Maybe you’all know this, but it occurred to me when thinking about how I cut headlight/tail light bars in those old Kato conversions where these must be changed or shortened etc.
Don’t cut them. Melt them in half with a soldering iron. It leaves a nice glossy end that transmits light just like the original. You can also recondition damaged light bars in this way…broken ones or where someone has botched the cut, or gotten styrene glue all over…just pass the iron over the area until it is as glossy as need be.
Typically, if you want to polish a light tube, or make a lens out of fiberoptic, you dont actually touch the iron to the plastic. You need to bring the iron close, but no touchy.
Sorry no, guys, do not cut and file them. That is the point. Jus melt 'em. And you absolutely cannot get as pristine an end on the plastic when you touch a toothed tool like a saw or file or even a rail nipper to the end compared to using a hot tool. Experiment and you’ll see. I’ve done it both ways.
And, when you melt them in half (which you actually do have to touch them with the iron) you do not have to get out the dremel, then you do not have to file, and best of all, you have not made plastic curls and dust all over the inside of your shell and on the worktable…that stuff will play havoc with a gear set.
I think I can handle a bit of plastic dust from a razor saw on MY work-bench … I’d prefer that to the noxious fumes given off by melting plastic any day ! [xx(]
For perfect 100% light transmission, the severed part needs to be perfectly flat and polished to absolute tranparency - you should be able to look into the polished end and clearly see the other end of the light bar … if not, I dis-agree that your method is superior. [;)]
Again, the fumes from melting plastic is NOT a good idea. Your best bet is to cut the light pipe, then polish the end. Melting a light pipe is NOT good for your health.
Given a choice between cutting and melting of a plastic compound the chemical makeup of which I am unfamiliar, I’ll take a little cutting any day over the possibility of having to breathe noxious fumes. I would never deliberately melt a light pipe when it is just as easy to cut it with a razor saw.
Ever try it? I ain’t kidding. Your razor saw is not gonna’ do as well. Never ever ever. But then there is a saying or two about new tricks and old dogs etc. etc.
Ah, Mark, you will not believe the clear view through my method. Think about it. Reglossing the pipe with heat or attacking it with a saw and file. Think about working on a piece of glass that way. Do you think you can remelt it to make it clear, of cut and file it? Hmmmm.
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Sorry no, guys, do not cut and file them. That is the point. Jus melt 'em. And you absolutely cannot get as pristine an end on the plastic when you touch a toothed tool like a saw or file or even a rail nipper to the end compared to using a hot tool. Experiment and you’ll see. I’ve done it both ways.
And, when you melt them in half (which you actually do have to touch them with the iron) you do not have to get out the dremel, then you
I don’t think they’re picking on you kid, “deys jus a tweensy bit paranoid is all”. Maybe that’s why they [will reach|have reached] a ripe old age.
You should have seen all of the bru haha over cutting extruded polystyrene foam. It took a couple of posts of MSDS sheets to quite things down.
I for one am much more worried about second hand smoke then about cutting a 1/8" piece of plastic under controlled and ventilated conditions.
BTW nice suit. The full encapsulation ones are worse. I am a certified NYS Hazmat Technician and I.C. and I hate those things. Too hot, too confining, too little dexterity but they ARE life savers.
