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Last Updated: April 18, 2022 In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Put on safety glasses before doing any kind of cutting, and wear ear plugs if you use an electric saw. Encapsulated with glass-like clarity, strength and resistance, working with acrylic sheets (a guide to which plastic should you choose) does not demand specialised skills and techniques. Most people prefer to cut acrylic using a hand saw. I had a lot of problems with crazing and brittleness on the panels I made from extruded acrylic for my Zortrax printer. However, this technique demands more concentration when compared with electrical saws. Start with rough paper ~180 grit and a foam sanding block. Proceed accordingly, water-cooling the blade or pausing your work for a few minutes as needed. (To cut anything but a straight line, opt for a jigsaw.). Purchase waterproof sandpaper designed for plastic.

Approved. Bob Vila, 11 Ways to Make the Most of Your Towns Curbside Cleanup Day. Placing masking tape over your cut line can help you make a cleaner edge with a jigsaw. Copyright 2017 Cut My Plastic. Otherwise, you'll need to use a saw to cut it. Scoring preferably works on sheets less than (6.35mm)in thickness. Versatile and tough though it may be, plexiglass isnt perfect. Continue reading for details on how to cut plexiglassthe right way. However, the process requires the following steps: A jigsaw is one preferred tool for cutting acrylic sheets. For one thing, it scratches easily. However, if you intend to cut acrylic into a nonlinear fashion, a jigsaw is the right option for you. A band saw is best for cutting intricate shapes and curves. MSDS says its just acrylic with some styrene: https://www.acplasticsinc.com/media/Duraplex%20Safety%20Data%20Sheet.pdf When cutting plexiglass, leave the film in place as long as possible to avoid marring the surface. CO2 to cut "Duraplex" High Impact Acrylic? Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY.

To achieve the best result it is advisable to use a saw that has uniform teeth. It is one of the easiest methods to cut acrylic table tops. Make the original cut as clean as possible. Laser systems are designed to achieve complex and defined cutting of acrylic. Finally, place the line you scored over the edge of a table and press down on the part of the acrylic that's hanging off of the table to break it off. To finish, hold the scribed line to the edge of your work surface, and secure the plexiglass in place with a clamp. However, if you are a DIY enthusiast and are finding it difficult to cut acrylic at home, then have a look at several ways (listed below) to cut acrylic to size (also sold as perspex and plexiglass), achieving the highest degree of precision. The other downside? Mark the area of the sheet you want to cut. by davidproctor | Jul 2, 2017 | Acrylic, Polycarbonate | 0 comments. These sheets can be cut with standard workshop tools including: Over the years, many do-it-yourself projects have used perspex sheetsto enhance their design and durability. If your project requires a clean edge, expect to devote energy to smoothing the finish. Now I can customize my own sheets. Just wondering if anyone has any experience cutting High Impact Acrylic with a CO2 laser cutter. Thats why sheets of the material come covered in a thin layer of protective film. "I experienced difficulty finding an acrylic box the size I needed, but I didn't know how to cut a sheet to my. Second, bear in mind that even if youre careful, it can be difficult to cut plexiglass without leaving a rough, irregular edge. With the foam block and sand paper, cup the edge to smooth it round. Sand until the edge is uniform and relatively smooth. Once you are satisfied with the appearance of the edge, move on to buffing. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. It helps to achieve precise results by cutting the edges into curves and angular form. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Place the sheet over a hard edge with groove-side up. Laser cutting is one of the preferred options to cut the desired design. Homeowners who dont know how to cut plexiglass can be intimidated by the material at firstbut were here to help! To cut acrylic sheets, start by marking the line you want to cut using a ruler and a permanent marker. Probably will be fine. https://www.acplasticsinc.com/media/Duraplex%20Safety%20Data%20Sheet.pdf. It is a small handheld tool that can cut the sheet with the straight blade by function up and down in fast motion. Hi all. Research source. References They have some 0.093" stuff that might work for a 3D printer build enclosure.

Every building material comes with a set of quirks and nuances that you can master with practice. Next, repeat on the opposite side of the acrylic sheet over the same line. If your sheet is relatively thin--less than 316 inch (0.48cm)--you can use the scoring method. No matter which type of saw you choose for the task, its critically important to use the right blade. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Once you've scored the initial line, go over it a few times with the blade until a groove forms. To learn how to cut acrylic by sawing it, scroll down! Outfit your electric drill with a buffing pad and, after applying a polishing compound formulated for plastic, bring the plexiglass edge to a perfect polish. Flip over the plexiglass, and score the opposite side in the same manner. Fortunately, it doesnt take long for do-it-yourselfers with woodworking experience to learn how to cut plexiglass. Connected to a computer, the laser cutter works as a printer to translate the design/image onto the piece of acrylic. Whichever cutting method you choose, you may find that the cut plexiglass edge doesnt look terribly attractive. The process doesnt demand the use of a power saw or any other heavy-duty electrical equipment.

Any suggestions? Bend the overhang side of the sheet with quick and even motion. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. That might be extruded, as opposed to cast, acrylic. A band saw works best with a thickness greater than 0.472 inches. Copyright 2022 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. specifications and suppliers charged too much to do it for me. Then, with sharp downward pressure, snap off the portion of the plexiglass that extends beyond the work surface. Whether youre a DIY enthusiast or a professional builder, acrylic perspex is becoming one of the constructors preferred options especially as its so readily available from local and national perspex cutters. Switch to fine, then finer paper (360 and 600 grit) to get a satin finish. I want to round the edges of 1/4" Plexiglas for a tabletop. After readying your tool, measure and mark the plexiglass, then cut as you would any other material, clamping if appropriate.

All rights reserved. Score again and again, as many as 10 or 12 times, until you have made a deep groove in the plexiglass. As the plexiglass becomes smoother, transition to successively finer grits. ", http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/how-to/acrylic/cutting-acrylic, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-cut-plexiglass/#.WehX5jBGnIU, https://makezine.com/2015/10/29/skill-builder-acrylic/, https://www.hunker.com/13402629/how-to-cut-acrylic-sheet, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/jigsaw-101-how-to-cut-shapes. To learn how to cut acrylic by sawing it, scroll down! By Bob Vila | Updated Apr 30, 2021 1:20 PM. Finish by sanding with 600-grit sandpaper. While using a band saw, it is important to carefully select the blade and feed rate of the machine to minimise the risk of melting or chipping the sheet.

wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Lay the sheet on a flat surface and, using a yardstick and a permanent marker (or a grease marker), measure and draw the line you wish to cut. As the sheet bends, the groove will deepen as the crack propagates throughout the sheet. In fact, due to its light weight and durability, many do-it-yourselfers prefer plexiglass, not least because it can be cut and shaped with common workshop tools. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 145,793 times. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. When using 360 grit, start wet-sanding. By using our site, you agree to our. You can use a regular blade, but the cut will be more jagged. This will reduce the sanding time significantly. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Then, score the line using a plastic scoring blade, using the ruler as a guide so your line is straight. If you need to create complex, intricate and creative shapes with acrylic, a laser is probably the better option. If the cut edge would be visible in your application, take the extra time to sand and buff out the imperfections. There are special blades designed expressly for acrylic, but any metal-cutting blade with carbide tips can do the trick. Bending will result in the separation of two pieces (. Keep the following tips in mind when learning how to cut plexiglass to prevent irreversible damages. If you're a do-it-yourself-er, you've likely needed to use acrylic sheeting in a project. % of people told us that this article helped them. Although for the time being, you may only need to cut a piece of acrylic down to size, learning to work with this versatile, transparent material opens up a new universe of DIY possibilities that you can explore in myriad projects for years to come. Namely, the Duraplex brand found at Home Depot. In a range of applications, from picture frames to tabletops, plexiglass (also known as acrylic) serves as a cost-effective, shatterproof substitute for glass. It helps to achieve clean and clear edges by retaining the sharpness of the material. I know its not Lexan but, not normal acrylic. Acrylic sheets are fairly simple to cut. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. One note of caution: If the blade overheats, the material may chip or crack. Before committing to one blade or another, double-check that its teeth are evenly spaced, with no rake, and of uniform height and shape. For a thin sheet of plexiglassthat is, material up to about 3/16-inch thickuse a scoring method not dissimilar from a technique used to cut actual glass. However, it is advisable to experiment with the setting and positioning of the machine to gauge desired results. the step on scoring another line at the. "The specific steps on scoring an acrylic sheet for a straight cut, esp. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Coloured acrylic comes in a variety of styles and clear acrylic sheets offer comparable optical clarity as glass. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. For thicker sheets of plexiglass, cut with a power sawbe it a circular saw, saber saw, or table saw. Simply cutting plexiglass to size is easy by comparison. Start the process with 120- or 180-grit waterproof sandpaper, in combination with a wood or rubber sanding block. [1] X Note: You can use a handheld power sander, but manual wet-sanding typically achieves the best results. Though plexiglass is a durable material, its not unbreakable. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Use a scoring knife to cut a narrow groove in the acrylic sheeting. Develop the tech skills you need for work and life. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/01\/Cut-Acrylic-Sheets-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Cut-Acrylic-Sheets-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/01\/Cut-Acrylic-Sheets-Step-1.jpg\/aid9420717-v4-728px-Cut-Acrylic-Sheets-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"