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heat moulding lexan windows?
1916baja - August 6th, 2011 at 01:19 PM

Hi, does anyone know how to heat mould polycarbonate (lexan) sheet? or know anyone who does it? It's for the rear window of a bug.... I'm in brisbane.

Cheers
Mick.


matberry - August 6th, 2011 at 01:32 PM

You wont need to Mick, it'll bend to the curve of the car, no worries.


DubCrazy - August 6th, 2011 at 01:36 PM

how thick is the sheet ur useing? as it should flex enough to fit. We used a template(i belive it came of the web somewhere) of the shape you need ,cut the sheet then sealed her in on our old drag bug. There really should be no need to heat it to shape.

If you do need to heat it its best you find someone who has the gear as the best way of doing it(been a few years since ive done it so mite be easier and better ways now) was to have a long rod that is heated so u roll it on the sheet and heat the areas u need to make the bends/curves etc. To try and do it ur self this way would be a major undertaking but not impossible.

I am guessing this is for the drag car, so surly you would not want the thick heavy stuff that u would have to heat rather use the thinner flexable stuff? i'm not sure if there is a ruling on thickness here but when we played with drag cars in the uk they were fine with t he thin stuff, all about those few etc grams of weight :crazy:

steff........


1916baja - August 6th, 2011 at 02:05 PM

Yeah, it bends to the curve ok, but as I'm installing them using rubbers the window guy I just had here reckons it will just pop back out. They are the same thickness as the original glass so I could use rubbers. about 4mm I think.


matberry - August 6th, 2011 at 02:10 PM

Normally with Lexan a much thinner material is used, but I'd still try it, I used similar thickness Perspex (4mm) in the Chop top rear window years ago and it still conformed to the car ok.


silver - August 6th, 2011 at 04:42 PM

Once it is in place gently heat it with a heat gun evenly and slowly, get it as hot as you can safely, and then walk away it will then be bent to the curve it is in.