Acrylic plastic is just like glass, only stronger and more durable. Most people call it plexiglas. Plexiglas is a very popular brand name for acrylic plastic. This is usually sold in a variety of sizes and thickness. This actually comes covered in paper when you buy it since it has a very sensitive surface and it gets easily scratched when not careful. When cutting plexiglas, you have to use special tools. Your normal day to day tools are not recommended since you cannot afford to scratch it somehow or perhaps make a rough cut by sawing. Here are a few step-by-step guidelines on how to properly cut your plexiglas:
1. When you are ready to begin cutting your plexiglas, try not to remove all the paper. First, try outlining your desired shape. Make lines to draw your dimensions. A pencil would suffice for the lining. Using a ruler or a measuring tape would provide to be useful so as to be more accurate with your measurements.
2. Next step is to use a glass cutter. You already have your desired shape and measurements outlined by pencil so all you have to do is to follow those lines. This time, using the glass cutter. You will have to run it over for around ten to twelve times to delineate your plexiglas. When done, position the glass at the edge of your table with the line you made in place and apply a quick hard push downward to break your glass in two. This will divide your glass according to the line you marked using the cutter. This method, however, only applies for your plexiglas with a thickness less than one eighth of an inch.
3. For cutting thicker sheets, you have to have a clamp and a saw blade. You will do the same step as mentioned in step two for marking and outlining the sheet of glass. Afterwards, you position it at the edge of the table, leaving ample space for clearance of your saw blade. You then clamp the glass to secure it in place and then you cut using the saw blade.
4. When cutting sheets that are larger, you can use a power saw for this. For those round or curved pieces, using a drill with an attached rotary tools is needed. This is specifically used with plastic.
5. If you want to design your plexiglas in such a way that they have to be joined together, this is possibly done by using screws, rivets and fasteners. Solvents are also sold at your local hardware to coat and fix one piece with another piece. If you are using this method, you would want to peel away the paper along the perimeter of the part of the sheets to expose the seams that you need to conjoin. First, tape the pieces and then apply the solvent evenly along the seam. Spread the solvent as even as possible, allowing a bit of excess to seep into the crevice.
These are the fundamental ways of cutting your plexiglas. Using the glass cutter for the thin sheets and adding up the power of your power saw when cutting the thicker ones. You also have to properly align and position the glass at the table’s edge. Also, make sure you sand off the glass’ edges when necessary.
