Okay, I bent a lexan bill over a lighter and this is what happened.

Does anyone know how to bend lexan and avoid creasing like that without any special gear?

No sir, that's how it looks after bending.   If you insert the bill up to the bend and paint the bait all of that will be hidden under the paint.

We put 90 degree bends in lexan(polycarbonate) at work all the time in a brake press. You can not use a lighter. Take the bill put it in water, and you need to get the water temp to 300-350 degrees no more. Keep it in there for about 10-20 minutes. Then take the piece out with gloves on, and bend it over a piece of pipe or whatever you have. You will not get any crack or fracture marks. You will get a crease if you bend it 90 degrees, but you are not bending it that much. Your leaxan will be crystall clear.

get the water temp to 300-350 degrees

It is impossible to get water that high. (unless its under pressure)

212 deg F (100 Celcius) is the highest you can get pure water, after that its steam.

Heat Gun will work, also a hair dryer works in a pinch. Heat it slowly and evenly until its soft all the way through, you don't want to get it too hot otherwise it results in what you have.

get the water temp to 300-350 degrees

It is impossible to get water that high. (unless its under pressure)

212 deg F (100 Celcius) is the highest you can get pure water, after that its steam.

Heat Gun will work, also a hair dryer works in a pinch. Heat it slowly and evenly until its soft all the way through, you don't want to get it too hot otherwise it results in what you have.

You are absolutely correct, I don't know what I was thinking. I checked the thermometer at work, and it was 190 degrees. Thanks for the correction.

I know one of the guys over on tu bends his lexan by heating the lip in hot olive oil. (Around 350 degrees if I remember correctly.) Deep friers like the "fry daddy" or the one made by presto will heat the oil up to 375.

No cracks show afterwards either.

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hardbait-how/12155-compound-bending-lexan.html

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hardbait-how/13549-polycarbonate-lexan-lip-former.html

Eric

Thanks!

I thought painting the bill might hide the creases but I wanted to avoid creasing like that in the future.

I'll give the heat gun a try. Those bill tutorials look great, but I'm not exactly set up to build a press like that.

Ben

Hmmm deep fried crank bills...yummy