diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

put your oem glass in the oven, put the cut out plexi on top, dry at 250deg, heat to 350 to get the "sag" then let it cure


has anyone ever tried this? i got the idea from http://www.portplastics.com/architect/page22.html


only concern would be, does it get up to 350deg in the sun? dont want junky looking windows, even on a drag car

gotta find an oven big enough for a windshield lol

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

i don't think the glass or plexi would get that hot in the sun.
i think i remember reading that plexiglass and lexan let off poison gasses when heated up.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

nice, free poison

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

most plastics do, including what you throw in the microwave and have all that ---- go in to your food

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

yeah except it's a little different. i put a shitload less plastic in the microwave oven.
also gotta make sure it's an electric oven or you are gonna blow ---- up when the poison gasses hit fire.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

Most of the "posion" gases are chlorine based, so they're not flamable. They just cause cancer. Other plastics let off PCB's which is a chlorine based compound used as a fire retardant in the manufacturing of plastics. It bioaccumulates so the longer you're exposed to it, the more you're going to have in your system. Just like any compound with a halogen, it's believed to be carcinigenic.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

learn something new everyday

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

I had an envrio-nazi chem professor bitch about it daily.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

I've done this before and it works ok. As long as you dont have a lot of compond curves to make. I had to make some widows for an F86 cockpit and they were a bitch!!! but it worked after about 4 tries. If you get it to hot they will buble too so be sure to watch your heat.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

just some 1990 civic door windows and quarter windows. not sure what do to about the hatch or the windshield yet

i think i could get away with doing the windshield cold.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

lulz

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

Would it be better to form it convex or concave?

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

Do you mean on the outside or the inside of the glass? I would go with the outside but I could be wrong.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

I was thinking of forming it from the inside, that way the lexan will sit more solidly on the glass till it melts to the shape.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

Most powder coating shops will have ovens big enough for this type of thing.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

what happens if a rock hits the lexan windshield as you drive though?

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

Make another when you get home?

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

The regular windshield is made so that it wont break up, and generally stop small things so they don't hit you in the face.
What about lexan, how thick does it need to be to be safe

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

lexan is alot more durable than glass. it will just get scratched.

some lexan windows can stop a bullet.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

don't make a windshield out of it. it's gonna be all distorted. even in race cars they have braces across the windshield and it still bends.

not the ---- you are gonna use for windows on your "race" car to save weight.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

and noone will be eating out of a powder coating oven either!

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

If you're melting the lexan to form to the glass it's going to get sticky and attract dust that will make it look like ----. That article even spoke of the static properties of lexan.

I don't know how dust free a shop that specializes in powder applied coatings is going to be.

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

considering that they dont want dust in any powder or paint work; better than average...

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

hey it fucked evan tanner up. its gotta be hot. rofl

Re: diy polycarbonate/plexiglass forming
 

heat gun + back yard = cancer for the neighborhood... good luck!