How to Cut Curves on Plexiglass

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Things You'll Need

  • 1/4-inch plywood

  • Worktable

  • Plexiglas sheet

  • Masking tape

  • Pencil

  • 24-TPI (teeth-per-inch) jigsaw blades

  • Jigsaw

  • Safety glasses

  • Water-filled spray bottle

  • 220-grit sandpaper

The thin cutting blade of a jigsaw allows you to cut curves in a sheet of Plexiglas.

Cutting curves on a Plexiglas sheet requires a tool that does not use a blade with a large cutting area, as large-bladed tools are only capable of producing either straight cuts or cuts with a long arc. Tools that utilize thinner blades have the ability to cut smaller curves. The thinner the blade thickness, the smaller the curve the tool will be able to cut. To produce a quality cut that does not damage or melt the Plexiglas, you need to use the correct type of cutting blade and use a lubricant to keep the Plexiglas from melting.

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Step 1

Set the 1/4-inch plywood flat on the worktable and place the Plexiglas sheet on top of the plywood. The plywood will offer support for the Plexiglas sheet during the cutting process. Without the plywood, the Plexiglas could crack.

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Step 2

Cover the surface of the Plexiglas with two layers of masking tape. You only need to cover the area of the Plexiglas sheet receiving the curved cut.

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Step 3

Draw the curve(s) on the masking tape covering the Plexiglas sheet with the pencil.

Step 4

Secure a 24-TPI jigsaw blade into the jigsaw and put on your safety glasses.

Step 5

Spray the curved pencil line with the water-filled spray bottle.

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Step 6

Slowly cut along the pencil-drawn curved line with the jigsaw, continually spraying water on the area where the jigsaw blade contacts the masking tape.

Step 7

Run the 220-grit sandpaper along the finish curved cut to remove the sharp bur left from the jigsaw blade during the cutting process.

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