How to Bend PlexiGlass

[@DarrinLRogers]

I'm going to disagree with many other people and say the car alarm really made this video for me. I mean, the mechanism is clever and OP's technique is excellent, plus the opportunity to show grace under pressure.

[@richardgrierson]

That's really clever. No stress marks at the bend point. Nice work!

[@juliangall]

Very helpful to see how to bend thick Plexiglass. I've been looking for this for a long time. Seeing the wide channel for the heating wire is very useful information. I've read that the gap should be three times the thickness of the Plexiglass, but never seen it in action before. Thanks.

[@GTA2SWcity]

Thanks fellas. I'll save money AND get to make those hi-tech looking enclosures. Maybe repurpose some old junk along the way. I have a bender brake for sheet metal--gotta love that harbor freight. BTW I like how you put the piece still warm and malleable into the final "application" so it would form to ideal fit--very nice technique. So actually you have taught us THREE things. 1) How to make a strip heater out of common materials (rather final product thereof) 2) How to bend plexiglass 3) Final forming as opposed to attempting to pre-form and risking botching it. You guys rock!

[@luminousfractal420]

Tried harbour for the first time today as it happens. 20x30mm 12" length of copper...only $180 not including shipping😱. I'll be sticking with eBay/amazon/ali

[@GTA2SWcity]

@@luminousfractal420 Pardon me, but your comment is a little sparse--did you mean the sheet of copper or the bending brake?

[@GTA2SWcity]

@@luminousfractal420 BTW this comment is 7 years old that you're responding to. I can't comment on the current version/revision of a tool. A bending brake is pretty simple though. There's the "bender" part you lay your stock on top of, and the "former" weight (or piece). I'd think it's hard to mess that up, unless they made it out of flimsy aluminum. --Or were you bemoaning the costs to ship it out to you?

[@MagicalManatee]

guys thank you so much for this idea!!!! youve saved me so much work, money, and time of trail and error. thank you

[@WAXMYDONGHAIR]

Nothing like multiple accidental car alarms to convey that extra feeling of professionalism.

[@-kohakuma-]

Don't be an ass. He's showing you something for free. What have you done for society other than complain and take up space?

[@WAXMYDONGHAIR]

@@-kohakuma- doing pretty well as a computer programmer in healthcare, extending access to resources to underprivileged populations! thanks for asking :) hope you've made good use of the five entire years since I posted that comment as well

[@ahainnovations]

i almost gave up on the video, but this comment made me hang on till the golden moments!

[@wajidkhan7746]

@@sarah-vs9rb iiiiiii

[@TOIC293]

@@WAXMYDONGHAIR Rofl.

[@dubledeuce875]

I'd rather they did a video on how to install, test, and disable the car alarm. A LOT of planning went into the making of this video-at least 5 minutes worth-enough to get the camera turned on.

[@nancyradbruch3138]

***** if you are not interested don't comment

[@dmbadcat]

***** Car alarms are fairly complex beasts altogether... first you have to find the wavelength or frequency that the radio operates on, then you have to encode and decode the signal required for communication with the alarm. This all could take weeks depending on the intelligence, database and raw processing power of the data integrity team and their hardware. Unfortunately, the heavy-breather behind the camera, and the flipit man may not have the assets required to perform such an intricate and overreaching behemoth of a task. Likely they would resort to either: refilming a 5 minute video (beyond the scope of the intended budget), removing the battery from the vehicle (legal nightmare with attorney paperwork/legislation, not to mention the engineers that would have to be hired on to a contract of unspecified timing), or filming at a different location (possible zoning restrictions and hostility from local governing bodies). Sadly I believe the end result is that the videographic tribulation of blood sweat and hair driers that is layed out before us may be the only recorded documentation that can be produced at the current time. Hopefully future generations will be able to abstract any underlieing truths and key theories from this experiment and reproduce it in a future analogous digitization, documenting the relativity of localizing a thermal concentration and warping the bendy thingy with one's hands. Godspeed.

[@spideymikespideymike]

+dmbadcat LOL. it's not often I get such a laugh from the comments section

[@andypughtube]

When I was at school (like 40 years ago) we had a commercial version of this in the Art and Craft section. They do a much better job of localising the heat than a hot-air gun does and give a tighter bend. Bedding the element into a bead of fire-cement would be one way to make it marginally safer. But I am guessing this is in the US where the mains voltage barely stings anyway.

[@philgray1023]

It's the amps that makes magic happen.

[@weeardguy]

I don't want to know what happens if you touch it. The one I had at work (A heater that accepted 1,2 meter wide parts) was low voltage. Burned myself a couple of times when a piece nearly either made contact with the wire or for some other reason, but considering the hot wire breaks the skin barrier that usually saves you from a very nasty shock, I don't want to know what happens when you accidentally make contact with it, 120 or 240 VAC or not. Just use low voltage or make sure you isolate the heater wire from mains supply. The last option is still dangerous should you make contact at two points on the wire, but at least you're isolated from ground. I certainly would not use aluminium foil surrounding such a wire but sturdy profile that you can ground should you NOT use an isolated solution.

[@JnitraM078]

It's not the voltage or the amperage like @philgray1023 said. It's wattage. That is determined by the resistance of the coil. You apply voltage to a coil, how much resistance it has determines how much amperage is needed to "push" through the coil. That's wattage. Volts X Amps = Watts. The only thing higher voltages do is allow for less amperage through the same resistance to achieve the wattage. Therefore keeping the electric bill lower and the size of the protection device and wire smaller in effective size. More volts = less amps to achieve the same wattage...

[@lilyking1629]

Hi OTS, I really wish I was able to do this, but it's hard for me to picture how you set up the coil....would you mind explaining like where you got the coil or how you hooked it up? Great video, thanks!!! - LK

[@rhondafarrar8108]

I believe he dismantled a hairdryer and that's the coil that's normally inside of it.

[@spencerhenchen7526]

XD that car alarm scared the shit out if me

[@caffeinatedgay2852]

same 😅

[@Martin02]

Same here

[@AjayChoudhary60]

+Spencer Henchen me too

[@MetricZero]

Jesus, a warning would have been nice... Then it happened AGAIN.

[@randombrandon1940]

I thought that's how you know it's ready to bend... lol

[@deankay4434]

So heat from electric wire allows plexy to bend? That is totally informative! Thanks! I will not be using my magnifying glass any more. So much quicker!

[@kelemvor4]

If you ever lose your job as a plexi bender, you've got the right skillset for a mcdonalds manager. "Flip it!"

[@caffeinatedgay2852]

shots fired 😂

[@nfc598]

daaang

[@zero00tolerance]

AAAAAAAhahahahah thanks for the laugh

[@biohills]

Nothing gets flipped at Mcdonalds haha

[@royanpeter3049]

Had a good laugh :) :) :)

[@frankrodriguez7468]

I learned that in the 7th grade in plastic work shop classes....and that was in 1984.....nothing is different.

[@ribonucleac1]

And that's how you bust eardrums. Upload a video with car alarms randomly going off. Great editing

[@ForViewingOnly]

Good video. Just be aware of the potential electric shock hazard if you have mains voltage connected to that hair dryer heater element, and conductive aluminium film covering the MDF!

[@ForViewingOnly]

+Tom Nicholls You didn't read my comment properly before replying. I'll try again: The connection from the mains wire (bzzzzzt, shock, ouch) to the heater element is made above electrically conductive aluminium foil. So if this mains connection touches the foil then the foil becomes live... and then if you touch the foil you could become dead.

[@AdmiralTom]

+ForViewingOnly sorry man, I got too sassy for my own good

[@ForViewingOnly]

+Tom Nicholls Hah hah :-) No worries Tom

[@HILUXCHAINSAW]

That fuckin' car alarm nearly gave me a heart attack!. Still a good bend though :-)

[@robertm.5816]

if that almost gave you a heart attack, you must be a real panzy!

[@general5104]

I just lay out a line with a square and draw it with a black sharpie. then wave a heat gun up & down the line till it's bendable & bend it to the appropriate angle, being careful not to stop the gun anytime or the plexiglass will bubble & froth. It doesn't do well on sharp corners, unless you have a form to clamp it in, but then, I have to have someone else helping me, cause it looses its heat to quickly. I enjoyed your video. It gives me ideas. thanks

[@puddytat62]

super idea.. I assume with thinner plexi you might not need to flip... What is the best way to cut plexiglass

[@mr_nice.]

McGuyver's legacy will live on for ever ! !

[@wdm2012]

Interesting idea, but you've made the angle significantly weaker by bending back and forth in that way. You should have an even heat source and then mold it around a solid form. Only 'bending' it once.

[@luminousfractal420]

Good call, and I bought one for the missus a few years ago...😅

[@powerpluselectrixpowerplus9111]

pretty awesome. Not sure i'd recommend having tin foil so close to the element. May as well put a knife in the toaster. Still an effective method of bending. Well done

[@foadrightnow5725]

Thanks for nearly giving me a god damn heart attack...twice!

[@mickeyp1291]

I love your idea, i would even make another heater on the top (mobile, with weight) so you dont need to keep turning over bbq style. What do you think?

[@contessa.adella]

The heated coil was the key, but apart from saying it was from a hair dryer, there was no info on how much coil, or how to wire it up or how to stop the foil sheet becoming electrically live and deadly to touch.

[@Aqzaqa]

Thank you! *grabs unused hair dryer

[@Otsmobileaudio]

haha, you're welcome!

[@intabola2415]

Samsung and Huawei: *hits blunt* We could make a phone with this

[@rogerhupp3115]

Great idea! Very slick.

[@RabbitsInBlack]

I love Care Alarms. Last time I had one go off in my parking lot, It was funny as they took that car away while it was going down the street.

[@Mr_Wh1]

Fascinating... Exposed live wire on surrounded by aluminium foil, covering the whole work surface you touch with your bare hand on each end of culture direction.

[@jeezee007]

Holy shit was that 1/2" glass? Nice vid bro....fuck all the haters who can't make their own video!

[@travismoss3492]

If you got the coils from 2 hair dryers and put one over the top as well you wouldn't need to flip it. But ya, this is awesome .

[@bill4572]

I grew up near a plastic company we use to use a heat strip

[@mingomongo7986]

fuck I nearly died when the alarms went off

[@vintagelugs1708]

Very cool!! Nice set up!

[@kezadrone]

Pretty dang cool. Seemed like one of those days, didn't fit and the car going crazy .I was waiting for you to say " Bend it." Then that being followed by an almighty shatter and you saying, " SH**t."

[@ucimyy4u]

Dude if that coil comes in contact with the aluminum foil one of two things is gonna happen: 1) a big loud pop or 2) a dead hombre if someone happens to be touching the foil at the time.

[@GabbrEL]

Good idea! And tx for sharing it with us! I'll make one as I want to make a big aquarium with clear edges!

[@antoniofrau7034]

d

[@kickpublishing]

The wife said her hairdryer was not "unused" - well, I haven't seen her use it since I removed the element, I'm proven right YET AGAIN!

[@SteveReynold]

It's no wonder so many people get divorced. Could there really be people as stupid as you

[@philgray1023]

Only 26 out of 27 people have a sense of humour.

[@axemanarbor]

It's no wonder how many people get divorced because the husband lost his bone and his funny bone! Wtf kind of reply to a funny comment. Don't call people stupid it's not very nice and it's no wonder how many people say stuff like that behind a keyboard because if they said it in person they would have a headache very quick. I'm sure your wife gets them a lot being married to you hahahaha. I'm laughing bwahahahaha. Dumbo

[@MrAaronsak47]

You Sir, just saved me lots of cutting time. Thanks- Tarantula cage guy

[@Softw4re]

Thanks for the heartattack car alarm

[@rbrus9949]

mmm mains and aluminium foil... What could ever go wrong there... 😰

[@The1adventurebound]

I'm sure it's OSHA approved

[@owendoe4847]

​@@The1adventurebound and that is why USA have 110V mains instead of 240

[@Milosz_Ostrow]

I wouldn't consider bending acrylic sheet with the improvised device shown here. Glass fabric-covered flexible heater elements are available that have no exposed conductors and don't glow red-hot, thus not requiring frequent flipping of the workpiece to prevent bubbling and scorching.

[@blackjack2808]

That damn car alarm scared the shit out of me!!!!

[@brianmiddleton2127]

Thank you for the informative video. My apologies for the negative comments made by others. No good deed goes unpunished. I would like to know what material you placed directly under the heat cool. Thanks!

[@rs2143]

Love the background HORN

[@HenauderTitzauf]

Would the plexi have been easier to put in your mold if you had left it across the heater element! Just curious as I saw what I perceived you struggled to get the fast cooling plexi into the mold. Just a thought.

[@willysnowman]

I didn't even take my blow dryer apart! HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE YOUR PLEXY BENDER? IS IT UL LISTED?

[@fourbyfourblazer]

Make sure the volume is up so you can hear the plexiglass bend at 01:20

[@colgatetoothpaste4865]

Great vid dude i learned something today! Thanks

[@miss.wright3035]

if you point one of those laser temperature readers on the plexiglass, what temp should it be before you start to bend it ? Obviously a 1/16 thick will reach temp quicker than this expensive chunk you're demonstrating with.

[@RadddahTat]

That car alarm woke my ass right the fuck up with my headphones on at 2am

[@passionperfection7412]

What's the (barrier viewed @ 0:26) under the hair dryer coil made of and where did you get it? That's the key to using the hair dryer coil, the (barrier viewed @ 0:26) it's like the silver heat resistant board the coils are wrapped around in the hair dryer.

[@futuramabender2078]

Can plexiglass cut you like regular glass or is it safe to pick up broken plexiglass?

[@michaelmayse417]

First off I would like to tell the gentleman in the video thank you for sharing this it is great information to have I will be taking my wife's hair dryer apart after this post but first. It amazes me how many people are posting negative comments and talking about getting electrocuted or that it is a fire hazard etc. Even the ones claiming to be certified electricians. If you were a certified electrician I would think you would know as well as I do that it is nothing more then a heating element in an electric heater or as he stated a hair dryer... as long as you have some sort of Common Sense you would be fine. I mean who would really touch that glowing piece of Steel with their bare hand? Someone that has no common sense but was somehow smart enough to find this video and comment on it. I think the guy's a fucking genius and I'm taking my wife's hair dryer apart right now.....

[@philgray1023]

I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer at 7. The element kicked like a mule. I think I can replicate this with a heat gun and a slot in ply. No hair-dryers will be harmed.

[@jeffbingaman2754]

Awesome duders. I'm guessing using a heat gun would distort the clarity of the plexi?

[@JasonBlack66]

i have always thought about pulling a toaster to bits to see if I could make one out of it

[@ninjapumkin]

Right direction wrong tools guys. We did this 35 years ago. Try a coil from a clothes dryer. No need to flip, just wait for the distortion in the plexi

[@MarvinResper]

Nice thanks for the information

[@__umam]

And how thick is that sheet?

[@janisrough5858]

could you use a curling iron? I didn't get how you put the hair dryer to the coil but on a small plexiglass window a curling iron might work it isn't very long but it only has to bend in the middle

[@melonh.6125]

Eres un genio , saludos desde Perú

[@Bazuzeus]

OMG ! NEVER and i say NEVER go back and forth.... the plexi goes thinner and thinner each time you do this. So, definitely NOT the way you blend plexi

[@scottconnorzzzzz]

dropndeal Spat my tea out laughing at that 😂😂😂

[@RYDENROAM72]

my opinion i think it would have better to just set it in as you are bending it. with you trying to bend it then set it in made it cool off and that is the reason that you could not get it in the form that you wanted to. Other than that i love your vid. but is a tutorial on how you made your heater to bend that Plexi. I would love to make one for myself. I would like to shape a hood made of plexiglass.

[@CarPhonix]

For shop use this is awesome! Great idea!

[@philgray1023]

You know I wanted to see just how long I could hold my thumb on a heating element before it got too hot. The electric shock was prodigious! I guess we all learn stuff at the age of 7 that keeps us alive later on.

[@ahaveland]

Me too, I think when I was 5. I grabbed the element with whole hand then switched it on! Argh.... Shock ramped up quickly and was significant, but fortunate only about half of the 240V. I can still remember the pulses!

[@SteveH-TN]

Thanks for sharing this video and information

[@metalrott324]

Gonna try to build an aquarium like this.

[@DIRTDIVER882]

Fkn random car alarm blew my ear drums out n shit, god damn it. Good idea tho 👍

[@MetalVikingBatmanfan1989]

Whould 20mm thick plexiglass still bend with an ordinary heatgun if enough heat was applied

[@trapazoidalwindow]

Sweet vid demo. Thanks for sharing, OTS MA.!

[@RodeoCowgirl-55]

Got a good laugh when they said took the elment out off the hair dryer. Lmao

[@joelpasaraba]

Good idea,nice work

[@Avatheskibidiaplphadog]

what about thin Car glass style plexi,can you use a heat gun and let it take form?

[@MegaInformazione]

Thumbs up for the alarm!

[@virginiagarrison7789]

have you ever replaced Windshield in 2005 Nissan Altima SL 2.5? are they different ways to seal it without rubber?

[@jelmerhessel9629]

How did you make that plastic bender.

[@jeffv2074]

excellent video!

[@chriss2295]

“Stereo” typical car audio shop.

[@MetalVikingBatmanfan1989]

If you dont mind me asking what was the thickness of the plexiglass

[@Accumulator1]

Do I have to pay KZbin to have the freaking car alarm removed?

[@meldsoblan8506]

Very good for making aquarium.

[@canofwupass]

How did you make it? Get the coil straight.

[@arjunmenon9830]

So isn't the strength of acrylic affected in any manner?

[@metahamas]

How did you earth the coil? Looks awfully close to the tin foil... :) Looks like theres something underneath the coil?

[@mauritsvw]

Interesting video, but that car alarm made me jump.

[@michellesullivan3927]

KID THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME !!!!!

[@crafter2u]

whats the power source?

[@malikjunaid1]

nice job and a very clean bend. was there some shattering or brittle observed at the sides of the bend ??

[@debabratadas9468]

OceanBreeze

[@sammyspaniel6054]

Yeah but do I need to have a car alarm on it? Simple but clever. Thumbs up.

[@MessalineApghar]

Sammy Spaniel the car alarm let's him know the thermistor reached temp lol.

[@jackgrant4795]

Quick question, why not use a heat gun?????

[@jaxxonbalboa3243]

this would be more productive and less tedious if you used a heat gun top side while it cooks from the bottom.

[@EduzAVlog]

Nice work..good idea

[@DJHenryGQ]

is there a video on how u make clear acrylic white? and then is there somethign that tells u how to get those smooth sides instead of the cut look and feeel ?

[@margerymaraudy9486]

No answer to your first question. Just buy white acrylic. For clean cuts: Use a cutter i.ytimg.com/vi/sFifcsgWk_c/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEXCPYBEIoBSFryq4qpAwkIARUAAIhCGAE=&rs=AOn4CLC5de7l_SyZgUga4xs33-3uw0KVMg Or stick a tape where the cut is to be effected or use a piece of wood and cut with a fix circular saw kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqOofJSMfLh2hLM Avoid jigsaw And as a final touch you can smooth the hedge of the cut with fine sandpaper. Amazing how the acrylic because clear again

[@NN13K0]

Not bad, I like it! Although the first time the car alarm went off, my fucking vape mod went flyin. Scared the living shit outa me hahaha.

[@jodylisenby908]

right on man thanks!

[@felixschmitt3097]

Hmyes, probably is a good idea to make sure the heater coil is never going to touch the massive (and conductive) amount of aluminum... good idea though!

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

Just use a heat gun and bend it around a form. Takes like 30 seconds.

[@Mr.Saephan503]

POVadventure - a good heat gun cost over $20 lol

[@roberthillyer3129]

Still cheaper and safer with a heat gun, as anyone that would want to bend plexy glass would already own a heat gun and not a hair dryer.

[@RipperBlades]

A heat gun will only work at 1/8" thick and u can't control it as well.

[@meade916]

you obviously have never bent or formed acrylic before. I would LOVE to see you post a video bending a piece of acrylic longer than 12" and thicker than 1/8" in 30 seconds. It almost certainly is not happening and definitely will not be clean. Bump that up to 3/16" which is still very thin and it for SURE is not happening.

[@billebobeatup5262]

Ever tried doing that long of a piece with a gun? It's not uniform and itll look like $&/!

[@erik_dk842]

car alarms going off make me want to break one or more windows in the car, so the alarm didn't go off in vain.

[@mftbruce]

Genius your idea is. Very impressive