cutting Lexan

[Jim Colombo]

how should I cut Lexan. I don't really want to ruin a good saw blade.

Jim

[mreza Salav]

Table saw, bandsaw, mitersaw, they all work. Easy. Use a high teeth blade and don't go too fast (or too slow).

[Jim Becker]

It's not going to hurt your blade...but the wrong blade and cut speed will melt it.

[Matt Day]

I was just cutting some form of plastic yesterday for picture frames on my TS and RAS. Worked just fine. Wear eye protection (as usual) and be ready to clean up some plastic dust.

[bill epstein]

For a few years after retiring from putting widows and orphans on the street, I worked part time in the hardware dep't at a big box. Cutting Lexan was part of the job. We used one of those carbide cutters for Formica. Score it a few times using a straight edge, then push it down to breaking on the edge of a table.

[Andrew Seemann]

The closer your rake angle is to neutral (0 degrees), the better it will cut. Very aggressive rake angles can cause cracking, chipping, or even splintering.

[Matt Day]

...after retiring from putting widows and orphans on the street.

Huh??
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[Lee Schierer]

how should I cut Lexan. I don't really want to ruin a good saw blade.

Jim

The first step is to insure it is lexan (polycarbonate) and not acrylic. Most clear plastic sheeting sold in hardware and big box stores is acrylic. Lexan will cost almost 2 times more than acrylic. Acrylic will crack and shatter if not cut carefully using a band saw or table saw. You can also score and snap acrylic like glass. Lexan cuts easily on either tool and you can also run the edges over your jointer to smooth the edge, don't try this with acrylic.

[Charles Lent]

They make bullet proof windows with thick Lexan, but don't try this at home.

Charley

[Jim Andrew]

Was thinking last time I cut some used a jig saw and ran it slow.

[Randall J Cox]

I've cut lexan on my bandsaw with no issues. Made an overhead dust collector (blade cover) for my table saw, works great. I leave the protective film on to cut, then peal it off after cut. No issues. And yes, if you want tough, buy lexan not acrylic. Randy

[Chris Fournier]

I think that you have it backwards OP, you don't want to ruin good Lexan with a bad blade. That stuff is expensive! I have cut 100's of sheets of acrylic and polycarbonate so I have a TS blade designed for plastic. In a pinch I'd use a high tooth count crosscut blade. Note that the fumes from burning Polycarbonate are toxic so don't burn it however you choose to cut it.

[Ryan Yeaglin]

At my old work place, I made a lot of guards out of lexan and We used a paneling blade for a circular saw that same on a panel saw. I would also use a jigsaw, band saw, Reciprocating saw. All with fine tooth metal blades 10-14 tpi. Also to clean up the cut marks I would use a red scotch-brite disc.

[Roger Feeley]

Once it’s cut and sanded, you can very carefully use a torch to flame polish it.

[fritz eng]

I use a hand miter saw with fine teeth. The lexan needs to be fully supported (both pieces) and clamped down to prevent movement of the material. Ask for help if necessary. The stuff is too expensive to mess up.