cutting plexiglass


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I want to make some picture frame and use plexiglass instead of real glass (safer with kids around). What is the best way to cut it? on the routertable? razor blade (I don't know if that's even a option)? I had a friend say to turn my table saw blade around and cut it that way is that true? Any insight would be helpful thanks.

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Plexiglass (or poly carbonates as a general term) machine very similar to wood (you can run them through a table saw, jig saw, router, miter saw, etc). But I will recommend to wear some protective goggles as the shavings that come off are hot. If you run them through a table saw keep the feed rate steady and don't let the material sit idle on the blade for too long (after all it is "plastic" and when plastic gets hot it melts). If the poly is allowed to get hot and melt on the blade it will grab and potentially cause a kickback. Just feed the material at a steady rate, use a sharp blade and it should go just fine :-) Do not turn the blade around. Machine it as though it were wood..

Hope this helps!

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A friend has a plexiglas fabrication shop. Tablesaw to cut, don't go slow, use very sharp blade. He set up a router table with a tiny offset fence and uses it as a jointer to remove saw marks from the edges before polishing. A sharp cabinet scraper will also clean up the edges. Beware old plexiglas with the protective paper still on, it gets to be a nightmare to get off after a few years. So use up your scraps or peel and protect somehow. I have a 1/4 sheet of 3/8 thick that is almost useless because I left the paper on too long.

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jig saw with a fine tooth blade also works well. I've tried hacksaws with fine teeth, but those only work for shorter stock pieces.... and thinner ones. (may just be my experience...)

You can also use a scroll saw. I assume you can use a band saw. Again, fine teeth make a nice and smooth (comparatively) cut.

Sand around 120 to 180, don't bother with anything under 80.

There's also that hot-melt cutter out there... haven't used one but heard about it.... also heard to make sure you're in a ventilated space when you do that.

Speaking of ventilation, you should use a respirator or dust mask because there's a lot of fine particles coming off the plexi that you do not want to inhale.

If you want curves, take a heat gun or hair dryer and wave it over the plexiglass evenly. (If you don't do it evenly, it bubbles or warps in one spot, and not all along.) I've seen a bending jig using a scrap of 3/8 plywood and a pair of clamps on the edge of a workbench... nothing fancy, just clamp, heat, and bend.

I've also seen someone use that same clamp /scrap idea and a box cutter to cut out the plexiglass. Just multiple scores along the straightedge. Took him about maybe 15-20 scores before he could snap it. Don't remember how thick the plexi he was using was.

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I made this vise spacer recently (also posted in the forum ) out of plexiglass using a Freud general purpose P-410 blade in my table saw. Don't turn your blade around or do anything out of the ordinary for what you'd normally do when working thin plywood. Make sure your blade is sharp, keep the stock flat on the table (but don't use hold downs that might scratch the surface), use a good feed rate, have dust collection going, etc.

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There are lots of different versions of "plexiglass". Some cuts well with power tools, others gum it up, others crack and shatter... Not knowing which clear plastic you really have, I'd suggest score and break.

I score the plastic by dragging a utility knive backwards along a straight edge. A blade with a broken tip works well, too... Keep scoring until you get ~ 1/2 way through the material, then break it over the edge of a table, bench, or truck tailgate. A good score will generate a plane-like, curly shaving as you drag the knife. After a few passes, you may not need the straight edge anymore.

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I've cut up to 1" acrylic using a table saw. We also did lots of routing with it. One trick we used was to have one person spray WD40 on the blade or cutters while they were running through the cut. This drastically cut down on tool marks left and greatly reduced polishing required on the edges.

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