HULL GROUP meets to experiment with forming acrylic

What a great day!  The hull team came by in two groups and we were able to experiment with heat forming acrylic.  Our first efforts included putting a simple bend in small acrylic samples. Everyone got a turn at clamping his/her sample in a vice and heating the piece with a heat gun.  We ended up with some interesting shapes.  Then we tried our hand at forming complex curves by trying to mold a piece of acrylic to a metal bowl.  We experimented with three techniques:  heat gun, drape forming, and vacuum forming.  We clearly need to do more testing--possibly consult with someone who has more experience--but we learned a lot about the importance of temperature control, good clamping, team work, and problem solving.  Here are some photos of the team at work.