Plexi or Lexan for CPO

[Vulgar Soul]

Hey guys! I need help deciding on whether to use Plexi or Lexan for my CPO. And yes, I know I don't need it, but I'm very settled on having a sheet of plastic on my CPO. I'm goin for the "generic 90s JAMMA cab" look here.

I'm aware of some pros and cons for each. Plexi/Acrylic is more scratch resistant and cheaper but can be difficult to work with. Lexan is better to work with but is a little more expensive and prone to scratches.

So I'm kinda torn between the two. I have never worked with plastic before. Lexan sounds nice for a newbie like me, but the better prices and scratch resistance of Plexi sounds great to me.

I kinda figured if I'm careful maybe I can save money and have a longer lasting plastic with Plexi instead of Lexan. I'm a lil worried I'll screw up and break it though.


Any suggestions? Should I jus use Lexan instead? Any tips for working with Plexi. I need to drill plenty of holes.

[Franco B]

IMO use Acrylic (Plexiglass)

[This] thread may help you.

[lilshawn]

lexan is nice cause it's flexible and strong as a bull, you can cut and drill it easy, but it scratches like fresh paint because it's "soft". wiping lexan with paper towel will scratch it.

plexiglass AKA acrilic is nice because it's hard and more resistant to scratching but it's very hard to cut, drill, even mount without cracking. special techniques in cutting, drilling, and mounting need to be used to get an acceptable result that will look good AND keep from cracking.

[boardjunkie]

Plexi is not that bad to work with. Certainly nothing to avoid. You just need to be careful with it. I have cut hundreds of "cpo protectors" out of plexi and after breaking a couple, you get the feel for it.

If using a bi-metal hole saw to cut the holes, spin it backward in reverse so it doesn't cut the plastic, but melts it. If you try to run the saw in the normal direction, it will catch and break the plexi. Another trick is to mount the plexi to the panel and use a Dremel (or similar) with a small-ish drill bit. The drill bit will melt thru it and you just guide the bit around the hole using the panel hole as a guide.

And...take yer time. Rushing it will likely have you starting over....

[Franco B]

Acrylic (plexi) is an awesome material to work with, I love it.

The best way to cut holes over 12mm (1/2") is to make a template out of a softer material, drill a clearance hole and then use a flush trim but to route the hole to size. If you are making a MDF/ply CP then that is the prefect template to use.