Possibly OT. Excuse the x-posting, but there doesn't seem to be one group for this stuff.
I want to bend some Acrylic, so I plan to build a jig. (Too much free time) The plan is to use a couple of knife hinges to separate (1") two pieces of particle board (insulated). I will place some NiChrome wire (2') between the two boards and heat it up with a 24V transformer and a light dimmer. Once the Plexi is warm enough, I'll move my hinge to the desire location and clamp it off.
Has anyone attempted something similar? Should I clamp the Plexi on both sides of the hinge when bending or do I need to allow one side to move, to prevent cracking?