How to bend Depron foam ?

[P4cm4n2000]

Hi,
Just to seek some advice, how to bend Depron foam ?

have search RCGroups, but I want to know any local folks here bend depron foam from ArtFriend?

I tried, but it aways cracks.....not sure to use hair dryer to heat it up,
or, manually compress the section to bend with tape re-enforced on the top side.

thanks bros!

[MicroHeli-Nut]

i was tot to use a solder iron...+ steel rule... run the solder iron across the bend line... half way thru the thickness of the foam.....

what we have from Artfriend now isn't exactly depron i think... it's too stiff.... more like 6mm cellfoam 88.....

last july i did manage to get some 5mm foam from artfriend... it's bendable with a broomstick, and perforating the bendline with a fork....

.... but the curves dun hold... need lots of glue... and u need to make many sets of perforation lines per bendline....

when i tried it on the stiffer 6mm foam i got in dec , it crack! it didn't even barge a bit. i'dd reccommend u try the solder burn method on some scrap foam first. u need to be fast and steady. once u gget the hang of it it's pretty easy. then u hold the curvature u want by epoxying the gaps....

Araldite not bad as well.....

[gEcky]

To prevent the foam from cracking, apply packing tape on the unperforated side.

To bend/curve, heat the foam using a hairdryer and bend it over a pipe (metal vacuum cleaner tube works well ). The main problem encountered is tt the foam dun always curve along the perforated lines.... probably during to the uneven heating....

My 2c

[bartleby]

It depends what you want to do.

If it is for forming it to do a wing airfoil/profile, you can do like this:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253163

The guy is using a paint striping heat gun ...
The problem of the solder iron is that the surface of heat is not wide enough and the problem of the hair dryer is that it's not hot enough.

If it is for coating a fuse with depron, you can do like this:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=324299

with a cutter, you cut some lines to weaken the depron, then you will be able to bend it and shape it as you want.

Thomas

[Mathieu]

Try slowly pressing it against the edge of a table. Apply more pressure each time.

[MicroHeli-Nut]

no la... i think i didn't explain clearly.... with the solder u're supposed to "dig" long "trenches" beside and along the bend line..... cutting grooves have way into the foam... allowing removal of material for bending....

[P4cm4n2000]

wah Many Thanks bros for your quick response.
Tonite cannot sleep liao....will see how to complete this by weekend..
If you got your "depron" bended foam plane, feel free to post and show us man...keke...

cos many will be flying Mustang P51 this weekend at Punggol Field Walk field.
CollectivePitch say I'm pressurized liao....which is true....keke


you might want to drop by if possible.

[MicroHeli-Nut]

Dude... not worth la... sleep la.... stay up for R/C bo hua... not worth it... lesser attention, lesser efficiency. lesser efficiency = more accidents and mistakes in builds... sleep la...

[$h@d0w]

no la... i think i didn't explain clearly.... with the solder u're supposed to "dig" long "trenches" beside and along the bend line..... cutting grooves have way into the foam... allowing removal of material for bending....

Becareful not to breath in too much of the gas when you are using this method. Have plentiful of ventilation.

[xwing]

Dude... not worth la... sleep la.... stay up for R/C bo hua... not worth it... lesser attention, lesser efficiency. lesser efficiency = more accidents and mistakes in builds... sleep la...

Totally agree... you might end up doing something you might regret... like me... i stepped on my plane... :P nothing epoxy couldn't repair...

[kenshin]

how much do you want to bend the foam?
if it is quite gentle, juz bend and then quickly put some glue n hold it there till it dries. after awhile it will stay in that position

[freeman]

Hi

Have tried bending a Depron using this 2 methods and it works quite well.

For thin depron, i.e. 3mm, use very warm water or hot water (recommended). Find a tub that the part you want to bend can fit, then fill it up with hot water. Just put the part into the water for a while, say about 1 minute or until it is soften, remove it and bend it slowly. Hold it in position till cool down.

For thick depron, as what was mentioned in the previous posting, using straight ruler, cut grooves fill the grooves with epoxy, then bend it and hold in position. When dried, the epoxy will hold the form in place and even acts as a spar.

Cheers

Happy building.

[loyn]

In fact we do have some infor in DH , hope this helps

1) Slow flyer wing

http://www.daddyhobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8283

2) Wing foil type wing

http://www.daddyhobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8932

[P4cm4n2000]

Thanks Loyn, I think your tips given helps.
will try this weekend catch some time to bend the 6mm compressed foam (artfriend).