Bending tabs on FRP

[Treeview]

FRP can be bent into gentle curves I know.

How does it react to some heat to make one inch tabs? I've made up bending brakes and used a heat gun to form some crisp angles in other plastics.

If this can be done it would make it much easier to add some length to my project. Sealing corners that overlap is easier than using aluminum stripping.

Thanks,

Tom

[CarlLaFong]

You cannot heat and bend FRP. It will not soften with heat and will break if you try to put a sharp bend in it

[bobhenry]

You cannot heat and bend FRP. It will not soften with heat and will break if you try to put a sharp bend in it

WRONG !

from my 4x7 build journal page 6


bobhenry » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:10 am

Tom :

A heat gun is the secret. I was praying all the while. I just knew 10 - 12 hours of work was about to go down the drain as I curved the FRP. It is a great material as it warms you can actually feel it relax. The amount of pressure you need to exert on it to bend it deminishes as it warms and you can actually tell by touch when it is ready to bend.

[Treeview]

I have scraps to work with before going in for the real deal.

Bob...do you have pictures of the results? How long has the bent FRP been in use? I wonder what the long term life expectancy might be. Some materials do get brittle once they're heated.

Tom

[CarlLaFong]

Actually, Bob, I am only half WRONG! It sounds as if he is looking to put a sharp, 90 degree bend in the FRP. I don't think it's going to happen, though it won't hurt to try on some scraps. I've installed quite a bit of the stuff, in commercial restrooms, and have never heard of anyone putting that kind of a bend in it.

[Treeview]

Yup...90 degree bend.

I'll take your experience and consider the other option...framing and fasteners.

Tom

[angib]

Some heat will soften fiberglass so it can be bent gently more easily, but ditto the part about 90 degree bends being impossible. It's the HDT - heat deflection temperature - that defines when bending becomes possible but fiberglass behaves nothing like a thermoplastic that can be nearly melted.

The best analogy is that heat on fiberglass works just like steaming wood - and steamed wood can't be bend in sharp angles either.

[Mitchelkitman]

When moulding it you can insert a right-angle barrier to create a 90 degree "fold" and that can then be used to join. I used this method when building my "Quantumsleep" - I wanted to make a wheelarch, so moulded a 30" long flat sheet with right angled tabs on each end about 1". After bending the sheet to the required shape, the tabs were simply held down in position on the floor with a couple of screws and fibreglassed in place. Once everything had set the next day I removed the screws, added some more fibreglass all over, and ended up with good wheel arches. That's the beauty of fibreglass - it's only limited by our imagination, it is so easy to use and modify, yet so strong.

[Aarav]

FRP can be bent into gentle curves I know.

How does it react to some heat to make one inch tabs? I've made up bending brakes and used a heat gun to form some crisp angles in other plastics.

If this can be done it would make it much easier to add some length to my project. Sealing corners that overlap is easier than using aluminum stripping.

Thanks,

Tom

wlc mr

[Aarav]

When moulding it you can insert a right-angle barrier to create a 90 degree "fold" and that can then be used to join. I used this method when building my "Quantumsleep" - I wanted to make a wheelarch, so moulded a 30" long flat sheet with right angled tabs on each end about 1". After bending the sheet to the required shape, the tabs were simply held down in position on the floor with a couple of screws and fibreglassed in place. Once everything had set the next day I removed the screws, added some more fibreglass all over, and ended up with good wheel arches. That's the beauty of fibreglass - it's only limited by our imagination, it is so easy to use and modify, yet so strong.

Your innovative approach to using fiberglass for molding, especially with the right-angle barrier for a 90-degree fold, showcases the versatility of the material. Your experience with creating wheel arches for "Quantumsleep" demonstrates how fiberglass, with its ease of use and strength, can turn imaginative designs into practical and sturdy reality. Impressive work!GB whatsapp Apk