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Plexi or Lexan?
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
(+_+):
--- Quote from: btp2k2 on March 24, 2007, 07:27:03 pm ---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
--- End quote ---
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.
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