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Lexan...easy to work with as MDF?
Brax:
Lexan IS the material of choice but regular Acrylic is no harder to work with if you use the proper tools. Like anything.....
You can cut Acrylic with a table saw or jig saw. On your table saw use a carbide tipped blade with lots of teeth. Make sure you use jig saw blades made for Acrylic or as you cut, the material will melt back together behind the blade.
Drilling Acrylic requires a drill bit with a 90 degree angle on it - most wood drill bits are a 60 degree angle. The additional slope allows the tip to break out without breaking the material.
IceCold:
I'm not sure if mine is plexiglass or lexan, but it worked cutting it with a circular saw. We sandwiched it in between 2 pieces of wood, then cut through the 'sandwich' and it worked great. :)
rhoelsch:
I went to Depot and picked up Crystallite (cheaper than the official Lexan)...was $25 for a very large piece 20x40? (1/8" thick)...but, when I asked the guy to cut it for me, he scored it, and put about a 6" crack on one of the edges.. Now, I still had half of the panel that was still good, but since the guy put a crack in the other side, and probably also because he was new and didn't give a crap, he gave the sheet to me for $5.
Drilling with a spade bit worked fine (don't use a rechargable drill, it'll take too long), and I'm glad I didn't pay $45 or more for the fancy stuff. See if you can pick up a scrap there and see for yourself.
p.s. It don't cut as easy as MDF. I wish everything did.
HeadRusch:
I'm going tomorrow morning to see what depot offers...I'm gonna come home and start my cutting, I've got the basic box design down.
Now the big question: Do I cut the lexan seperately, or do I mount the lexan to the uncut piece and cut both materials at once?
AX:
use a flush cut bit in your router and cut the lexan on top of the CP. comes out perfect.
I have a little area on mine where the spade bit jumped in between a few of the buttns. Nto going to spend another 22 bucks for a new piece so this on ewill have to do. moral here is go slow.