Curious what tips people have for quickly smoothing edges of 1/16" or 1/8" thick CNC cut polycarbonate? Search/AI is suggesting MAPP gas or sanding, but I’d appreciate ideas from people here.
Also, am looking for ideas to cold bend polycarbonate to precisely 90 degree angle (1 degree tolerance ideally)?
Am currently using a $75 harbor freight metal brake limited to 90 degrees, so, since the polycarbonate springs back to less than the brake’s bend capacity… Am currently jankily adding additional jig/wedge to the bend brake so that the plastic gets over bent and will then spring back to (very) roughly 90.
I don’t want to mod the brake with an angle grinder just yet to support over bending…
Am striving for being able to cold bend polycarbonate parts in a few seconds rather than do slow heat softening/forming.
A sanding jig similar to a knife sharpening jig. I started one then the project changed and it was left on the wayside. If it’s limited a upright belt sander with adjustable table.
This is tool I use for edge smoothing. (Sorry I don’t know the english name for it) It works for wood , most plastics (3D printed also), aluminium and even s355.
I use this method when bending plastics. I cut halfway to the material with 6mm 90deg chamfering tool (if the material is under 6mm, if it is above 6mm then I use 6mm ball nose endmill) So the tool tip is middle of the material thickness( or 0.5mm above ). Quick (like one fast pass along the benging line) heat up with heatgun before bending.
There’s plastic benders which are like a pressbrake with a wire heater to soften just the area to bend. It’s just a resistive wire with current going through it like a foam cutter, might be easy enough to Maguyver together if it saves you some time in the long run.
