shaping plastic

[whytepizza]

Sooo,
I will be obtaining some plastic soon from a print shop that is going out of business. They use it to make and mold signs for their company. Well, i was wondering if anyone knew of a way to heat it up and shape it. I have done it for knife and gun sheaths and holsters but never anything large.
I know they use a heat press for everything they make, i on the other hand live in a house with wall and furniture and my basement isn't 3 stories tall so there is no way i could fit that.'
If it's a thin enough guage plastic do you think a heat gun would work? Also, is there a way to melt two pieces together without releasing all the fumes to kill my brain even more or give me cancer? I was thinking about riveting, but the guage plastic might be too thick.

[atp151415]

uhhhhhhhhhhhh why do you want to shape plastic?

[littleindiangirl]

Sooo,
I will be obtaining some plastic soon from a print shop that is going out of business. They use it to make and mold signs for their company. Well, i was wondering if anyone knew of a way to heat it up and shape it. I have done it for knife and gun sheaths and holsters but never anything large.
I know they use a heat press for everything they make, i on the other hand live in a house with wall and furniture and my basement isn't 3 stories tall so there is no way i could fit that.'
If it's a thin enough guage plastic do you think a heat gun would work? Also, is there a way to melt two pieces together without releasing all the fumes to kill my brain even more or give me cancer? I was thinking about riveting, but the guage plastic might be too thick.

A heat gun sounds like it might work, but your still going to get the fumes, so best to use a mask and outdoors... Also dont want to make the plastic drippy

Personally, I would make a cast of whatever you want to shape it into, then before it goes liquid, press it into the mold, put the insert in and let it set.

[Freakie_frog]

Depending on the type of plastic they make benders and even welders for them I have a welder for MTPF, EPVC, ABS and a few others. Is basicly a big hot glue gun.

[stangs13]

uhhhhhhhhhhhh why do you want to shape plastic?

Thats what racks are made out of.

[whytepizza]

Thats what racks are made out of.

LOL, thanks stangs!
Yeah, i'm not quite sure what kind of plastic it is. I think (if i remember correctly) it was a pvc plastic, but i'm not sure which kind.
As for the mold idea, think i could user regular styo for a mold? i know it will shrink a little with the heat, but i wanted to give the cage some built in dimention, like a waterbowl and rock-ish surface...

Welders would be awesome! I'm kind of on a budget (so i'm getting a good closeout price on the plastic and spending money for wood for a neonate rack) but do you know someplace that sells, or even rents one out? I have no clue where to begin looking for a welder like that.
I just need to make sure if it is PVC that it wasn't plasticised with DEHP. I know it causes problems in humans and animals, and it's what alot of rubberized or semi-rubberized plastics are made with (like 'toys' for children and adults).
I figured just regular heat tape would work fine for heating, it should heat up the plastic well.
If it turns out to be something like Sintra, i'm screwed unless i use it an insulation. But i hope it'd be polypropelene and i'll be set and ready to rock!
Thanks for the help guys! If you have any ideas on how to mold it, or making a mold for it i'm all ears!

[Mochelem]

most plastic racks ive seen are made out of cut sheets of plastic and screwed together I dont see the need to shape plastic for a rack...The only shaped plastic Ive seen is for hides...

[whytepizza]

most plastic racks ive seen are made out of cut sheets of plastic and screwed together I dont see the need to shape plastic for a rack...The only shaped plastic Ive seen is for hides...

Yeah, but i want to be something like a one piece pvc vivarium. I'm not a fan of the big box ones. This is going to be the focal piece of my living room so i want to make it as stramlines as possible.... although i could just use a 50's streamliner and convert it! lol.

[muddoc]

If it is an expanded PVC, I would try a bender to shape the plastic. I know you said you are on a budget, and they cost about $75, but work great. As for glues, I would try this website www.tapplastics.com , as they carry every type of cement for plastics that you could want. I hope that was of some help.

[whytepizza]

that site is great! thanks so much!