MazdaMania

Anybody have much experience with plexiglass?

I finally figured out how to cut it nicely but now I need to get it into the shape I want. I've tried different things but I keep getting wrinkles and not a smooth surface like I want.

Any hints? tips? people that know how to do it?

twotone

yea i work with plex. If yoru doing od shapes you have to use a ROTOSAW kind of like a durmel tool. also over cut by around a 1/16" so you can sand it smooth

macklum

What kind of shape are you talking about ? are you talking about bending the Plexi to fit a curved surface

MazdaMania

Yea...I'm tryin to get it into the same shape as the tail light. This is impossible right? Atleast getting it to the shape and smooth? Please tell me it's not.

macklum

Its not impossible to do what you want ,however you would need a bunch of equipment that costs an arm and a leg . Your best bet would be to find a place that works with plexi all the time .
If cost is the deciding factor you could try this . Make a mold of the tail light using fiberglass ,this will allow you to make the plug of the light . Once you have a copy of the light and it is nice and smooth ,cut your plexi larger then you need . Put the plexi over the plug you made and heat the plexi with a heat gun,if you get the plexi to hot it will form bubble in it ,until the plexi starts to mold over the plug . Once you have the shape you want stop heating and allow the plexi to cool . Once cool you can trim it ot fit . Remember to remove the protective paper on both sides of the plexi before you heat . You will have to protect the plexi once yu have the shape again ,i would suggest vinyl transfer paper for this .
This is alot of work .

MazdaMania

That was my next step. I thought a mold might help. So I was trying to heat it too fast? or I got it too hot? I think that's my next try...making a fiberglass mold. Which means I've gotta make 2 molds one for the right and one for the left. It has already been a lot of work but I hope I've got it figured out now. Thanks...

MazdaMania

BTW...I know this is a different subj. but how did you make your own short shifter? I know they're not really expensive but I'd like to know how and how much it cost you?

Trogdor

My friend has molded plexi over the kitchen stove. Not the best solution, but he has made new face masks for bike helmets like that. Just heat and bend, and heat and bend, and......