Plexi vs Polystyrene?

[rchadd]

I just been to my local Homebase (I'm in the UK) in search of Plexiglass which seems to be popular with many US based cab makers.

The only thing they had were Polystyrene sheets in various sizes.

Is this a good alternative to Plexi?

Perhaps Plexi is a more specialist material - any ideas where i can get some in the UK?

[AlanS17]

I thought polystyrene was styrofoam...

[Apollo]

What are you using it for, polystyrene is totally opaque?

[rchadd]

What are you using it for, polystyrene is totally opaque?

the sheets i saw were totally clear - seemed to be for building greenhouses and stuff like that.

maybe i got the name wrong

it was called poly-something...

want it to cover my CP's

ideally i also want some smoked to cover the monitor and some white/milky for the lighting of the CPs (its going to be  pacman cocktail look alike).

[AlanS17]

Sounds like Lexan (or a generic derivative) to me. Plexi breaks more easily and is easier to screw up while cutting, but it's cheaper. Lexan is harder (like 30 times harder) and easier to cut as long as you don't melt it, but it's more expensive. Plus I've heard that lexan actually scratches more easily than plexi.

Ask them how many times harder than glass it is. Glass is usually used as a base-hardness. They really ought to know if they're in the business of selling this stuff. Then from there maybe we can figure out what they've got. It's probably just something of a different name that we have here in the US.

In ANY case, plexi is fine if you're patient while cutting/drilling it. I've used both plexi and lexan and both worked fine so long as they aren't too thick. The thick stuff can be bad since it causes the blade to really heat up and melts the plastic.

If this store you go to has a website, maybe you can show us exactly what it is that you're looking at.

[rdagger]

the sheets i saw were totally clear - seemed to be for building greenhouses and stuff like that.
maybe i got the name wrong
it was called poly-something...

Maybe you are thinking of polycarbonate.  Lexan is a brand of polycarbonate and is commonly used to build greenhouses.

[rchadd]

i'll just get some and give it a go!

i really would like some smoked and white milky though....

[Blakey]

Here's a quick plastics lesson!

Polystyrene is clear, expanded polystyrene foam is the white stuff.

polymethylmethacrylate = acrylic = plexi, clear, smoked, translucent, opaque.

polycarbonate = clear, eg CD's

polyethylene terephthalate = clear, eg coke bottles

low/high density polyethylene = translucent if thin/opaque.

I won't bother with any others, but there's more detailed info here: http://www.designinsite.dk/htmsider/inspmat.htm

[Minwah]

i'll just get some and give it a go!

i really would like some smoked and white milky though....

That stuff should be fine.  I usually refer to Plexi as Perspex in the UK, but I know the stuff you are talking about, I've seen it in Focus.

If you want smoked why not get glass?

[rchadd]

If you want smoked why not get glass?

Actually I think i will try and get some bronzed glass for the table top. just was wondering if worth getting some smoked plexi just to cover the monitor (figured it would "enhance" the image display). maybe its not really required if i have bronzed glass?

Somehow I don't like look of tabletops that have the dark glass tops.

[Minwah]

Actually I think i will try and get some bronzed glass for the table top. just was wondering if worth getting some smoked plexi just to cover the monitor (figured it would "enhance" the image display). maybe its not really required if i have bronzed glass?

I'm not sure what bronzed glass is...depending how dark it is you probably don't need plexi.

Alternatively to smoked glass you could always get tinted glass.  I believe you can get this in a grey tint rather than the browny-smoked colour.

[seibu]

i'll just get some and give it a go!

i really would like some smoked and white milky though....

Hi, I know this stuff - I got it from Homebase too. Yeah, it's polystyrene.

I can tell you that it's cuttable with the "stanley knife score + snap" technique and it's drillable. It's also quite tough - I used it to cover the arrow squares on my DDR stage.

It does scratch quite easily. My arrow squares have now become almost opaque from scratching - but then I do perform ten catas on it a day!

Probably not ideal for a cocktail cab top. Although I have some left and was myself planning to use it as a temporary "interim" top on my cocktail.

[Stingray]

Clear polystyrene is what CD cases are made of. Very brittle and scratches very, very easily.

-S