Once you are satisfied with the appearance of the edge, move on to buffing.Finish by sanding with 600-grit sandpaper. As the plexiglass becomes smoother, transition to successively finer grits.Start the process with 120- or 180-grit waterproof sandpaper, in combination with a wood or rubber sanding block.Note: You can use a handheld power sander, but manual wet-sanding typically achieves the best results. If the cut edge would be visible in your application, take the extra time to sand and buff out the imperfections. Whichever cutting method you choose, you may find that the cut plexiglass edge doesn’t look terribly attractive. Proceed accordingly, water-cooling the blade or pausing your work for a few minutes as needed. One note of caution: If the blade overheats, the material may chip or crack. Before committing to one blade or another, double-check that its teeth are evenly spaced, with no rake, and of uniform height and shape.Īfter readying your tool, measure and mark the plexiglass, then cut as you would any other material, clamping if appropriate. There are special blades designed expressly for acrylic, but any metal-cutting blade with carbide tips can do the trick. No matter which type of saw you choose for the task, it’s critically important to use the right blade. (To cut anything but a straight line, opt for a jigsaw.) RELATED: How to Clean Plexiglass How to Cut a Thick Sheet of Plexiglass (with a Circular Saw, Saber Saw, Table Saw, or Jigsaw)įor thicker sheets of plexiglass, cut with a power saw-be it a circular saw, saber saw, or table saw. Then, with sharp downward pressure, snap off the portion of the plexiglass that extends beyond the work surface. To finish, hold the scribed line to the edge of your work surface, and secure the plexiglass in place with a clamp.Flip over the plexiglass, and score the opposite side in the same manner.Score again and again, as many as 10 or 12 times, until you have made a deep groove in the plexiglass.Next, hold the yardstick to the marked line, and run the dull side of a utility knife or specialty plexiglass cutting tool along the yardstick to score the sheet. Lay the sheet on a flat surface and, using a yardstick and a permanent marker (or a grease marker), measure and draw the line you wish to cut.How to Cut a Thin Sheet of Plexiglass (with a Utility Knife, Box Cutter, or Glass Cutter)įor a thin sheet of plexiglass-that is, material up to about 3/16-inch thick-use a scoring method not dissimilar from a technique used to cut actual glass. Simply cutting plexiglass to size is easy by comparison.Ĭontinue reading for details on how to cut plexiglass-the right way. If your project requires a clean edge, expect to devote energy to smoothing the finish. Second, bear in mind that even if you’re careful, it can be difficult to cut plexiglass without leaving a rough, irregular edge. When cutting plexiglass, leave the film in place as long as possible to avoid marring the surface. The other downside? Homeowners who don’t know how to cut plexiglass can be intimidated by the material at first-but we’re here to help! That’s why sheets of the material come covered in a thin layer of protective film. Versatile and tough though it may be, plexiglass isn’t perfect.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |