Lampshade from Recycled Bottle Caps

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HDPE

We will show you how to bend a recycled plastic sheet from the sheet press without heat or mold.

This technique is inspired by a woodworking technique called ‘kerfing’. Kerfing is a wood bending method done without water or steam.

Browse Files

Table of Contents

  1. 1

    Prepare all the materials and tools

    Here’s what you need:

    • The HDPE plastic board that you’re going to bend:
      • 30 cm x 10,5 cm, 5 mm (thickness)
      • ⌀9,5 cm, 5 mm (thickness)
    • A portable sanding machine
    • A soldering iron
    • A table saw
    • Rope
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  2. 2

    Score the plastic

    First, we’re using the table saw to score the plastic. Cut 3 mm in depth while keeping a 5 mm distance between each cut. Make sure you’re scoring the board perpendicular to the direction of the bend.

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  3. 3

    Thin out the end sides of the plastic board

    Thin out the end sides of the plastic board using a portable sanding machine so that the sides will fit better in the next step.

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  4. 4

    Bend it

    Now bend it carefully! Use a rope to tighten it in place.

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  5. 5

    Weld the end pieces of plastic

    With the help of a soldering iron, weld the end pieces of plastic together. Make sure you do it well.

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  6. 6

    Smooth out the welded part

    Now back to the sanding machine again. Smooth out the welded part to get that nice and evenly joint.

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  7. 7

    Done!

    And voilà! Your beautiful, eco-friendly lampshade is done.

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To bend a plastic sheet using kerfing-inspired techniques as described, the following tools and materials are required:

Tools

Hardware

No specific software is needed for this method.

Articles

  • https://polysynthesis.au/blog-plastic-sheet-bending/
  • https://polysynthesis.au/bent-plastic/
  • https://www.justpolycarbonate.com/post/bending-polycarbonate-everything-you-need-to-know
  • https://exceliteplas.com/fabrication/bending-plastic/
  • https://www.caamatech.com/post/arcylic-bend-guide
  • https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/bend-sheet-acrylic-plexiglass-with-tools-2366806
  • https://weetect.com/polycarbonate-bending/
  • https://www.beeplastic.com/blogs/plastic-insights/a-beginner-s-guide-to-bending-abs-plastic-sheets-and-rods

Papers

  • https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0847865.pdf
  • https://libstore.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/003/014/851/RUG01-003014851_2021_0001_AC.pdf

YouTube

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovqnIBQuezA
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4JGlWyVDLs
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIBRmBxTPCA

Opensource Designs

  • https://community.preciousplastic.com/library/bend-plastic-sheets
  • https://www.stirpad.com/news/stir-news/kuo-duo-lends-bendability-to-plastic-boards-through-the-kerf-plastic-series/
  • https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/architecture/kerf-sculpting
  • https://community.preciousplastic.com/library/bend-with-the-sheetpress
  • https://www.instructables.com/Laser-Cut-Ambient-Light-With-Kerf-Bends/