How to Cut Plexiglass
Plexiglass is a clear type of acrylic most commonly used in place of glass. It is considered a "soft acrylic", meaning it has a higher sensitivity to heat than harder acrylic materials. Plexiglass is prone to some melting (smearing) and chipping on the edge that is being cut. The wide range of saw blade options makes easy to choose the right one to minimize these two problems while cutting plexiglass.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Fine grain sandpaper
- Table or circular saw
- Sheet of plexiglass
- Goggles
- Saw blades
- Ruler or measuring tape
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Cut Plexiglass With a Power Saw
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1
Use a ruler or measuring tape to determine the thickness of the plexiglass you want to cut. Thinner plastic tends to chip more, so you will need a saw blade with more teeth to reduce the risk of chipping. General Saw company's catalog of plastic saw blades can help you choose a blade (see Resources below).
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2
Choose your saw blades based on the thickness and hardness of the plexiglass. You may need two or more different blades to alternate during use, since harder acrylics chip more than softer materials. Acrylics that are softer are more likely to melt, and require saw blades with fewer teeth in order to cut effectively.
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3
Attach the blade you have chosen to your saw. A table saw or circular saw work best for plexiglass. The saw you decide to use is a matter of personal preference, or whichever you happen to own.
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4
Put on goggles before operating the saw. It is important to protect your eyes from plastic chips that may fly.
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5
Place your plexiglass sheet on the work area and begin to saw. If you experience a lot of chipping, you may need to use a blade with more teeth, and if you get smearing, you should increase the number of teeth on the blade. It may take a few tries to determine which blade (or combination of blades) work best.
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6
Use a fine grain piece of sandpaper to smooth any rough edges on your cut piece of plexiglass.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Maintain your saw to ensure the best performance. Sharpen blades as soon as they seem dull.
Clean the saw when needed and keep sharp blades out of reach of children.
Plexiglass shards can cut you just as bad as metal or glass, so be sure to sweep your working space clean of all debris after working and wear tough work shoes at all times.
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Comments
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thanx ill try the tape.
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Does masking tape help?
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You can also use masking tape on both sides where you are going to cut to keep down on the chipping!
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Also you can use masking tape to help it from chipping so much! Just place masking tape where your cutting on both sides!
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ssadez
May 26, 2010
using the saw makes to many errors I need something more precise, what is the best way of sanding down sharp edge's? electric tools are ok to use if needed, I have no problem using a little elbow grease and on small projects like this one I am on now it is preferred.
