Question regarding Plexiglass

[Yourname942]

Does anyone know what the standard/common/ or recommended thickness plexiglass to use for the control panel/marquee/ bezel cover?

Thanks.


Edit: also what type of tool do you need to cut it to the shape/cut the holes for the buttons/joysticks?

[PL1]

what type of tool do you need to cut it to the shape/cut the holes for the buttons/joysticks?

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Scott

[Dawgz Rule]

As far as thickness goes, it really varies.  I choose 1/8 inch on a 5/8 panel.  This allowed me to hide the edges with the T molding.

[shponglefan]

As far as thickness goes, it really varies.  I choose 1/8 inch on a 5/8 panel.  This allowed me to hide the edges with the T molding.

Ditto.

[Yourname942]

Sry, I should have clarified a bit more, I'm using 3/4" mdf. What thickness would you suggest? I'm not sure which to use that still lets the t molding to be flush.

[shponglefan]

Do you already have the T-Molding?  Looking at T-Molding.com, they have 13/16 inch and 1 inch sizes.  That means you'd need either 1/16 inch Plexi (which is pretty thin), or 1/4 inch plexi to accomodate those sizes of T-Molding.

Alternatively, you could round the bottom of the 3/4 MDF so the height at the edges is 5/8 and then use 1/8 plexi and 3/4 T-Molding.  IMHO, 1/8 plexi is the easiest to work with and 3/4 inch T-Molding has the most options (colours, etc).

Or another option is to just redo the panel with 5/8 MDF and use 1/8 plexi per the above.

[Yourname942]

nah I don't have the T molding yet.


What would be the better option to use 1/16" or 1/4" plexi for:
- control panel
- bezel cover
- marquee cover

I appreciate the help.

[shponglefan]

It depends on what is behind them.  1/16 inch will be extremely flexible*.  So you want a solid surface to brace it against.  For a CP, this is not an issue.  And thinner plexi will make it easier to cut and drill out the necessary holes.

But for something like a marquee, if you have a light-up marquee, you probably won't have a solid surface behind it.  So 1/4 inch would be better in that case.

* Just as a disclaimer, I've never worked with anything quite that thin.  Thinnest plexi I've used is about ~0.08 inch, which is pretty close to 1/16th.

[Yourname942]

Alright, ty. I think I'll just stick with 1/4 plexi for all the parts.

[Dawgz Rule]

For the bezel I would recommend glass over plexi.  Graylite 31 will really make the colors pop.  Also, it is less prone to scratching.