I'm working on a project and I'd like to "bend" some sheet styrene. I've tried heating it up with a hot air tool, but when it starts to soften, it shrivels up. Has anyone had success working with styrene this way?
Yes, trying to heat the soft styrene sheet and strips we use will cause all kinds of warping and shrinkage. The safest way to "form" styrene is to simply bend it into (or at least near) the shape you want it and then somehow hold it in that shape and let it sit for at least a week. The most common shape I need to bend styrene into is some sort of radius. Thus, I find some round, or tubular, object around which I can wrap and tape the styrene. Note that the first inch or two of the styrene piece will likely not take the new shape so make you piece a little long, then trim off the edges to get to the bent section. Depending on how thick the styrene piece is, you may need to bend the piece around successively smaller objects in order to get to the desired radius without kinking or cracking the styrene. Good luck!
Hornblower
Are you working on your air ducts? Just wondering, if you are, and if it was a tube, what would be the diameter?
The thinner the styrene, the better. I'm thinking of something like a piece of pipe, heated to where you can just handle it, and slowly working the piece of stryrene around it, and then holding it in place with small clamps.
Any chance of shaping a wood dowel to what you need?
Mike.
My You Tube
I built some water tanks with .o15. I just rolled it about 2.5in dia. and held it till glue set.
Don't know how big/small you need, but I ''think'' if you just start rolling it gently the stryrene should conform
I had some Tyco 40' reefers...
...that I decided to modify into 34'-ers...
...but with radial roofs...
...so I cemented some strip styrene "battens" onto a sheet of .020" styrene, big enough to do all four cars, then wrapped it around a large cardboard tube, securing it with elastic bands. The two files are covering the ends of the sheet material, in an effort to persuade them to participate in the curve, too...
After a couple of days, I removed the elastics and wasn't overly impressed by the curve thus created, so I wrapped the sheet around a piece of plastic pipe of a smaller diameter, and left it for a couple more days...
With the elastics removed, the curve looked pretty good...
However, seeing how much effort was required to impart the curve into the styrene, I worried that simply cementing the roofs to the top of the cars' sides and ends might not be enough to keep them in place, so I used some .060" sheet material to create a ridge beam and some crossmembers, filing the tops of the crossmembers to match the arc of the cars' ends...
After securing the roofs with elastic bands, I jockeyed them around until the overhangs at the sides and ends were equal, then applied solvent-type cement, using a brush from the inside of the car...
A day or two later, the elastics were removed, and I had four cars with radial roofs...
Adding the running boards and ice hatches was another story....
For a simpler project, I used a dress-maker's pounce wheel to create lines of rivets on some .005" sheet styrene, then wrapped the sheets around some heavy cardboard tubes, originally for paper for telescript machines. I lapped one edge of the wrapper over the other, then cemented them using solvent-type cement. The joint is on the rear of each tank, unnoticeable from normal viewing angles...
For the tops of the tanks, I used a blade in a draughting compass to cut three suitably-sized circles from .020" sheet styrene, then cut a slim pie-shaped wedge from each, overlapping the cut edges and securing them with solvent cement to create a shallow peak atop each tank...
Similar techniques, on three taller cardboard tubes, and with a pump house added as a base, yielded water towers for supplying steam locomotives...
I'm using Walthers 90' turntable on the upper level of my layout, but wasn't too pleased with its spartan appearance. I altered the deck somewhat, then added finer railings, using piano wire and stanchions from Athearn diesels. I'm in the process of adding an arch for current collection, based on a photo of a real one. The lower portion is Micro Engineering parts from their tall viaduct kits, while the upper latticework is Evergreen strip styrene.I cut a form from some 1"x4" pine, using elastic bands to make the lattice conform to the curves of the wood, then applied heat using a hair dryer. The original attempt used M.E. lattice, which deformed severely from the heat, so I didn't use the "high" setting for my second attempt. I left the elastic bands in place for a week or two, applying heat once or twice a day. When the elsatics were remove, the lattice straightened out somewhat, so I clamped it back on the wooden form, slightly repositioned so that the block of styrene, made by laminating .060" sheet styrene, could be cemented in place. More elastics and a day or two later, it now seems quite stable, so I'll add the final details when I have some time.
Wayne
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
mbinsewi Are you working on your air ducts? Just wondering, if you are, and if it was a tube, what would be the diameter? The thinner the styrene, the better. I'm thinking of something like a piece of pipe, heated to where you can just handle it, and slowly working the piece of stryrene around it, and then holding it in place with small clamps. Any chance of shaping a wood dowel to what you need? Mike.
Yes, this is for my Pullman project and I'm working with .010 styrene. I tried using a short length of 3/8" pipe (actual diameter is about 5/8") and I tried using a HF heat gun on both high and low settings and got the shrivel effect. I also stuck the styrene to the pipe and set it in a frying pan with some water on the stove. Nothing...
But, THANKS to all those who answered! All of your workmanship is beautiful!!
I'm planning a trip to the LHS today and I'm going to get some .005? brass. I have a pattern for end pieces and they have a changing radius. I doubt I'll ever get them to bend in styrene!
Pete, one of the reasons I asked about diameter, is to think about what else might be found in a hardware store, that could be used, like tubing, or hose, etc., et., ?
The wife, always looking for things that I could use while out shopping, found some plastic straws, OMG YES! I said plastic straws, that are a HO scale 3' in diameter, or about 13/16".
Not sure where she found them, probably hanging in an aisle in WalMart or the grocery store, but it's just a thought.
Good luck!
I would use K&S Brass or Aluminum tube........cut with a razor saw or tube cutter. Preferably a tube cutter. K&S also sells one. You can use a medium CA to attach it to the styrene.
https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/k+s/k+s8143.htm
Good Luck!
Frank
I have had good luck heating styrene strip in very hot water and then bending it and securing it in place while it cooled. I haven't tried it with sheet styrene.
Jeff White
Alma, IL