Plexi cutting service?

[Cameronj]

Do any of you guys know of a service that will cut and finish acrylic according to your custom specs? Maybe if you submitted a visio or autocad file?

I have found that I stink in cutting and finishing a plexi type surfaces.

Thx,

Cameron

[ShinAce]

When I bought my 3/8" plexi for the subwoofer box, they custom cut a piece 15" x 36". I didn't ask about finishing the edges though, because I'll be hiding mine.

[Cameronj]

Was it a glass/window company?

[Elfman]

http://www.tapplastics.com/

[jopenner]

I too was scared to cut my own plexiglass/lexan, but after reading a few suggestions, I gave it a whirl and it worked fine.
I cut the large pieces on my table saw with a fine toothed plywood blade. I made sure that the plexi glass was laying firmly on the table top so that it couldn't flap around.
The holes were cut using a slow speed with an 1 1/8" forstner bit.  I pre-drilled all of my button holes etc. with a very small 1/16" bit first, so my forstner bit had somewhere to rest.  This stopped it from migrating from where it was supposed to cut.  I applied firm pressure on top of a scrap piece of plywood.
Regular bits cut too fast and pull the plexiglass upwards on the bit, causing it to crack.  The forstner bits cut slower and smoother.
Good luck.

John

[Cameronj]

Yeah I have done the cut your own plexi thing twice now for control panels. The first was a disaster, the second turned out decent. I was just hoping there was someone out there who I could pay to do it to save me the suffering.

[Stingray]

I buy plexi at a local plastics wholesaler. They'll cut it to whatever size you want, but I think they only do straight line cuts. Check the phone book under plastics.

-S

[Abomination]

check this place out www.emachineshop.com I've used them 3 times myself and they are great.  They have a free cad program you download that has their materials and price list built in.  You can then draw or import your file.  Then make the piece out of whatever you want (Plexiglas or aircraft grade aluminium!)

I highly recommend them for the occasional piece.

[AceTKK]

check this place out www.emachineshop.com I've used them 3 times myself and they are great.  They have a free cad program you download that has their materials and price list built in.  You can then draw or import your file.  Then make the piece out of whatever you want (Plexiglas or aircraft grade aluminium!)

I highly recommend them for the occasional piece.

What a cool service!  Thanks for the link.

-Ace-

[mo1e]

thanks for that link abomination im currently creating a plexi now as i dont dare cut one myself but im dreading the price is it expensive?

[ShinAce]

I'm in Ottawa, On.

I went to the only place in town that will give you a piece the size you request, Plastics of Ottawa. I just got straight cuts, but they offer basically anything, including bending, for a price of course.

At first I was gonna do 1/2" lexan, but that was over 100$. I opted for 3/8" plexi which I scored for 40$. That's 36" x 15" x 3/8" plexiglass

I actually had a girl ask me if it was strong enough to stand on, so I started jumping up and down right in the middle of it.
me:"That's 3/8" plexi, girl, of course it'll hold"
her:"Are you sure?"
me:"Screw it*starts jumping on coffee table/subwoofer*"

In retrospect, it might still be overkill.

[mo1e]

ok in this program i have designed my plexi glass with 4 drill holes one on each corner it is rounded off at the edges. but heres the questions. 1. How can i add holes for the buttons and joysticks or do i have to do that manually? and also what material should i use because plexi isnt on the list

[mo1e]

hmmm correct me if im wrong but this cant be right i just priced up my so called plexi and it came up to $11.203.75 lol oops its ok i know why now i was buyin 400

[Abomination]

not sure but it may be named something else, I usually use lexan myself.

[mo1e]

ok hmmm i was thinking u wanna do it for me abomination 

[SNAAKE]

Check my thread here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=20173.0 

[Abomination]

mo1e check out the clear polycarbonate, or clear acrylic.  Thats basicly lexan and plexiglas.

[mo1e]

and also where do you draw from? is it the two 0 inch points

[quarterback]

hmmm correct me if im wrong but this cant be right i just priced up my so called plexi and it came up to $11.203.75 lol oops its ok i know why now i was buyin 400

Does that mean the part you designed was $27 for one?

I'm just curious what the prices run at this place.  I first read about emachineshop.com here on BYOAC a while back and it seems like there's some cool potential there for some projects.

[AceTKK]

judging by the pricing guide on their site a single piece is generally fairly expensive.  This makes sense, as most of the cost comes from setting up the machines, checking the toolpaths, etc.  They have some examples where a single piece is $60, 10+ is $10 each, 100+ is $6 each, etc.  Check out their website under the pricing section to get an idea.

-Ace-


-edited for typos

[Abomination]

Pricing really depends on how they have to make it.  If it requires multiple machines or some kind of vacum forming, lathe work ect it will be expensive.  But for basicly 2D projects that can be cut by a CNC router out of a piece of lexan its not to bad.