Continuing the discussion from Pre-Release | You Spin Me Round:
Hey folks just saw this on a cnc Facebook group. Nice heard of similar builds from co-workers at the old shop. Seems useful and simple to build.
Not my work!
I can’t see the linked page 
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Edited
What temperature does the wire need to be to soften the acrylic?
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325 is what the acrylic needs to be. The thicker the plastic the slower you will need to heat it. If you are bending thin stuff your wire can be hotter, if it’s it’s 1/4" or thicker it’s best to hear from both sides
We use these
http://www.briskheat.com/products/heaters/heating-tapes-and-cords/rh-plastic-bending-strip-heaters.html
They are nice because they just plug in to a standard outlet and give good even heat
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Is that °C or °F?
Just curious…I’ve got a couple of heated beds that go up to 300°C or so. Was also looking at a wire styrofoam cutter for bending the small stuff.
(Of course, buying one made for the purpose is ideal.) 
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well, the melting point of acrylic is 160C, or 320F, so 325C would be a good way to get rid of some acrylic you really hated 
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I moved this over to “Project Inspiration”, I hope @jordanloshinsky et al. are cool with that. 
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If you are feeling a tad DIY on the styrofoam, maybe this?
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BAH! ANGER AND FURY!
Thanks @Hirudin. Much correct you are
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It’s a matter of how long you’re willing to wait for it to get hot. When I slump bowls (flat acrylic cut out in lace patterns) I usually stick it in a gas grill on high (550+) for 5 or 6 minutes. It doesn’t melt but gets pliable enough to form over or into a ceramic bowl.
Trying to get acrylic of any size to 300ish with a point source of heat takes forever. Works for long straight bends with a wire heater but complex shapes need more widespread heat and it dissipates until the whole piece is at temp. Immersing it in over temp heat is quick but does require keeping an eye on it because as you note you’re over its melting point.
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yeah, sure, although 325C is hotter than any home oven can get (barring a locked self-clean cycle). it was a joke.
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Bookmarked!!
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Wonder what else melts or burns at 325C.
Could be a fun “while we wait for our GF, let’s have a 325C burn contest” to see what people come up with 
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My brother in-law took out the family home a few years back with a single cigarette, a mattress, and a nap. I’ll politely back out of this forum game. 
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