Plexy Glass

[Mr. Haunt]

I have an idea for plexy glass. I know I asked about paint for foam, but how about plexy glass?

My other question, what would be the best tool to use to cut it, or will anything work?


Thanks,

Mr. Haunt

[Greg Chrise]

Supposedly a router is the "best" tool for cutting plexiglass but I think this is a rumor created by router salemen. Anything, a handsaw, drill, dremel, jigsaw, hobby jig saw table thing.

As far as paint you do want to use solvent based or spray cans to use the solvent to bite in. You can use acrylics but it will scratch if not put on just right. Acrylics to be put on just right is a cleaned surface using rubbing alcohol or actually light sanding then a thin coat, wait 2 hours, more thin coat repeat as many as 4 times to get the right thickness. No one does this though, they flood it on there and wonder why it is peeling or scratches easily.

So the solvent based paint is the more fool proof do it now method. Sign shops have see through colors that amount to heavy clear coats with tint in them for shinning through light similar to colored plexiglass.

[Jim Warfield]

If you are cutting plexiglass straight there is a cheap little folding hook-shaped bladed cutter available at hardware stores. Run the blade along a steel ruler or some other solid, straight edged item, score it once, slide the cutter back and forth a couple times on the opposite side and it snaps real nicely.
For curves use a Dremel or a bigger grinder, take small bites, take your time, if the plexi is real thin go even slower.
Read the instructions with the plexiglass it does expand and contract with heat and cold, breaking itself if installed to closely or tightly via holes drilled with no margin of space around the screw or nail.

[Mr. Haunt]

Jim,

I did not know plexy glass expands and shrinks. Maybe plastic would work better.



Mr. Haunt

[gadget-evilusions]

plexi-glass is plastic.

What are trying to do?

I can tell you the easiest way to cut plexi, cnc router with a 4' x 10' table, at least that's what I use.

If you dont have a cnc router, then you can use pretty much any wood working tool, just have to be very careful, and with items that have adjustable speeds such as your drill, run them at slower rpms. Fast rpms will melt plexiglass.

[TheCareTaker]

i have work with plexi for all sorts of projects and things and have found out many tools will do the chore but use a high speed peace of equipment and if you are going to use a table saw or band saw use a blade with lots of teth and buy a wax bar to coat the blade with and keep coating the blade often to keep the plexi from chiping and such. also if you can keep the plexi down firm on the surface with minimal rise and fall or vibration you have a better chance at achieving the nice edg and such. routers do work well but all depends ont he thickness. where eye protection.

[Mr. Haunt]

Well lets just say this, it would be something new on the market to sell. So I am not going to say what it is for the reason I do not want someone else picking up on the idea. These objects will not be more then a few feet in size so big power tools will not be needed. I also want to make this thing 3D- not a flat object. So pieces will have to be glued together.


Does this help?

Mr. Haunt

[Monster-Tronics]

My 2 cents on plexi. If you are using thin plexiglas and it’s cold it can crack very easily. The plexiglas bits that you can get for a router or dremel tool look kind of like a drill and work but for me it was too slow. I was cutting 4’x8’ sheets so like The Care Taker said you can use a circular saw blade with a lot of teeth. I used a cordless circular saw on a hot day and it worked fine.

Don’t use a sawzall on a cold day…. been there done that….

[Greg Chrise]

Each tombstone will have a business card holder. You can carry away the most popular epitaphs!

Guess #2 flier holders for counter top distribution that look like tombstones.

Plexi Glass s actually a brand name that has come to be adopted as the name for that kind of "acrylic sheeting"

If you search the intenet, I think you wil be utterly amazed all the things you can do with acrylic sheeting, the mass of suppliers, fabricators and especially in the display industry.

It can be etched, heated and bent in forms, polished on the ends, light refracted though it, it can be lamimated custom molded and so on.

Many times some fabrication company can make hundreds of things (at a reasonable cost) with high dollar equipment that you and grandma would spend all year hand fashioning at the kitchen table.

Just getting out on the internet and seeing some of these products makes even more ideas and refines the quality of an idea. Dammit Grandma you got glue on the wrong part!

[Mr. Haunt]

Sorry Greg but those things are not what I have an idea for! LOL

Mr. Haunt