Plexi or Lexan?

[btp2k2]

OK, so I am getting ready to build two new cabinets. I absolutely dread doing the glass cause plexi glass is such a pain in the ass to work with. I have heard Lexan is the way to go, but it is pretty pricey. If I recall from my last trip to Home Depot, a 36x30" sheet was like 60 bucks or something, compared to the 20 dollars for a sheet of plexi the same size. So, first of all..is lexan really that much easier to work with? Is it enough to justify the price tag(Come to think of it...considering the other sheet of plexi I ahve to buy because I broke the first one I am almost there)? Does anyone know of a cheaper place than Home Depot? I honestly don't know where else would carry something like that...is it something a window shop would have? If so....has anyone had luck in getting a decent price from a window shop?

Or....does anyone have some good solutions to cutting plexiglass? I always seem to break it. Are there any ways to cut plexi glass with a saw? I have done the whole "Score and bend" thing that every idiot at Home Depot tells you....and although it does produce results sometimes, it is just too easy to mess it up doing it that way

[Chris G]

Is real glass not an option?  I got a reasonably priced piece of glass (for a non-arcade project) not too long ago from a local vendor.

[leapinlew]

Tips for cutting plexiglass:
Use a flush trim bit router. It makes nice clean cuts. I document the process here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55021.0 It really starts at the end of page 1 and the start of page 2.

I've only used plexi and I don't really have a problem with it. Home Depot carries it and yes it's a bit on the expensive side. My buddy got decent deals because some of the bigger pieces were chipped. I've ordered all my smoked plexi at glass shops. The cool thing about glass shops is they'll cut your material to order. (As long as it's just a square cut).

Give me some lip about this and see if I ever help you again. 

[CheffoJeffo]

Give me some lip about this and see if I ever help you again. 

Yeah, I've said that before ... 

[Timoe]

Lexan is easy to work with but it scratches easily.

Try plexiglass, its not that hard to work with.  Buy an extra, smaller piece and practice whatever it is you are doing first.

[bfauska]

I agree with Timoe, depending on what you are using it for lexan may be a little too easy to scratch.  If you are doing the CP I would not reccomend lexan at all.  Plexi is still scratchable, but it's harder.  I don't know how much you need or if you have anything I need for my projects, but I could probably come up with some plexi for either some trade or much better price than the Depot.  I sometimes have extra at work and my dad has a bunch of surplus at his house where I'll probably be visiting tomorrow.  Let me know what you need and I'll see what I can do.  I may even be able to cut it for you if you want.

Let me know,
Brian

[modessitt]

Somewhere or another, I saw a tutorial on cutting plexi with a saw in a way that wouldn't cause it to chip or crack (spider web) along the cut.

If I remember correctly, they sandwich the plexi between two pieces of wood as tight as they can and clamp it all around, then cut the wood and plexi together.

Never tried it so I don't know if it works....

[btp2k2]

Thanks.....I never heard that about lexan. Good to know that it scratches.

Lew, thanks for the link. I will give that a go.

And for the record, I wasn't trying to "give you lip"....it was just a little light hearted sarcasm.....sorry if it was misconstrued.

[btp2k2]

Somewhere or another, I saw a tutorial on cutting plexi with a saw in a way that wouldn't cause it to chip or crack (spider web) along the cut.

If I remember correctly, they sandwich the plexi between two pieces of wood as tight as they can and clamp it all around, then cut the wood and plexi together.

Never tried it so I don't know if it works....

Interesting....Hmmmm....worth a shot to pick up some scrap and try it.

[urbecrisch]

I recently cut some plexi with a jigsaw and a fine tooth blade.  Worked well.  I'll try and find the blade specs for you.  I put my jig on the fastest setting and it cut through 1/8" plexi without any cracks.

[FrizzleFried]

Depending on how thick of plexi you use...for the thin stuff I use a PLEXIGLASS CUTTER (which is available at home depot for about $2).  It has a nasty-ass sharp edge on it that you use to SCORE the plexi...takes about 8-10 swipes with the cutter,  then you position the plexi on a table with an edge where the score runs right along the edge of the table,  with a semi-firm downward movement (while holding the other side on the table),  and >SNAP< you have a clean cut.   Just make sure you score the plexi completely and semi-deep.   I have done this with 3 plexi monitor bezels and 4 control panels...it works like a charm and no having to deal with semi-straight cuts...just use a quality straight edge and the plexi cutter and you can't go wrong.

[TOK]

I never had trouble cutting the edges of Plexi, it was drilling the holes where I always cracked it. I prefer working with Lexan, though it is softer. The Lexan overlay on my horizontal cab is about 2 years old, and while it does show some fine scratches from wear, I don't think its durability is worthy of concern for home use.

[flashdog]

To be honest it's actually "acrylic" and  "polycarbonate" that you speak of. Any commercial plastics shop uses a table saw for straight cuts and computer driven lasers for complex designs.

[bfauska]

I do all my straight cuts on a table saw.  There are special blades for plastic which make the cut nicer, but for the best results it allways helps to sand/polish the cut end.  I actually did some rabbit cuts on my latest control boxes by taking several passes on the table saw and moving the fence slightly for each pass.

There are also special drill bits for plastics they have a pointier end and do not pull into the material as much.  The bit pulling it's way through the plastic faster than it can cut the hole is what causes the chipping/cracking when drilling a hole.  A trick when using regular bits is to use one that is slightly dull, it won't try to pull through as fast, also doing all the drilling on a drill press helps so that you have better leverage and control of the drill feed rate

[(+_+)]

Or....does anyone have some good solutions to cutting plexiglass? I always seem to break it. Are there any ways to cut plexi glass with a saw? I have done the whole "Score and bend" thing that every idiot at Home Depot tells you....and although it does produce results sometimes, it is just too easy to mess it up doing it that way

I was able to cut my plexi Marquee pieces with a table saw even though I had a blade with larger teeth. A Smaller toothed blade would have been better. However, you are probably better off having Home Depo or whoever you purchase it from make the cuts since they are liable if it cracks. If you end up doing it yourself, go slow and let the blade do the cutting and make sure the piece stays up against the rail. Plexi is no where near as forgiving as wood. If it twists, it'll snap like dry kindling. The same thing applies if you are boring holes in it. Let the bit melt its way through, and try your best not to stray from 90 degrees.

Don't be shy to tell Home Depot to not cut it too quickly otherwise you'll have chipped edges or worse yet edge cracks.

Good luck.

[NiteWalker]

I cut both polycarbonate and acrylic on my tablesaw with the same blade I use for cutting wood. No special blade or techniques are necessary. A router guided by a straightedge works well also.