Why do people use Lexan?

[soslo]

I have been frequenting Tap Plastics for the past couple of weeks to get the pieces for my first MAME cab. After talking with the people there, they say Acrylic (aka Plexiglass) is more scratch resistant than Polycarbonate (aka Lexan).

Polycarbonate will dent before it breaks because it is softer (and thus will scratch easier).
Acrylic breaks easier because it is harder (and more scratch resistant).

Tap has an acrylic that has a scratch resistant coating that is really trick. I watched them work a piece of acrlylic with some steel wool, and then not even phase the pice with the coating.

At any rate, for our CPs and monitor covers, we aren't really needing strength as much as scratch resistance...thus, the move to Lexan (polycarbonate) seems like the wrong choice.

Please correct me if the info I have recieved from Tap is wrong.

[ErikRuud]

Most people use Lexan, because it does not crack as easily as acrylic does. It can be really frustrating to have your acrylic crack when you are drilling button holes.

I don't use either, I use polyurethane over wood.

[Birdtales]

It can be really frustrating to have your acrylic crack when you are drilling button holes.

Especially the LAST button hole!

[soslo]

ahhh, the cracking...the solution to that is to have the place drill the holes for you (if you have a place that will do this).

Tap charges 25 or 50 cents a hole - plus the price of the sheet (my 20.5 by 23 inch monitor cover with scratch resistant coating on 1 side was $41).

My CP cover will be about $14 for the sheet plus $8 for the holes. Plus they will bevel the front edge to make it smooth.

For a bit over $20 for a scratch resistant clear - not bad...but I realize many people but sheets at Home Depot, etc.

[hyiu]

well.... make sure you bring your panel so that all the button holes will line up exactly....

[Grasshopper]

I think you're absolutely right soslo.

Just to sum up, the advantages of Acrylic (Plexiglass) over Polycarbonate (Lexan) are as follows:

* Generally much cheaper

* Easier to get hold of (at least where I live)

* More scratch resistant

* More reflective (I suppose some people might see this as a disadvantage)

The only real disadvantage is that it is more prone to cracking and is therefore harder to cut.

I chose to use Acrylic glass for my first panel mainly because thin Polycarbonate was not available in my local DIY stores.

I was very apprehensive about cutting it because I'd read all these horror stories on this board about people cracking a large piece whilst drilling the 20th hole etc. In fact it was very easy to cut using a router fitted with a flush trim bit, certainly much easier than the woodworking stage of my project.

My advice would be to buy Acrylic and use the money you've saved to buy a cheap router.

[soslo]

hyiu, yes, Tap told me to bring my panel with holes cut so they could match it exactly.

Grasshopper, agreed. One more bonus is that acrylic is generally clearer than polycarbonate...not a big deal for the CP, but might make a difference on monitor covers.

[BombProofPlane]

i dont believe you on the scratch durability but for the sake of authenticity most of the arcade machines use lexan on their bezel and control panels

[paigeoliver]

i dont believe you on the scratch durability but for the sake of authenticity most of the arcade machines use lexan on their bezel and control panels

Authenticity?

Plexiglass or lexan on control panels is almost always an operator installed piece. Very few games came with it. VERY FEW. The only machines I have ever encoutered that come with factory plexiglass were imported ATW minis and uprights. You just remember plexi being on everything because operators usually added it when doing a conversion, so people didn't stick their fingers through the old button holes. If you could come up with a dozen titles that had factory plexiglass, then I would be really surprised.

I have owned about 30 or 40 machines in my lifetime, and as far as I can see bezels are split evenly between silk screened glass, silk screened plexiglass, plain old glass, and plain old plexiglass. Lexan costs more, and hence was not often used for that application.

[soslo]

BombProof...I won't be able to give you the skinny on scratch resistance on my cab (very soon though   ) - all I know is that coating they put on (probably can go on either lexan or plexi) was amazing...made me a believer.

[MrBond]

When I went through the "pick the plexi" stage in my Mame cab, I heard the same thing about Acrylic being more scratch resistant than Lexan.  And this information was from people whose sole buisness it is to sell/cut this stuff...I tend to believe them.
I ended up at Home Depot (not the same people above) and looked at their plastics.  The guy there quoted the Lexan at $60 and the Acrylic pieces that were "left overs" were free!  That made up my decision  

On the plexi, I have not had one scratch.  It was easy to cut as well with a plexiglass knife and router. Hhowever, it DID crack very easily, not when cutting, but when installing the screws.  Don't make them tight!!!  I scewed up and have three small cracks near my screws.  Live and learn.

[HeadRusch]

This is one of those "just do whatever you feel comfortable with" areas.

If you feel comfortable working with acrylics, pick that.  If you want a little more breathing room for error and not have to worry about cracking, choose Lexan.

There are cheaper polycarbonite's and other materials avaialble that bridge the gap for lesser money, I know when I went to Home Depot there were several grades below the lexan I bought, aslo made by GE (Crystal-something) which is less expensive than Lexan with similar properties, easier to work with than straight acrylic.

See, this kinda discussion is kind of ridiculous because you always come back to "Work with what you feel comfortable with".....next will be "why bother with wood CP's when you should REALLY be making them outof sheetmetal like real arcade machines!" etc, etc.

PS: As for scratch resistance, I dont mind if my CP gets a little scratched up.....I dont want a "trailer queen" mamecab....I dont want cigarette burns and spilled soda on it either, but a few scratches I can live with.
Right now I have had no problems with scratching on my Lexan.....I mean the stuff isn't butter.

[spidermonkey]

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=10474;start=msg79145#msg79145

 

[BombProofPlane]

I was reffering to the newer stock cabs hanaho and dynamo comes to mind both advertise their use of lexan

[paigeoliver]

I was reffering to the newer stock cabs hanaho and dynamo comes to mind both advertise their use of lexan

Well, that is an empty cabinet. Which is a bit different than a dedicated game.