Fun with Lexan!!!!

[Jedirampage]

Hi all,

I just got a huge sheet of lexan to cover my control panel and i need advice on how to cut the  button holes, what kind of bit should i use and how hard is this stuff to cut?  i'd imagine i can't use the standard spade bit that i used to drill the original button holes

Also i have a standard 3" Happ trackball with a mounting kit and am clueless as to how i'm going to workaround the lexan with this.  I planned on mounting the trackball the standard way with the mounting kit and everything however do i mount this on top of the lexan, or can i mount the kit to the board and cut a circular hole in the lexan that just exposes the actual trackball??

Please help

[leapinlew]

Hi all,

I just got a huge sheet of lexan to cover my control panel and i need advice on how to cut the  button holes, what kind of bit should i use and how hard is this stuff to cut?  i'd imagine i can't use the standard spade bit that i used to drill the original button holes

Also i have a standard 3" Happ trackball with a mounting kit and am clueless as to how i'm going to workaround the lexan with this.  I planned on mounting the trackball the standard way with the mounting kit and everything however do i mount this on top of the lexan, or can i mount the kit to the board and cut a circular hole in the lexan that just exposes the actual trackball??

Please help

I cut my first piece of plexi with a standard spade bit spinning in reverese and going REAL slow. You pretty much melt your way through. What I eventually did was purchase a 5/8" forstner bit and cut a hole just big enough for a flush trim bit on my router to go through and trim up the hole that way. Much much easier.

Here is my showcase cabinet:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55021.0
near the bottom of the first page and at the top of the second I discuss what I'm doing about my plexi. It may give you some ideas - if not - read some other peoples projects. Theres some talented folks in these forums.

[NiteWalker]

Lexan will not crack. I cut it on the tablesaw to rough size, flush trim it to the control panel with a router and flush trim bit, drill with a spade or forstner bit and it won't crack. Lexan is a polycarbonate and is shatterproof. Very easy to work with, but less scratch resistant than acrylic.

[Jedirampage]

What would i use to cut the hole for the trackball? 

[shardian]

What would i use to cut the hole for the trackball? 

Look for one of these at Lowes, or your favorite tool store.

[ChadTower]

What is that called?

[NiteWalker]

A flywheel cutter or a circle cutter.

[ChadTower]

Attached to a drill?  Seems like it would be hard to do without a drill press.

[NiteWalker]

You can only safely use those in a drill press. Using a hand drill would probably result in workpiece and/or finger destruction/mangling.

[ChadTower]

Woo I'm learning.   

[NiteWalker]

A better choice. It attaches to the plunge base of your router. Works great. It's how I cut the center hole in my router table.

[ChadTower]

Nice.  I may end up with one of those once I start building CPs.

[NiteWalker]

It really is great. Very accurate and not as flimsy as some state. They also sell a more versatile model that's worth the extra $11 as it lets you make circles up to 18 3/16". Very useful. Watch for a slae though; when I bought the model 400 I got it for just under $14 and the model 200 I got for $22.

[scotthh]

I am planning on removing the trackball from the mounting kit and using the same method leapinlew used for his buttons

What I eventually did was purchase a 5/8" forstner bit and cut a hole just big enough for a flush trim bit on my router to go through and trim up the hole that way.

Is there any reason not to use the flush trim bit with the trackball plate as a guide?

[scotthh]

Is there any reason not to use the flush trim bit with the trackball plate as a guide?

The metal mounting plate is a thin .12". There is no way to remove all of the Lexan and have the bearing run solidly on the metal. See the attached picture, the metal gets wedged in the gap between the cutter and the bearing (maybe the gap is big because I wasn't using an expensive bit?) I wound up putting thin pieces of wood between the Lexan and the CP and clamping that down. If I were to do it again. I'd probably make a template from a piece of MDF to cut the trackball hole. Then I'd have the hole in the Lexan a bit smaller so it was

[Senator]

I was able to mount the spacer (just the spacer) in the trackball mount and use that as a guide for the flush trim bit.  See the piece in the top of the photo from the Happs site.  Actually, I think I needed a washer or two to keep it at the proper depth.  Worked like a charm.