cutting acrylic????

[Chef Reef]

how hard is it to cut and drill acrylic? im looking to make a box about 10.5" L x 6.5" W x 7.25" H

 

[loyalrogue]

Cutting Acrylic Sheet

Cutting with a knife or scriber
Acrylic sheet up to 3/16" thick may be cut by a method similar to that used to cut glass. Use a scribing knife, a metal scriber, an awl, or a utility knife to score the sheet. Draw the scriber several times (7 or 8 times for a 3/16" sheet) along a straight edge held firmly in place. Then clamp the sheet or hold it rigidly under a straight edge with the scribe mark hanging just over the edge of a table. Apply a sharp downward pressure to break the sheet along the scribe line. Scrape the edges to smooth any sharp corners. This method is not recommended for long breaks or thick material.

Cutting with power saws
Special blades are available to cut acrylic. Otherwise use blades designed to cut aluminum or copper. Teeth should be fine, of the same height, evenly spaced, with little or no set.

Table and circular saws
Use hollow ground high speed blades with no set and at least 5 teeth per inch. Carbide tipped blades with a triple chip tooth will give the smoothest cuts. Set the blade height about 1/8" above the height of the material. This will reduce edge chipping.
When using a hand held circular saw, clamp the sheet to the work surface and use a length of 1x3 wood to distribute the clamping pressure and act as a guide for the saw.

Feed the work slowly and smoothly. Lubricate the blade with soap or beeswax to minimize gumming from the masking adhesive. Be sure the saw is up to full speed before beginning the cut. Water cooling the blade is suggested for thicknesses over 1/4", especially if edge cementing will be performed.

Saber saws
Use metal or plastic cutting blades. The blades you use to cut acrylic should never be used for any other material. Cut at high speed and be sure the saw is at full speed before beginning the cut.

Hand saws
Good results are possible, but very difficult. Be sure the acrylic is clamped to prevent flexing. Flexing at the cut may cause cracking.

Routers and shapers
Use single fluted bits for inside circle routing and double fluted bits for edge routing. At the high speeds at which routers operate it is critical to avoid all vibration. Even small vibrations can cause crazing and fractures during routing.


Drilling

For best results, use drill bits designed specifically for acrylic.
Regular twist drills can be used, but need modification to keep the blade from grabbing and fracturing the plastic. Modify the bit by grinding small flats onto both cutting edges, so the bit cuts with a scraping action. If the drill is correctly sharpened and operated at the correct speed, two continuous spiral ribbons will emerge from the hole.

 

[Chef Reef]

wow. awsome, thank you so much.

 

[RedDmon]

The best method for cutting and drilling acrylic is to set it up on the CNC Router.

 

[macawmagic]

for thin stuff I use a razor knife...for thicker I use the table saw with a very fine tooth blade. I've cut up to 3/4" thick acrylic b4.

 

[AquamanE]

how bout then gluing together. i know acrylic to acrylic has special glues, but how bout acrylic to glass?

 

[Chef Reef]

it will be thin stuff. nothing thick. i was thinking of the knife method. do you know where local i can get a few sheets? i live in pembroke pines. also where to find the acrylic glue. id rather not have to order it.

 

[macawmagic]

home depot or lowes carry the acrylic...I'm pretty sure you gotta order the glue offline.

and aquaman...I'm pretty sure theres no true way to glue acrylic to glass. silicon will hold in a sump, but you wouldn't be able to make a tank out of both acrylic and glass.(too my knowledge)

 

[firethefish]

Try this place. I purchased my acrylic rods and weldon there. They're in Ft. Lauderdale.
http://www.farcoplastics.com/

 

[Chef Reef]

cool thanks, ill have to check them out this weekend.

 

[sixfins]

You can also check with Prospect Plastics. They're located just west of Dixie Hwy on Prospect Rd.(between Oakland Pk & Commercial. They have pretty good prices, I've used them many times

 

[esc.nuk3r]

you should talk to manny , hes a pro at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chef Reef]

ya but im bet for the price for him to build it i could buy it. it costs about $70 online. i figure i can make it for $20? im not too sure how much the materials will cost.

 

[RedDmon]

Last time I checked 3/16" sheet of acrylic 4' x 8' was $65 and 1/4" sheet was $80 (industry price)

 

[RedDmon]

One more thing about pricing, that's for AMERICAN made, you can get cheaper stuff It's imported, and the quality is nowhere near as good.. IMHO.

 

[Chef Reef]

i didnt think it was that expensive . it doesnt have to be that great , just enough to hold a few cups of water. no one will ever see it either. maybe i can find some scrap acrylic from someone that i can cut to sie or is about the size i need. iunno, we'll see what happens.

 

[RedDmon]

Check with your local sign shops. We use TONS of 3/16" acrylic. Scrap material works for me, ALL the time.

 

[Chef Reef]

i'll have to find one around here. do they usualy sell scrap or give it away?

 

[RedDmon]

Most shops I know of sell scraps, but throw away/give away perfectly sized scraps for baffles and such. The bigger the shop, the more luck you'll have.

 

[loyalrogue]

Put on your mask and flippers, it's dumpster diving time.

:lol: