Temperature to bend 1/2" acrylic?

[Lythronax]

Hey guys!

I have access to a cerakote oven. I'd like to experiment with bending acrylic a bit more. Specifically, I'd like to try bending a 48"×12" sheet of .5" acrylic into a "U" shape to make a kreisel aquarium for jellyfish.

Any recommendations for the temperature I should heat it at? I've bent 1/8" acrylic at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, but I'm told the thicker acrylic takes more time at a lower temperature.

Attached is a little proof of concept kreisel I made for ephyrae. Similar situation, I'd just like to scale it up.

 

[Peace River]

My limited experience with bending acrylic is using a wooden jig and creating 90 degree corners. My understanding is that acrylic becomes pliable between 275 and 350F, however when using a heat gun I haven't been tracking the temperature, but rather trying to keep the heat consistent across the bend and watching for it to start to become pliable. One challenge will be keeping the curve even (or cleaning it up afterward) so you can add the side pieces in a way that is water-tight to create the kreisel. I am cheering for you and I hope this works out!

 

[JTP424]

340 degree min. But it is going to take longer to heat up. Also depends on cast vs extruded. If it's an easy access oven I would get some welding gloves and test it every so often just to see how pliable it gets. Or get a scrap and run some samples.
Used to mold larger plastic pieces in college in basically an old pizza oven. We'd put the pieces in. Wait a bit, lift up an end to see if it was flexing, then close it up for a few more if it needed it. Highly recommend a respirator due to noxious gas that can be released during heating.

TECHNICALLY it flexs at the same temp as thinner. Thinner just heats up quicker. If you get the oven TOO hot too quickly you'll get bubbles and burning.