How to Carve Letters in Plastic

Carved plastic lettering on a sign.

Letters can be carved in plastic by using a variety of methods. Letters can be hand-carved into the plastic if it is not too hard. A better option is to use a router and letter template to carve the letters. A router and letter template will create professional and crisp looking letters. Letters carved into plastic are used mainly for signs. The techniques for carving lettering into plastic are the same as with wood when using a router and letter template. Standard router bits can cut both wood and plastic.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic carving blank
• Letter template
• Work bench
• Plunge router
• Straight router bit

Instructions

1. Arrange the letters into the template to create the word or words that you would like carved into the plastic carving blank. Secure the carving blank into the letter template. Lock the letter template to a work bench.

2. Align the router inside the letter template. Set the depth of the plunge on the router to the depth that you would like the lettering to be. Turn the router on and plunge it into the plastic gradually. Let the router bit cut as you plunge. Move the router along the template allowing the bushing on the bit to glide along the template edges. Lift the router back up once the cut is complete and turn the router off.

3. Remove the router from the letter template. Blow off any dust that built up on the template and plastic carving blank. Remove the blank from the template. Inspect the carving to ensure that the lettering is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an inexpensive material to do a test run of the template once it has been set up. If a word is misspelled this is a good way to avoid ruining an expensive piece of material.

• Wear eye protection when operating power tools.

References

• Engraved Plastic Signs
• Duckworks Magazine: Help in the Art of Making State Numbers and Names without Using Those Cheap Stickers

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Daves Woodworks: Initials