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Bending PVC trim

KenJ | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 4, 2007 05:32am

I need to make a curved jamb for an arch, one is 34″ diameter, other is 40″ diameter.  The jamb width is about 10″.  I have found Kleer trim boards at my local lumber yard.  Since I will only need to do this once, is there an easy way to heat it?  Will a hot day (90-95) in direct  sun, maybe wrapped in black plastic, heat it up sufficiently?

On Kleer’s website they show a video of it being pulled out of an oven and it’s like spaghetti.

Thanks,

Ken

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Replies

  1. MikeK | Aug 04, 2007 08:08am | #1

    I bent straight 1x2 pvc trim into a a circle with a 14" radius to trim out a porthole window. I used a IR heat lamp, but a heat gun on low setting would probably work as well.

  2. Notchman | Aug 04, 2007 09:07am | #2

    Azek sells a heater for bending their product.  It's a bit spendy but a few of us convinced the local yard to buy one to rent.

    I have bent the material successfully by wrapping it in towels and dowsing them with very hot water (cheap man's steam bender).  It worked OK but I had to try it a couple times before I got things set up right to make an accurate bend.

    Tried a heat gun on some Azek brickmold once, but it was to difficult to get the heat spread evenly. Broke the first test piece.

    The heater is the way to go, if you can get your hands on one.

  3. CAGIV | Aug 04, 2007 09:21am | #3

    I took 2 pieces of 6"dia. single wall duct work we had laying around the shop and screwed them together, made a simple ladder rack that held the material about 2" above the bottom. 

    Set that whole mess, with the trim in it, on blocks and put a torpedo propane heater on one end, heat it up for a little while, flip it end for end to get the other side heated a little more, it comes out almost like wet spaghetti.

    Before heating I make a template out of plywood to match the radius and then two of us can take it off the rack and bend it leaving it in place until it sets.

    Sometimes it doesn't quite make a perfect arch, a heat gun can be used for minor adjustments.

    The down-side of my method is it burns/scorches the first 1' or so of the material, I've never needed to use the entire length of a full piece so I haven't worried about it.

    I've thought about putting either one or two elbows in to reduce the scorching, not sure it would work though.

    Since you have 10" wide material you should be able to find a piece of rectangular duct work that would fit it if you go this way.

    I've seen the heating pads at work at JLC live in the past and they are sweet, personally I can't justify the expense.

    Team Logo

  4. pvctridmworks | May 12, 2016 10:46am | #4

    Trim Bending Company

    Hello,

    Not sure where you are located but if in Ontario a company has the equipment to custom bend trim to whatever radius is needed.

    http://www.pvctrimworks.com.

    Hope that can help!

    1. User avater
      Mike_Mahan | May 12, 2016 11:28am | #5

      Obvious help.

      I'm sure this guy has been working on this for 9 years hoping for some spam.

      1. calvin | May 12, 2016 07:11pm | #6

        Mike

        I'll leave the post up as its at least potentially useful to Ontarians.

        it'd be nice if the spammer (company spokesperson) would start a thread on the machinery and methods used by a commercial operation.

        he/she might do one if they come back and see this.

        if not then I'd guess you are right on with your estimation.  

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