Cutting Acrylic Sheet

[Stanley Thigpen]

What is the best way to cut Plexiglas sheet to size? I have done it a couple of ways over the years but never been particular satisfied with the results. I have used the band saw as well as scribed and broken. I am making a flag display case.

[jerry nazard]

Stanley,

I use the tablesaw, usually with a Freud 40t Fusion blade or 80t crosscut. Anything thicker than 1/4 and I get bad overheating. Best results are w/40t and running the plexiglass very quickly. Edges clean up very well on the jointer, router table, or with a card scraper. Freud makes a plexiglass blade, I just have never picked one up. My #1 hand tool for plexiglass finishing is the scraper.

-Jerry

Edit to add: WELCOME TO THE CREEK!

[John Pratt]

I have to cut this stuff on a regular basis and I just use the Tablesaw as mentioned already with a Freud 40T blade. Just make sure to keep the plastic film on it when cutting. If you remove the film before cutting it just falls apart or shatters. Also a dust mask is a must. Those little plastic fibers are tough on the lungs even with good dust collection.

[Buck Williams]

I've used a regular steel plywood blade on a table saw. What are they, like 140 - 180 tooth blade, had no problem with chipping with or without the film on the acryllic.

[James McDonald]

I sandwich the plexi glass between sheets of plywood and cut it that way.

[Justin M Rovang]

What is the best way to cut Plexiglas sheet to size? I have done it a couple of ways over the years but never been particular satisfied with the results. I have used the band saw as well as scribed and broken. I am making a flag display case.

Take this with a grain of salt, but I've read you can use a lighter/blowtorch to 'lick' the ends of Acrylic, it's a process called 'flame polishing' and it removes the white 'frosty' edge observed from cutting.

What things in particular have you not been satisfied with in the past?

[Lee Schierer]

Freud's plastic cutting blade does a great job. We have one at work.

When cutting sheet, I like to keep the teeth low so I don't get a lot of chatter as the piece is cut. The worst part is cleaning up the plastic chips as they seem to stick to everything.

[Duane Idler]

:o Hi Guys
Please fogive the spelling,I had a stroke 2 years ago and some words just
do not come out right.
I worked with plastic for a couple years in my younger days. The best blade for cutting plastic is one with a zero set on the teeth, either a store bought one or you can make one yourself by removing the set on the teeth. A jig saw works well with a sharh tooth blade in it and a wedge (about 15degree) on the bottum of it, this will helps remove the up and donw presure on the plastic (removes the chatter). Also when cutting with a tablesaw keep the blade low (1/2 inch. above the material). This will keep the cut presure along the curve of the blade and not donw. It well help with heating and chipping.
Also a torch with a small flame works well for polishing the edges.
Hygrogen is the best, but propane works well. The other one that you use for cutting metal (I can not remember the name of it sorry) can leave a black carbon on the plastic.
I hope this helps. Please forgive my typing and spellling.

[Steve knight]

there is a simple solution buy the right acrylic. get cast or cell cast acrylic it will cut cleanly with most tools. that cheap crap at the borg will never cut cleanly thats extruded. the cheap stuff is covered in plastic the good usually in paper and it has cast or cell cast written on it.
it makes a huge difference in machinability.

[Jamie Schmitz]

You will have to scroll down a bit.http://www.tapplastics.com/info/video.php

[Stanley Thigpen]

Thanks for all the great responses. I hesitate to report now that you all have replied, but I actually found a piece of glass and cut it to shape. I have had more experience with glass cuting. My initial concern was that I would have difficulty cutting a triangular shape without breaking the sharp angled corners, but it worked fine. Thanks again.