Advice designing plastic bender using 0.035 nichrome coil?

[gellfex]

I'm a little late but here's my simple setup for clean sharp bends in plastic. This works very well for my needs. I'm usually bending 0.125" polycarbonate, but can
do thicker no problem.

I'm using 0.025" Nichrome wire.

It's powered by my LiPo battery charge, which has special "Foam Cutting" mode. I used to use my 12V 6A dumb charger, but prefer the LiPo charger as it displays
current and voltage. It runs 4V 7A in this configuration. It also has an Auto Off mode in the event I forget to turn it off.

Two key features;

The spring. The Nichrome stretches a bit when hot, so this helps keep decent tension. Don't run any current thru the spring or it will anneal real fast!

The screws for wire retainers, the threads make for real nice wire height adjusters.

Thank you for helping out!

P.S., I think the 0.035" Nichrome will be fine, just use a short length.

Thanks, that's a cool setup. I don't think any of my smart chargers would be dumb enough to fall for that, they analyze the battery, and if there's no battery I don't think they'll flow current. The variac will work for me, but I'd like to have a easily done setup if someone wanted to reproduce it. But as is a $25 heat pen does the job just fine. My new elf 6 blocks away finished a run of 50 tonight!

A.K. Boomer sure there's a million ways to make a hook, but none simpler than 20 seconds to make the 2 bends.

[A.K. Boomer]

A.K. Boomer sure there's a million ways to make a hook, but none simpler than 20 seconds to make the 2 bends.

would have to agree if that's the time frame you can get them done in well worth pursuing that method...

although I see you have adjusting holes up front - was just thinking one hole punched in the back at each side and slip a rubber band through with some kind of pin that won't fall out....