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Plexi...Best way to cut?

U

undeadsac

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
499
I'm preparing to cut my beautiful large piece of 1/4" plexi into a support platform and window and was wondering whats the best way to cut this, and yes I have a dremel, but the last time I tried to cut plexi it melted before I could get all the way through the cut the edges looked like hell and I got sprayed with napalm. It felt nice :rolleyes: so I'd prefer for that not to happen again if possible.
 
last time i cut plexi was with a table saw, which works well if you have a big piece and don't need to be terribly precise.

the thing to remember, no matter what type of cutting device you use, is that slower is better. if you try to cut it fast you'll just end up melting and burning it. that can throw molten goo on you, stink up the room, and slow down or maybe even damage the blade.
 
dremel is not the way to cut plexi...

Whatever saw you use, it is all about the blade. The best bet is to get a blade designed for cutting plexi but any fine tooth blade will work well. You can get Jigsaw blades made for cutting plexi fairly cheap. Tablesaw blade for plexi can cost up to $350. Again any fine tooth blade will work but you can run into problems with chipping (makes some test cuts first)
 
I don't know if you meen plexi specifically or acrylic in general as many people use the name interchangably. But for acrylic I just use those glass cutting knifes you can pick up at home depot. Dunno if it will work for plexi though. Just score on a straight edge and snap. Easy.
 
The knife / straight edge works well for thinner material - did that alot installing acryllic panels. I found that for no straight cuts, I put in a metal blade in my jigsaw, and don't give the motor full juice (tends to melt things). I've used just about every blade imaginable and have been able to cut complex shapes when combined with slow motor speed and lots of patience.

Dremel's are way to fast and you'll end up with a melted pile of goo.

Patience is the key - don't be in any kind of a hurry.

Peace,
Tim
 
i do the same thing with a metal blade on the jigsaw. The fine toothing cuts pretty well. The only thing I'll use the dremel for on plexi is circles for fans with the hole cutter attachment.
 
Slow speed, fine teeth, and check it once in a while to see if it's heating up. Melting plexi sucks.
 
redhalo said:
I don't know if you meen plexi specifically or acrylic in general
Click to expand...

Plexiglass is a brand name of acrylic.
Lexan is a brand name for Polycarbonate.

There are various fomulas used by different companies, but overall acrylic is acrylic.
 
Dremel = no
table saw = yes (can chip sheet easily)
band saw = yes (will stink up the room but thats why you do it in a ventilated area)

If you don't cut it perfectly straight you sand the side of it either by hand or with whatever sander you have.



bandsaw.jpg
 
It really depend is what your cutting acrylic or plexiglass.

Plexiglass is the thin stuff, can be cut using a razor and scoring it across the material, then put it to the edge to break off the piece you need.

Acrylic: at 1/8inch cutting it by jigsaw will melt the plastic, no matter what speed you have it at and table saw is the only other way to cut it, besides hack saw. Anything above 1/8inch can be cut by various of items, a Bandsaw, a tablesaw or jigsaw.

How I know this, is my father just happens to work at a place that makes these plastics every day.

If you see something labeled plexiglass acrylic, it really is acrylic.
 
Also remember to place something heavy on top so it won't bounce or vibrate. This leads to chipping or cracking on the edge you're cutting. 1/4 inch hardboard on either side, essentially making a sandwich of the plexi, works well. Lastly, put masking tape on the surface so you don't scratch it as you move your saw (if you're using a jigsaw for example).

You can buy small pieces for practice at Home Depot, too.

Good luck.
 
Scorpionjwp said:
How I know this, is my father just happens to work at a place that makes these plastics every day.
Click to expand...

Ok .. so .. you don't know what you are talking about and it doesnt matter your dad works in the industry .. Plexiglass is a trademark of Atofina Chemicals. You can get Plexi in the same thickness you can get any other acrylic.



Linear has a good faq for this stuff as well.
 
Nah, so the stuff I'm cutting with the jigsaw isn't acrylic, its plexiglass. I have this stuff I just happen to have held down my clamps on my work bench and guess what its acrylic.

I have seen what you say is thick plexiglass, it is in every aspect acrylic.
So your really saying, who cares that my father works in the industry, that we don't anything about what we are talking about.

My father happens to be maintenance supervisor for the factory, fixing the devices which makes the acrylic in sheets, the devices that are used to blend the chemicals together to make this plastic, every working aspect of this factory my father maintains a crew to fix it.

My father gave me a tour of the place where he works, so do me a favor, so I might not know everything, I could sure have him sit down and discuss the differences of both materials with you, including how both are made and etc.

So don't doubt my abilities of what I know and don't know.
 
Might be a little to high teck fo you.

Get a powerful power generator, and a long piece of 3mm thick copper wire. and connect it to the generator, have a large current going through, and have it heat up... the wire should go through a hole in the table (wood table) with it going straight up. then pass the plexi into this wore, using the same technique as you would for the say qtip posted


at least, thats how I cut my plexiglass...
 
Scorpionjwp said:
I have seen what you say is thick plexiglass, it is in every aspect acrylic.
Click to expand...
So you agree that they are the same and then say they arn't?
Also to your previous post. I bought acrylic at Home Depot just the other day. 1/8 inch thick. And I scored and snapped it, which by your definition I should have used a hacksaw. Plexiglas is in fact a name brand, to say that someone would be manufacturing "Plexiglas acrylic" and it's not Plexiglas is to say they are commiting trademark infringment. Perhaps they are both the same thing.
 
Rotozips work really nicely to cut, but can be difficult to cut straight lines with.....definitely you'd want to have a piece of wood as a cutting guide (fence), to keep it as straight as possible.
They're really nice if you're doing fancy custom cuts, tho. :)
 
its a thick piece of acrylic 1/4" i think it may be a little overkill for my window, but I don't give a shit
 
I've used a few methods to cut my acrylic. Table saw works pretty well with a fine tooth blade. Hack saw will work in a pinch. For straight cuts I use those cheap cutters you get at home depot. You just need a good straight edge and clamp them all down to a workbench. Score a few times, try to snap with a break, you can make your own break with plywood and clamps. If it doesn'yt break easily go back to scoring. take it easy so you don't crack it all up.

And to solve the debate once and for all. Plexiglass is just a trademark name for an acrylic formula. So plexi is acrylic with a fancy name. It has the same properties as acrylic.

Lexan is a fancy name for polycarbonate. same deal with the plexi.

It's like calling a facial tissue kleenex, or a bandage a band-aid. Plexi and lexan were the first big name versions that caught on, so people use the words interchangably. enough with that debate already.
 
I prefer a jigsaw myself, more control than a bandsaw, but I dont own a table saw(about the only tool Im missing, heh) Jig allows more control, but it takes time, and concentration to get a straight cut.
 
I was under the impression that the best way to make a clean cut on plexi was to score it about 1/4 of the way in, flip it over, even apply pressure along the score (the score is facing the table), and pull the other side forward. This works great for me, at least with 1/8'' plexi.

It should be do-able with 1/4'' plexi, just be sure to make some nice scores with a special knife, they are like 2 bucks at home depot or lowes.
 
Scorpionjwp said:
So don't doubt my abilities of what I know and don't know.
Click to expand...

Sorry .. I just dont like it when people state something as fact when it isnt. I am not an expert on plastics. Actually, I really only know what I have read while searching for various options. I would assume anyone claiming to know so much about plastics would not make such a basic mistake as you did. Really it is a very common mistake, but most people dont try to back it up as fact just because their father works in the industry.

Yes .. There are many different chemical makeups of acrylic. Plexiglass happens to be a trademark name for one company's acrylic sheet. An example of what you said would be like saying a sheet of 6061 aluminum is not aluminum because the chemical makeup is different than 5052 aluminum.

The real problem is that the trademark is so strong that people often refer to the type of product by the trademark .. Kinda like how many people ask for a Kleenex instead of asking for tissue paper.
 
I usually use a jigsaw or my dremel on a pretty low speed as not to melt it too badly. Acrylic also reacts well to being laser cut if you can manage access to one for cheap. We have a laser cutter here at school and I use it alot after hours to cut out detailed peices like I/O plates and to do detailed rasterized etchings. I have also be working with a material called Spectar (PETG) that is cold bendable. It melts easier when cutting but I can make some really fun shapes with it.
 
Soldering iron is my preferred tool for fancy shapes. Just make sure you're having good ventilation, the methacrylate fumes are pretty toxic.
 
Since we're on the subject, when you talk about using a jig saw and going slow, I assume we are talking about slow blade speed in addition to slowly moving the saw? The reason I ask is that I've had trouble with the blade chipping the edge at the start of the cut. How slow are we talking for the blade?

Thanks--this has turned into another great [H]ard thread.
 
no matter how thick or thin
acrylic = Plexiglass, ACRYLITE, lucite, Perspex....

polycarbonate = Lexan, tuffak, Hyzod, Zelux.....

my favorite cutting methods.

staight cuts- table saw, leave a little extra, couple passes throught the jointer to get the perfect size.

circles - router

if i'm feeling real lucky i'll try to flame polish the edges with propane torch. practice on a bunch of scraps first. if you see flames, its too late.
 
lamarth said:
What type blade did you wind up using to make the cut?
Click to expand...


basic utility blade for wood, metal, composite. tore right through it but left it 90% bur free.
 
A plunge router is the easiest way to cut plastic. If you have to make precise cuts you need to use a guide or a fence if you have your router mounted to a table.
 
Assuming you're making straight cuts, the easiest way IMO is to use a "plexi knife," (Home Depot has them right next to the plexi and lexan). It's basically a razor that's heavier and duller than you'd expect (also has a hooked end). You just score your line, put the plexi slightly over the score on a flat surface, and snap it off with even pressure.

You can acheive the same results with a regular razor, provided you have a bit more time on your hands. Generally speaking it takes me about 50 cuts with a regular razor before it's ready to snap off.

A note on the scoring: don't try to slice through the whole thing on the first pass. Just do it over and over and over letting the blade do the work, not your immeanse strength. If you ignore this, get ready to buy a new razor. :p

For curved lines...beats me. I cut a TON of the stuff, but only into squares and rectangles. Try the Death Laser mentioned above, let me know how it goes. :D
 
I use a laser to cut plexi. :)

Pros: Nice clean cuts to any shape, very fine detail.

Cons: Laser is worth a bucket load. (Far out of reach of a non-commercial setup)
 
could you also use a super heated wire?

I saw one on the internet that some guy made to cut his butter in even little pats. So a supercharged one could do the same thing for plexi right?
 
I have my table sawsaw set up with a wood panel blade. Fine teeth no rake. Clean cuts with no goobers left behind stuck to the edge.
 
Waterjet cutting would work too. I asked at a local shop for a custom fan controller & LCD bezel I wanna make out of acrylic. Quite precise, good results, but expensive.
 
All this talk about acrylic and plexiglass. What size does everyone recommend for a case. I was thinking 1/4. I felt like a geek today, I was with my girlfriend in jcpenny and they had some shelves made from plexi about 1/4 or 1/2 in. thick and i was looking at it heavily, especially all the bends and such.

Also, anyone have a good supplier in mind that is cheap?

akhenaton22
 
jeece said:
Waterjet cutting would work too. I asked at a local shop for a custom fan controller & LCD bezel I wanna make out of acrylic. Quite precise, good results, but expensive.
Click to expand...
true but pricey
 
you can use a dremel but DO NOT do it @ high speed do it @ lowest possible speed.
 
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