Not wood working but it involves Tools

[Don Baer]

I have recesed lighting in my Kitchen and 2 baths. The lenses in three of the panels are cracked. We are getting the house ready to go on the markets and SWMBO has suggested that they should be replaced. Now all three panel are differant sizes and none of the sizes are available from any of the sources that I can find. I've checked all of the Borgs and several lighting shops. They are non standard sizes.. (The house is 18 years old).
So I am faced with cutting them from oversized panels. They are a very thin plastic and are smooth on one side and have bumps on the other side. Now the big question how would you cut them ?

I have the following available to me.

Tablesaw
Bandsaw
Large scroll saw
normal hande tools
and various knives as well as other sharp objects.

These panel are quite fragile sooo theres my problem.:confused:

[Joe Chritz]

Could try a fine tooth bandsaw. Putting the plastic on a backer would help. Depending on the plastic a pattern router bit does good also. Normally that is used on thicker plastic like plexiglass.

Joe

[Mark Rios]

I've cut that material on my table saw before. Sharp blade and slow cut. Eye protection is a must!

[Bruce Page]

Rectangle, square, round? The table saw cuts the thin plastic sheets like butter. If they are odd shaped or round, your scroll saw should work too.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I agree with Mark as long as you are making straight cuts, but DON"T hesitate. You will overheat the plastic.

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

The way I cut plexi is to put my TS blade at a 45, then just have about 1/8" or less of the tip of the blade showing, run the plexi over the blade, and then snap it off. Helps to have the paper still on the plexi, to avoid scratches, but you can also use masking tape. This works for plexi like a hot darn.

Dunno about the stuff you are talking about.

Cheers!

[Julio Navarro]

If ist very thin stuff and not much of it an exacto blade and a butane torch, score it then score the other other side using a straight edge then snap and sand

[Tyler Howell]

How about score it with a knife and snap it to size like real glass.
You can reduce it to size with the TS.

[Don Baer]

:cool: If anyone else needs this done just go to your local (non Borg) HW store. The Independent ACE near me Cut em to size for .50/cut...:D

[John Christiansen]

The very thin light lens material with the pebble or cracked ice or whatever type of finish on one side will give you problems. I have cut many of them for campus lighting and the scoring and snapping technique will not work.

Best system I have found is to tape both sides of the cut line and run them through the table saw with a very fine cut plywood blade. Even this method doesn't always give me a clean edge but clean enough to be hidden behind the light frame.

I don't have a bandsaw at work but that might work well if you tape the cut line first.

[Steve Clardy]

Table saw.

[Per Swenson]

How ya doing,

Cut plastic panels all day with a straight edge and a razor knife.

no problem. Hint, break the tip of the razor blade off. Score and

snap the panel against a square edge as with glass, but keep

preasure on the top. Bonifides, I ran a home center in the 70s

and used this method for customers daily.

Today I have a interest in rental properties.

Per