How to Cut Plexiglas Mirrors

Cutting Plexiglas mirrors requires more preperation than cutting a mirror made of glass.

A spray coating on the backside of the Plexiglas sheet provides a Plexiglas mirror's reflective quality. When cutting a coated Plexiglas mirror you need to preserve the coating around the cut edge. Combining a standard cutting technique with a cut cooling lubricant will keep the heat generated during the cutting process from destroying the reflective coating. To protect the Plexiglas mirror from scratches, you need adequately protect both sides of the sheet and avoid sliding the sheet across rough surfaces.

Things You'll Need

• Masking tape
• Tape measure
• Carpenter's pencil
• Framing square
• Utility knife
• Dust brush
• Vertical band saw
• Safety glasses
• Spray bottle filled with cold water
• 220-grit sandpaper

Instructions

1. Cover both sides of the Plexiglas mirror with masking tape to add a layer of protection over the factory applied plastic covering coating the mirror.

2. Pull the tape measure along one edge of the Plexiglas mirror and mark the length you need to cut the plastic sheet with the carpenter's pencil.

3. Set the short leg of the framing square along the side of the Plexiglas mirror perpendicular to the length mark you placed on the surface of the mirror.

4. Lightly drag the utility knife along the long leg of the framing square to score the surface of the Plexiglas sheet. Repeat steps two through four to score the other side of the mirror. This will reduce the chances of the saw blade pulling the mirror coating from the surface of the Plexiglas.

5. Brush the bed of the vertical band saw with a dust brush to remove large particles that will scratch the Plexiglas mirror.

6. Cover the cleaned bed of the vertical band saw with masking tape to soften the contact area between the bed and the Plexiglas mirror.

7. Put on your safety glasses and turn on the vertical band saw.

8. Align the score line with the blade of the vertical band saw and slowly push the Plexiglas mirror toward the saw blade while spraying the contact area between the band saw blade and the plastic with cold water from the spray bottle. Keep contestant pressure on the Plexiglas sheet until you have cut the mirror to length.

9. Remove the masking tape from both sides of the Plexiglas mirror and the bed of the vertical band saw.

10. Sand the cut edge of the Plexiglas with 220-grit sandpaper to remove any sharp edges left vertical band saw.

References

• Ridout plastics: Cutting Plexiglass - How to Cut and Fabricate Plexiglass sheet
• Altuglas International: Plexiglas® Acrylic Sheet Fabrication Manual