Bending plasticard

[Re6/6]

What would be the recommended method for bending 20 thou (0.6mm) plastic card? I need to pre-form some embossed Slaters Plasticard to a half circle to a diameter of 40mm. Obviously pre-heating is needed around a former but which is the best way of doing it? Hot water, oven, hot air gun etc..

 

many thanks

 

John

[coachmann]

To make loco boilers, I used to roll 10thou plastikard around a peice of wooden dowelling that was about 1/8th" less in diameter than the finished product. While rolling, Mekpak was brushed on so that one ended up with a good solid tube when dry. It could be cut to clear the loco motor and yet retain its shape.

[54Strat]

I've had success with wrapping the plastic around the former with loads of elastic bands (the wide ones) and dipping in hot water for 5 minutes. I then ran it under a cold tap to 'set' it whilst it was warm. It held it's shape, mostly.

 

Paul

[Kris]

I've use hot water in the past with some success.

[cctransuk]

What would be the recommended method for bending 20 thou (0.6mm) plastic card?

 

I have done this most recently in order to produce an infill for the bottom cut-out of an RTR loco boiler.

 

Plasticard wound round a former (copper water pipe) somewhat smaller in diameter than required, bound in place with masking tape, and immersed for a few minutes in boiling water, followed by cold water.

 

If you mark out the developed shape on the flat card before treatment, cutting to size afterwards is *much* easier!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[burgundy]

For wagon and carriage roofs, I tape the plasticard round the outside of an empty wine bottle, which I then fill with boiling water from the kettle. Leave it all to cool down and you should have curved plasticard.

Eric

[corax67]

I 'borrow' my wife's hot air gun that she uses for setting inks on card making - use a wooden dowel or block as a former and off you go. The process can be speeded up by cooling the plasticard with a dampened cloth as you bend section by section.

 

Something like this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DOVECRAFT-DUAL-SPEED-HEAT-TOOL-GUN-EMBOSSING-SHRINKING-/230542635999?pt=UK_Papercraft_Tools_Accessories_2#ht_828wt_936

[Re6/6]

Thanks all.

 

John

[Captain Kernow]

John - Evergreen do a 1/2" white plastic tube - I've got some if you'd like to have a look at it. Not normally available from Dave's, but he orders it in specially for me. I used some for the false underneath of the boiler on the pannier I did a few months ago, for example.

[Neil]

Hot water John, but I try to arrange things so that the plasticard is inside a jar/tin/piece of tube saves loads of faffing with elastic bands, bandages and the like. There's usually some spring back so I try to find something a bit smaller than the finished radius.

[Re6/6]

Thanks both. Yes please Tim if I could have a look at some and Neil, your method looks well worth trying.