|
|
Post by volkssturm on Jul 21, 2016 19:05:57 GMT -5
I know some people have used heat to soften up PVC pipe and make it flexible. Before I burn my house down, I thought I'd ask for advice. Do you use an oven to heat it up, and what temperature, and for about how long? What about a heat gun? Is that hot enough?
|
|
Dracul
Master sergeant 
Posts: 1,341 
|
Post by Dracul on Jul 22, 2016 5:15:51 GMT -5
I've seen this done, first hand, by building a trench, half pipe, or a side ways "C" shape with wood, and then lining with it tin foil. Then using a heat gun. But that specifically for bow (as in bow and arrow) making. But I'm sure the concept can be utilized for whatever you need to get done.
|
|
|
|
Post by volkssturm on Jul 22, 2016 15:38:43 GMT -5
What I'm looking at is making the barrel shroud for an SVT-40 with a piece of PVC pipe. So, maybe the approach is a wooden mandrel with the right shape, heat the pipe with a heat gun and push it down over the mandrel.
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Jul 22, 2016 19:39:41 GMT -5
I have been anxious to try altering PVC or ABS with heat but like you haven't had the guts to give it a go. I have done slight bends in tubing for tripod legs and used a heat gun to manage it. Nothing radical like Droopailles does.
|
|
|
|
Post by droopaille on Aug 1, 2016 12:11:51 GMT -5
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Sept 5, 2016 12:10:52 GMT -5
For bending the tripod legs slightly and prevent kinks from developing fill the inside with sand or if you have the right size spring available insert it prior to heating things up. Obviously wear gloves.
For a barrel shroud like you're discussing (volks) have a dowel or pipe to shape it over. Isolate the form from the softened plastic with wax paper or better still tin foil.
|
|
|
|
Post by droopaille on Sept 7, 2016 11:30:37 GMT -5
Sand doesn't done good result. Spring inside let appear bumps of the wire. This is an extract of my excellent tutorial of the P99 extend  From high to low : - spring adjust outside of the tube : the metal burn the plastic - spring inside the tube : plastic is shaping around the spring, I must broke for getting the spring - with dry sand and heat only on the external side : there a big retact - empty tube heated by freehand : looks good but there a big fold inside - empty tube and freehand heating but press between to plate for straighten the fold : very good You can try to full the tube with wet sand and compress it with a hammer. Good luck  |
|
