Looking to buy acrylic blocks.

roddo

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Looking to buy a a set of acrylic blocks. Anybody on the forum make them or can direct me where to buy them? Thanks
 
There are probably several guys selling them online. Only one I know of though is something called True Blox. Google it. You can make them yourself. If you search user theastronaut you can finds some pics of him detailing how he made his. Very simple and effective. You can get acrylic in various sizes on Ebay.

 
I've spent countless thousands on tools over the years, but I just can't force myself to spend the $ they want for a piece of acrylic. https://www.professionalplastics.com/ . This place will cut anything you want, and you could have hundreds of blocks for the price of some of these "master" sets. As for handles, I can't use tape. My old hands start cramping up squeezing something that thin. As mentioned above, pipe insulation works well, or if you are used to Durablocks, a piece of acrylic glued to one works great. If you want more flexibilty in your "Durablock" handle, cut slits with a hacksaw every 1/2"-3/4", half way through.
 
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I wanted to be cool too and try the acrylic blocks. I had a durablock that wasn't true so I epoxy glued a 1/2 inch piece of the acrylic to the durablock. Works pretty well and is easy to grip. Did the same thing to a wood block that had that thin layer of rubber ( I took that off).
 
One of the advantages of the acrylic is that they do flex. They just don't deform. I don't like blocking with something absolutely rigid and flat. If I am blocking something perfectly flat then it works well. Otherwise you need some flex. Acrylic allows the block to conform to the panel you are blocking.

1'4 thick is going to be fairly rigid. 3/16" will conform some. 1/8" will conform alot. I haven't tried anything thinner than 1/8.
 
I have some .080 glued to the Durablock scruff block. Makes it a completely different animal as far as flatness and doesn't change the "feel" much. Even a thin piece on the long blocks cuts much flatter than the Durablock by themselves. I just use spray adhesive to attach, or 3M sandpaper leaves enough adhesive to stick it :)
 
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If you're buying a set look up True Blox, I believe they were the first to start making and selling them and they provide a ton of really helpful bodywork info on their website that you can't find anywhere else. The quality of info that they post, and the fact that they take the time to answer questions on their Facebook and Instagram accounts shows how much they care about helping people do the best bodywork possible, they're not just out there to sell blocks. They were only selling small wet sanding sets when I first found out about them so I ordered those, could quickly see how much better acrylic was, so I made my own bigger blocks before they started offering them.

If want to make your own, check to see if a local glass shop has scraps they'll let you have or sell for cheap. We used to be a full service glass shop so we had a bunch of drops that were good sizes to make my blocks from. You'll want 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8 in a few different lengths for your main set. 1/16" and thinner works well for smaller blocks. I also like half width blocks in 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4, they're more flexible since they're half the width. The length and width will change how much arc you can get out of them, not just the thickness. Once you make and use a few you start to get the feel of which block you'll need for matching the curve of the panel you're working. I use a couple layers of Gorilla Tape in a T shape for handles, and on some of the blocks I've glued soft 1/4" foam to the back of the block so they're more comfortable. The tape holds up pretty well but will have to be replaced occasionally. They're not the most comfortable to use but they perform the best by far, its an acceptable trade off for the finish they produce. If you're making your own it's important to have straight and parallel sides; if the width is uneven they won't flex in a consistent arc across their length. I wouldn't use a durablock as a handle, at least not on the thinner/more flexible blocks. You'll want a soft handle that doesn't influence how the block flexes- durablocks are too stiff for that.


Even if you buy as set you'll want to keep some acrylic around for making custom blocks to fit the job you're on. These are some of my smaller detail blocks I used on a F100 firewall.

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This is the kind of result you can expect using acrylic. The hard surface is super effective at cutting down high spots and texture. This is primer blocked from 80 to 400 with wax and grease remover wiped on to check the reflection. Even moving around at very steep angles there is zero texture and almost no ripples down the 6' bed side.

 
I have a bunch that I have made and I bought the linear blocking ones also. I use them all. If you want to spend the money go for it. You only live once.

The linear blocking ones are ok I guess. Pretty comfortable. I was going to buy some of the bigkid blocks just to mess around with also.
 
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Curious if anybody reading has invested & used LINEAR BLOCKING TOOLS ???

Im not a Bodyman or Painter...........Just a restoration enthusiast from Seattle area..........
Bought the 12", 18" and 24" and sent them to the Highly respected Super Car Restoration
in PA hoping they would like them and want to use them ...........which they did not

I have them back in Seattle and will probably try to sell and recover some of my investment!!!!
 
I’m trying out some PVC moldings used for exterior trim around doors, from Lowes. There are numerous sizes and flat, but they will flex a little. Cheap to buy, and easy to cut.
 
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