How to cut acrylic?

[gychang]

I want to cut a small rectangle for my amplifier case. I have an acrylic 1/4" from Home Depot and I have a straight edge and circular saw.

How do I cut this safely?, I have 40 tooth fine blade used for smooth plywood edge. Can I use this?

would like some ideas on how to do this.

thanks,

gychang

[Tequila]

Last piece I cut, I used a plastic scoring knife. It's like a utility knife, but the blade has a sharp hook to it that scores the material. Run it along the line several times, then snap it like a piece of drywall.

[linear]

1/4 is about as thick as you'd want to try, but the score/snap method will work.

To saw it, you do want a blade like you describe with lots of teeth.

The thing to watch out for on the saw method is that the lower grades of acrylic like you get at big box stores have a lower melting point. So if you feed too slow you'll melt instead of cutting, and bind up the saw. So feed cautiously and with due speed (I can't make myself type quickly here) to avoid melting and the circ saw setup will do fine (but make a mess).

It sands very nicely, so cut a little (say 1/16") oversize. You'll have deep saw marks that will take a while to sand out.

Are you going to have to drill? Because there are tips and tricks for that too.

Some plastic working info I compiled a long time ago:
http://case-mods.linear1.org/acrylic...-plastics-faq/

[cabinetman]

Just about any wood cutting method will work for sheet acrylic. For 10" table saws a 80 tooth triple chip carbide tipped blade works best. For circular saws, a 40T or more carbide tipped blade is best.

If using a circular saw, try to support the piece as good as possible to prevent any up and down movement from the sheet. As for scoring and snapping, 1/4" is on the difficult side. If you have a choice in types of acrylic to buy choose cast over extruded.

[Tom Slick]

you might want to use some plywood or masonite as a backerboard just to make it a little more rigid. clamp the pieces together and cut through both at the same time.

does it have a name on it? is it lexan?

[gychang]

you might want to use some plywood or masonite as a backerboard just to make it a little more rigid. clamp the pieces together and cut through both at the same time.

does it have a name on it? is it lexan?

good idea, will try it. No name brand.

gychang

[LCHIEN]

if its a small piece as you say, I'd avoid the circ saw and use a table saw. Simply because there is no way to clamp the piece to hold it as securely as necessary for sawing.

You also need some dust collection - the fine shavings will fly everywhere, a snowstorm as Rod used to describe it. And feed pretty quickly to avoid melting.

[axio]

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but it's still in relation to cutting acrylic. I have a piece of 3/8" acylic for a router table insert. I need to make the hole kinda big, maybe like 3.75". What tool should I use to cut this? Thanks!

[linear]

I'd do it with a router myself. Using a template you can get it very clean.

[cabinetman]

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but it's still in relation to cutting acrylic. I have a piece of 3/8" acylic for a router table insert. I need to make the hole kinda big, maybe like 3.75". What tool should I use to cut this? Thanks!

If you don't want to get into the template thing with a router, you could mask off the face, draw the circle, drill a hole near the line large enough for a jig saw blade to pass through, and cut out the hole with the jig saw. Then use a drum sander that fits in a drill press to smooth out the hole. If you don't have a drill press, use an electric drill.

[axio]

You guys wouldn't suggest a dremel would you? Jigsaw or router is the better way to go?

[Stytooner]

Absolutely. A dremel would work perfectly if it was attached to a cnc machine.

A hole saw, jig saw, scroll saw etc... will all tend to melt it and close the cut behind it. Cheap hole saw will bind. The right blade in a jigsaw will work to get it close and then sand or use a router and template.
I would use a router and template if I didn't have a cnc machine.

[axio]

Ic. The 3/8" acrylic won't mess up the router bit?

[linear]

It will do fine. Spiral flutes are probably best (there are companies that specialize in cutters for plastics), but a regular straight bit will do for a one-off like this.

[axio]

Thanks for the advice, guys. It's much appreciated!