Bending Trex = science project gone bad !
So I made my first attempt at bending trex (accent boards) . Used the recommended method in Trex manual. Put 12 ft boards in 3 sono tubes , end to end , taped gaps to seal . I used a 60k btu torpedo heater on one end and 30k on the other . After an hour the temp at the ends was 239 ‘ and the middle was only 150 ‘ . Took the small heater away and placed plywood on that end . The temp came up to 170 ‘ but by then I had melted the ends with the heaters . Finally got the other end up to 189 ‘ and pulled it out, put it on the jig and bent ( 28 ‘ radius ) , screwed in place. Well THIS DON’T WORK !! I burnt / blistered 14 ” on one end and 8 ” on the other . I found that if the heater is too far away from the end of the tube, the wind blows it away . We tried to shield and direct it but that made the ends hotter but not the middle . I ‘m thinking it needs even heating through the bottom of the tubes , maybe using metal duct with holes in the top connect to the heaters .
Any suggestions ?? or does anyone know of other equipment that will work ? Thanks
Replies
Put a fan on one end to pull the hot air through the tubes. Use one that won't melt!
I would think you want a flow through, vs having two heaters or having one with the other end blocked. With no air movement no heat will reach the middle.
Putting a heater at each end blowing inward does ZIP ... except heat the ends real hot. You have to have flow through to move the heat from the heater to the center and/or the other end. Is this what TREX recommended as the acceptable way to heat this? Are you sure you read the directions fully?