How do you bend acrylic stems ?
Steve Thomas
the oven first, but how do you bend acrylic stems? Or should you?
If attempting to bend acrylic yourself is not a good idea, is there a
source for purchasing pre-bent stems, either half bent, or full bent ?
TIA,
Steve
Gary Saenz
cleaner in the stem, placing it in boiling water and then bending it
over a round object. Test the stem several times as you heat it. I've
always tried to bend the stem just as it gets soft enough to bend with
some force.
Gary
Mingkahuna
>I've bent acrylic stems on the pipes that I've carved by placing a pipe
>cleaner in the stem, placing it in boiling water and then bending it
>over a round object. Test the stem several times as you heat it. I've
>always tried to bend the stem just as it gets soft enough to bend with
>some force.
I've used the same method as Gary describes above, with success.
Buzz
Trever Talbert
specifics for boiling times. However, acrylic comes in all sorts of
different compositions. Some will melt into slag in a few minutes, while
others may take more temperature for 10 minutes before they're even
flexible. Best advice is, leave it in and check it every minute or two. It
will eventually get flexible, if you're patient. However, if it does not
after 15 minutes or so, you don't have enough heat.
Happy bending,
Trever
--
"Meddle not in the affairs of wizards, for thou art crunchy, and taste good
with ketchup"
My correct email address is:
zoth(at)hpe(dot)infi(dot)net
www.talbertpipes.pair.com
mark wright
You might want to try using a metal tubing bending tool available at
hardware and plumbing suppliers. I'm not sure they would work any
better than a suitable round object, but they are made specifically for
bending metal tubing and solid rods which could be an advantage to
someone inexperienced at bending tubing or stems. As with many things,
experience is a great teacher, and we always learn something even if we
don't get the results we wanted.
Happy Bending,
Mark
SHELLPOKER
a couple of pounds of salt and place it on the stove under medium or so heat. I
then place the lucite bit with a pipe cleaner in place in the salt and move it
back and forth for maybe a minute or so to soften the lucit. I then remove,
bend and set it with cold water. This is how they adjust plastic frames. Works
for me.
Happy Smoking,
Mike
Mario Treglia
Half an hour ago, before reading your reply to Steve I just tried to
bent an acrylic stem by doing exactly what you mentioned, the only
difference is that the gentleman at Tsuge, the Japanese Pipe Company,
told me not to leave the stem in boiling water for more than a minute
and a half.
I've tried it after leaving the stem in the water for a minute and a
half, two minutes, three and since there was no way in hell it would
bent, I ended up leaving it there for five long minutes and it still
won't bent.
My question is, how long do I have to leave the stem in the boiling water?
thanks in advance,
peace
Mario Treglia
Tokyo/JAPAN
Gary Saenz wrote:
>
> I've bent acrylic stems on the pipes that I've carved by placing a pipe
> cleaner in the stem, placing it in boiling water and then bending it
> over a round object. Test the stem several times as you heat it. I've
> always tried to bend the stem just as it gets soft enough to bend with
> some force.
>
Walter L. De Visser, Sr
--
Walt
Trever Talbert <zo...@hpe.infi.net> wrote in article
<7dj2sm$sbl$1...@nw001t.infi.net>...
Juandy
Skydog
: Hard to get water over 212 F.
With enough dissolved salt, you can get it up a few more degrees. Or,
pressurize your house. ;)
I've seen buckets of sand heated in the oven used for bending all sorts of
plastics. Once you know the plastic point of the substance you are bending,
you put the sand in the oven until it's at the right temperature. The high
thermal mass will hold the heat long enough to do quite a few stems. Some
acrylics, it seems to me, have plastic points well above 212F, so the hot
sand approach might be the most practical.
Gregory
Crashh
250* F.
You can check this with a meat thermometer. Gently push your stem, (the
portion you wish to bend) into the salt. (Gently so you do not deform the
bit.) Do not overheat the stem. Just soft enough to bend. About 20-30
seconds or longer, check as needed. Thumb and forefinger work great, bending
the stem around your rounded thumb. Wear gloves or use a cloth. Don't forget
to put a pipe cleaner in to keep the air hole from collapsing.
This is a simple procedure, once you get the hang of it. Just use common
sense.
Crashh
SunriseBoy
Jim
vulcanite or acrylic. At least one person claims it is not necessary,
but better safe than sorry, particularly as some claim they have
tried bending a pipe stem without the cleaner inside to hold it open
and have had the hole close up too much for smoking or cleaning through
it.
Then heat the area you wish to bend, evenly to the degree possible.
I immerse the stem in boiling water, but you can suspend the mouthpiece
above water that is roiling boil, use a heat gun, or any other method.
Be EXTREMELY careful if you use a propane or oxy-acetyline torch.
I recommend wearing heavy gloves that will be impervious to the heat
applied.
When the area to be bent is evenly heated, bend it, perhaps against
a round object.
How long it will take to heat the acrylic enough for you to bend it
will depend on the exact acrylic material, how much heat you apply,
and how much pressure you apply when bending.
It is quite possible to ruin a stem, acrylic or vulcanite, so do
not attempt bending a stem you are not willing to replace.
Cheers!
jim b.
--
UNIX is not user-unfriendly, it merely
expects users to be computer friendly.