am hoping to see your channel grow. :)

[@jkmwoodworking]

Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@vendingsweets7083]

Thank you for this awesome video. This is extremely helping with the project i have in mind. I would like to add as a former appliance repair tech. A residential gas oven, the gas valve opens and closes keeping the temperature of the oven with a certain range. Up to +/-15 degrees depending on the brand oven. Hence the sound of the low sounding ignition or "woof' sound. Compared to a commercial oven where its keeps stable and constant temp. So even though you have your temp set to 350 degrees, again depending on your brand oven, it actually could be fluctuating at a temp range of 375 to 345 in order to maintain that 350. With this info, be extremely careful with the vapor build up within the oven

[@jkmwoodworking]

Great info, thanks!

[@blackbeton3923]

Very nice video. This band saw / router jig is very useful. And thanks for providing the heating temperatures

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks!

[@BlackmerStudios]

Nicely done. Your duel step circle cutting jig is very interesting. Perhaps that could be a future video?

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks Ryan, much appreciated! I do have a video for the circle cutting jig in works, just need to get it done and posted, hopefully in the next week or so.

[@johnkei7629]

thank you for providing an interesting video presentation on how to make prints which is very easy to understand I pray that you are always healthy and continue to work so that it benefits everyone🙏 greetings from Indonesia👌

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks!

[@nedaafi-dn4dg]

What a great idea! Love how you explained it so perfectly! Thank you 😊

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks so much!

[@fsj197811]

Thanks for sharing.

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks for watching!

[@capti443]

Nicely done, and very informative. I really like that circle cutting jig and the dual method for getting a very clean outer edge. I also appreciate the information and how you managed to obtain the bend. For me, the concern is not so much the temperature of the oven and flammability of the acrylic but that as chemicals offgas from the heated acrylic, they plate onto the inner surfaces of the oven where you will be cooking food later on. So, they may get onto your food and then of course you’d be eating it. Further, if you have an oven that cleans itself by heating up very hot, those same chemicals that plated out would be converted into something that may be noxious to you and anyone else. Caution is advised! 👀 My wife would have a fit if I were to do this in our oven! 😁 I really enjoy your videos and I hope you keep it up!

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thank you so much for the kind words! Great information on outgases potentially plating on the oven inner surfaces. I hadn't considered that, and even more reason why i likely won't try this again in the kitchen oven.

[@jking5778]

Thank you 🙏

[@henrysara7716]

Outstanding display, thank you great tips on bending on acrylics.

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks again!

[@wichit159]

love your work

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thank you so much!

[@danp2995]

Work, details, information = just great! I watched other videos, well... this is the one I needed. Thank you!

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@michaelbeauchaine6912]

Great information. Thanks so much!

[@jkmwoodworking]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the great comment, much appreciated!

[@peetventerful]

Very informative. Tx for sharing

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@mondujar279]

I enjoyed the video, and it has given me some ideas for future projects! 😊

[@jkmwoodworking]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@timlindgren478]

Exactly what I needed -- thanks for doing this! ( I also found it fun that we have the same ol Delta chop saw.... still going strong, although the laser gave out about a yr after purchase. )

[@jkmwoodworking]

Glad to hear the video was helpful. I bought that delta saw 20 years ago, and still really like it. Bummer about the laser on yours, it's working on mine, and perfectly accurate!

[@fsj197811]

Good video, thanks for sharing.

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks so much!

[@SteveThePisces]

You are the man!

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks!

[@crazytomato7032]

Great video thank you for the math formula

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@leelemon3373]

Thanks for the temp issue with safety concerns. I will do mine outside, with a heat gun.

[@jkmwoodworking]

Great, thanks!

[@mxfern12]

Awesome thanks

[@jkmwoodworking]

thanks!

[@1designm923]

Thank you for the lesson on heating the acrylic. I want to form a cylinder for a cake stand. Have you formed a cylinder yet?

[@jkmwoodworking]

I haven't done a cylinder. What I'd probably do is try 2 half cylinders, then glue them together with some acrylic glue.

[@nacefsofiene4828]

thank you very much

[@jkmwoodworking]

You are welcome! Glad it was useful!

[@Bart_Depestele]

Thank you

[@jkmwoodworking]

You're welcome. thanks for watching!

[@Realism91]

I've used a torch to bend acrylic before and it never caught on fire, it bubbled on a spot i was on to long on the test piece.

[@miteytuff1]

I used my wife's tea kettle to steam some wooden strips for bending. She wasn't overly enthused. I'd like to know your wife's response to the acrylic sheet heating in the oven. Inquiring minds...

[@jkmwoodworking]

Haha! I actually did it while she was at work, and she doesn’t watch my KZbin videos,.. so no harm, no foul

[@dthom806]

I need to do something similar and Im ok with trying the oven but a quick question, is your oven gas or electric? I would thing electric would be safer if there was a buildup of the flammable gas.

[@jkmwoodworking]

My oven is electric, and I agree that is seems it would be safer than a gas oven. my oven is also convection, which I think helps to reduce hot spots by swirling the air inside.

[@jacobaguilar6756]

Great content! What thickness acrylic was that if you dont mind me asking?

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks! It is 3 mm thick, 1/8 inch

[@jacobaguilar6756]

@jkmwoodworking okay great thanks so much that's what I'm working with

[@salmanbluechip]

Hope you are doing well , sorry to bother , just wanted to know is there same technique for polycarbonate ?

[@jkmwoodworking]

I've not had much experience working with polycarbonate, I do believe that the temperature that you heat it up to in order to make it bendable are lower than acrylic.

[@damionbrown9132]

Just use a piece string to measure

[@Actio83]

did you use a wood blade on that table saw?

[@jkmwoodworking]

yes, it is just the same blade that I use to cut wood with. works great!

[@dherman0001]

My project is 42" X 23" . Finding someone to let me use their commercial oven is probably not an option.

[@carikamuller6275]

Use a heat gun next time much safer and better to work with they cost roughly $25

[@jkmwoodworking]

Thanks for the info, and great point, I could have tried that! I was a bit concerned about my ability with a heat gun to heat it evenly across the entire sheet, and keep all areas hot at the right temperature to get the continuous and smooth curve that I was looking for.

[@ms.danforthpc1961]

And it doesn't off gas toxic fumes into your oven...

[@blackbeton3923]

But it takes an eternity holding the gun and aiming it all around the piece… ending with uneven heating. This can be acceptable on small pieces .