PLEXIGLASS Cutting Tips....

[zerocarpileup 10+ year member]

so ive been wanting to mess with some Plexiglas for a while now but since this stuff is pretty pricey, i dont want to fu*K up. Basically my question relates to cutting this stuff. Id like to cut a sheet of 3/4" to make a surround for my two D5000s. So i made a ghetto sketch below. The sheet will be around 50 L x 12w.the cuts are marked in red. So what kind of cutting tools will i need and how would i go about it? Any techniques or tips i should know.

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[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

so ive been wanting to mess with some Plexiglas for a while now but since this stuff is pretty pricey, i dont want to fu*K up. Basically my question relates to cutting this stuff. Id like to cut a sheet of 3/4" to make a surround for my two D5000s. So i made a ghetto sketch below. The sheet will be around 50 L x 12w.the cuts are marked in red. So what kind of cutting tools will i need and how would i go about it? Any techniques or tips i should know.

I'd say a dremel and circular saw.

But for the circular saw, you want a saw blade with a lot of teeth, and try to use a blade with really linear teeth. That is to say, they aren't jagged.

 

[zerocarpileup 10+ year member]

Im hearing alot about the blades heating up and melting or cracking the glass. Ever heard anything about that?

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

Im hearing alot about the blades heating up and melting or cracking the glass. Ever heard anything about that?

this is the toughest part about cutting Plexi. you need to use a blade that dissappates heat really well. or uses a cutting tool with a cooling mechanism.

 

[TMali 10+ year member]

so your wanting to cut retangles? i used to work at a hardware store where we cut it to size for you, so you could do that. We cut the plexi by basicly using a cutting knife(only something way bigger and a little fancyer) and made a straigh slice about 5 times on 1/8" plexi and just about 10 times on 1/4 plexi.

 

[da box king 10+ year member]

Heat is the big problem. The plexi will melt, and "weld" right back together behind your cut. Happened to me. Don't use a jigsaw...fyi //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

A fine/many toothed blade shall work, table saw seems the best.

 

[zerocarpileup 10+ year member]

but dont table saws have the blade that come up from the table? so wouldn't a mitre style saw work better since im doing cutouts?

 

[spltuscon 10+ year member]

You can do it by plunge cutting with a circular saw (using a plywood blade, like 140 teeth) but it is difficult to be accurate that way. You can use a jigsaw that's variable speed and cut at a lower speed to avoid it melting back together.

Thinner plexi can be cut relatively easy using the razor blade and straight edge method, but it is very difficult and time consuming to do with thick stock.

You might want to consider finding a place that will do the cuts for you. Not to discourage you from trying, but it is very easy to ruin it.

Good luck though, it'll look nice if you do it right.

 

[BassMechkanic 10+ year member]

they make blades, drill bits and just for cutting plex, i would cut to size with table saw, then rough cout with jig saw (proper blade and speed of blade) then use a flush router bit to clean up to finished size, sand and polish - done - they make special polish for plexi also.

 

[Johnny Law.Lulz 5,000+ posts]

Lowes will cut to size i believe //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[mmouse57 10+ year member]

I cut 1in plexi on my table saw all the time 'delta 10in prof. I use a 60+ tooth blade ande i can get though 12in at a time before my blade heats up

so get the table saw ready to cut and push the pelxi though fast make sure your blade is brand new this way the glass will glide though

its harder to drill/predill holes with counter sinking trust me.

I wouldn't use a circular saw for plexi tho as you want a solid field to work against

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

they make blades, drill bits and just for cutting plex, i would cut to size with table saw, then rough cout with jig saw (proper blade and speed of blade) then use a flush router bit to clean up to finished size, sand and polish - done - they make special polish for plexi also.

Fail.

Last thing you want to do is sand plexiglass.

OP: Look for plastic cutting blades, and in order to "sand and polish", I'd use a razor on the edge then go over it quick-like with a torch or some sort of heat so the edges melt.

 

[Moe Lester 10+ year member]

like bassmechkanic said, Pre cut it with a jigsaw first, within about 1/8" of your desired final piece, and be sure to leave the corners round. there are blades made for cutting things like plexi and other plastics. then build a template out of MDF and use a flush trimming bit on a router to cut it. This is going to leave you with the cleanest edge compared to plunging a circular saw into it, or trying to jig the whole thing out. Sanding on plexi does in fact work, if you want to frost the edges and have a light illuminate the frosted area. An extremely fine grit paper can be used on the cut surface to smooth it up a bit, but with a router and flush trim it wont need much. Flame polishing the edge can also be done, however just a tiny tiny bit too much exposure to heat or flame will cause the plexi to get small bubbles and warp.

 

[bassman3 10+ year member]

We have dealt with plexi numerous times with customers and the best thing to do is (for anything bigger than 1/2") just use the table saw (min. of 80 teeth) and just go right through it, be careful not to slow down in the middle of running it through the saw or it will melt the plexi a bit.