ways to bend and cut primochill rigid acrylic ?

[felixbearpig]

hey guys, i have a dilemma  so im planning on buying the primochill rigid acrylic tubing for my rig ( becuase it cheaper than buying angle fittings) and im currently living in west africa and its kinda hard to ship any heat guns and saws/ dremmels out here, because of diplomatic customs. so 2 questions 

 

1. can bend the tubing with boiling water ?<-still experimenting 

2. can i use sharp cooking knives to cut it? sovled

 

 

 

if there is other ways to cut and bend it, suggestions are welcome, 

thanks

[WunderWuffle]

1: nope. It's not hot enough.

2: I wouldn't suggest doing it.

[Hazy125]

You will need a flame or heat gun to bend the tubing, I would suggest scissors or even better something like a dremmel to cut through the tubing. A knife could cause the tubing to crack

[WunderWuffle]

You will need a flame or heat gun to bend the tubing, I would suggest scissors or even better something like a dremmel to cut through the tubing. A knife could cause the tubing to crack

I think he can cut the tube if he melts it with the silicon insert in it, then cut through the tube and the insert.

[felixbearpig]

I think he can cut the tube if he melts it with the silicon insert in it, then cut through the tube and the insert.

so get 2, 3'long inserts?

[WunderWuffle]

so get 2, 3'long inserts?

Just get as many as you think you'll need, and make sure the OD of the insert matches the ID of the tubing.

[felixbearpig]

Just get as many as you think you'll need, and make sure the OD of the insert matches the ID of the tubing.

ok so that solves the cutting portion, thanks

 

any sugestions on the bending ?

[WunderWuffle]

ok so that solves the cutting portion, thanks

 

any sugestions on the bending ?

Do you have a gas stove? Just keep the tubing over the flame, and when you start to feel it bend a little, heat it up for 2 more seconds, then try to bend it. 

[felixbearpig]

Do you have a gas stove? Just keep the tubing over the flame, and when you start to feel it bend a little, heat it up for 2 more seconds, then try to bend it. 

no, no gas stove:(

[WunderWuffle]

no, no gas stove:(

An electric stove?

[felixbearpig]

An electric stove?

ok ill try it thanks 

[Ghost]

You should buy an acrylic tube cutter and a heat gun. Won't cost you a fortune and it will make a much better and easier job of what you plan to do.

[coen113]

tubecutter, and bending... would not recommend

[Halfblood11]

Cutting - hack saw or coping saw would be best for cutting dare say a dremmel would work too not worked with a dremmel though knife MAY cut it but it would be seriously inconvenient and not advisable maybe easier if it was heated then cut but then you would have problems with misshaping the tubing 

Bending - the videos show use of a heat gun with the silicon rod in it to prevent kinking this would also probably be the best bet i wouldnt trust using anything with a naked flame it would be all to easy to mess up the plastic (burn / scorch / blacken)  heat gun would do it or a strip heater but heat gun would be easier to get hold of and i dare say cheaper id trust an electric cooker over a gas one for heating to bend but it would heat a large area of the acrylic 

 

oh and sand paper to make fine adjustments if somethings too long sand a little off glass paper dont think wet and dry would be needed for actual sanding and making stuff fit better 

 

hope its of some use though you may be better just using non rigid tubing giving the circumstances ....