Cutting Acrylic

[K2]

What do you use to cut acrylic substrate. I know you can scar it but surely theres an easier way, maybe skill saw or jig saw with a special blade? Thanks everyone.

 

[J Hill Designs]

search, yo!

http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72326&highlight=cutting+acrylic

 

[GB2]

Your method may well be determined by the thickness of the acrylic you are trying to cut. Personally, I'd like to know how others are having success cutting 1/2" acrylic.

 

[joeshaul]

I used to cut half inch with a laser at my prior employer. That stuff was kinda scary and slow, since we only used one pass, but it looked damn sexy when you removed it, no finishing needed, unless the acrylic melted back together a little bit.

As to how I would do it now, probably a million passes on my small scale engraver for anything of shape.

Now I primarily deal with 1/8" and I usually just score and snap if it's just going to be rectangular, otherwise toss it on the engraver if it's small enough.

 

[mortil]

Your method may well be determined by the thickness of the acrylic you are trying to cut. Personally, I'd like to know how others are having success cutting 1/2" acrylic.

Cut it with a waterjet cutter (? is it called that? ) thats how we do it at work.

 

[chopper]

this would depend on the shape to be cut. if it was a simple square or rectangle I would cut it on the panel saw, if it was a custom shape I would use a cnc router.
//chopper

 

[showcase 66]

I used to have an acrylic hand cutter. Kind of like a utility knife but you had more control with it. Three passes with it and you could snap the last little bit of 1/2". Anymore I use a table saw or circular saw with the blade backwards. I use a finer tooth blade that is for thinner metal and it works perfectly. Usually no finishing to be done after.

 

[artbot]

get a track saw with a triple chip blade designed for plastics. it's better than a panel saw in that the material is held much tighter to the blade, the accuracy is "0" allowance. after you have a track saw at the shop and you are cutting everything from .030 petg to four sheets of plywood at once, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

 

[OhioSignShop]

Track saw and flame the edges or have your supplier cut it to size.

 

[alcerkan]

a CNC router with a diamond embedded bit=fast cutting and NO polishing. Is it worth $1900 for a bit to do this? Depends on your volume of acrylic work. Always remember: Time is Money. But Money is Money, too!

 

[weaselboogie]

Table saw, band saw any thickness. I'm using a finish blade in my table saw.

 

[southwest graphics]

track saw is your best bet witha blade designed for plastic if not a router would do

 

[TheSnowman]

I cut it w/ my Saw Traxx jig. Just a circular saw. Same blade it's had in it forever, no clue what it is, but it's nothing special.

 

[fbman63]

I have a panel saw and use a blade for cutting aluminium works a treat a bit of baby powder helps it cut clean also use the baby powder when routering acrylic

 

[John Butto]

freud LU94M 80 teeth 10" plexiglass blade cuts .5" thickness without a problem

 

[fmg]

I use a Festool ts 55 with the correct blade and a guide rail which comes in an assortment of lengths.1 nice clean pass and then I buff up the edges using a Festool Rotex sander with different grade abrasives.

 

[Dean Fowell]

I cut it on my laser it gives a flame polish finish, 80 watt