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Thread: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

  1. #61
    Overclocked intergalacticman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    about the hacksaw, i dont know, but, a jigsaw isnt the best way to go, a finer blade will melt the plexi, and a slower speed will shake it. i would know this because i cut plexiglass frequently. as far as gluing though, i agree, but dont use a glue gun or other stuff like that, but i use gorilla glue, and that seems to be mighty stable


    Quote Originally Posted by tybrenis View Post
    That is not true intergalactic man. Acrylic is cut well with a hacksaw using a metal blade. I don't know what happened to you, but generally hacksaw are decent for cutting intricate designs.

    Also, you can only use the score and snap method for acrylic 1/8" and thinner.

    Also, using the proper blade with the acrylic correctly set up for cutting, a jigsaw will not break it as long as you take the necessary precautions. Also, acrylic will not melt if the jig saw is at the right speed. Any faster with the wrong blade would hook the acrylic, shake it, and snap it (probably what you did).
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  2. #62
    Fresh Paint
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    Another method of cutting is Laser Cutting. It is extremely accurate and gives a good finish. It also takes much less time.
    My workplace has a cutter which can fit up to 1100 x 1100 (mm) sheets. This is large enough to cut most things that I need to. You can get larger ones although obviously the price increases with size. The cheapest decent one that I've seen is around £14000 (I believe that is about $27000).
    You can plug your computer into them and they'll cut whatever you design with a beam of light. I wouldn't expect many people to want to spend that much money themselves, but it may be possible to persuade your work/school to make the investment for you

  3. #63
    Woodworking unicycling bodybuilder tybrenis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    I am currently building a CNC machine - it will be a CNC router. Eventually, I will use to it to cut out a new CNC machine for myself: this one will use a laser, probably CO2.
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  4. #64
    Sunshine Flavored Lollipops Zephik's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    So your making a CNC machine so it can make you a CNC machine? ...my god... thats brilliant!
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  5. #65
    Woodworking unicycling bodybuilder tybrenis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    Quote Originally Posted by SnowFire View Post
    So your making a CNC machine so it can make you a CNC machine? ...my god... thats brilliant!
    Hehe... yup. As soon as my machine is done, it will be used to cut and drill higher precision parts that will be used to replace the hand made ones in the machine. Eventually, I plan on building a CO2 laser and then making a second machine that uses a laser to cut patterns in metal.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveW View Post
    Jon has altered his cock to compensate.

  6. #66
    System of a Mod sirkillalot617's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    duno if anyone already posted this but heres somin for gluing plexi together
    http://guides.pcapex.com/modding/diy_acrylic_cement.php

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  7. #67
    Strip it, paint it, and love on it... Commando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    Man, a laser cutter sounds great. All I need to do now is sell my house. I might need to run that one by the wife.

  8. #68
    Woodworking unicycling bodybuilder tybrenis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    Hehe. Just build you own. My router is costing less than $400 to build, everything included. Add a laser to that and its still probably less than $1200.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveW View Post
    Jon has altered his cock to compensate.

  9. #69

    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    Ok, so from reading the information in this thread, I can pretty much cut acryllic to my hearts content just like the pros...

    But what about painting? Specifically I had a mod idea that went something like this:

    Sparing lots of details, I want a plexiglass side window that is transparent, but not so much that you can actually see the PC parts inside. Thats easy enough and could be acheived by using the methods to make a 'frosted' look.

    Heres the kicker, I want it to look something like an early night sky, that is, I want a light blue that fades to almost black towards the top. (the idea being to kit-bash a model of a moon and mod it into the upper part of the plexiglass, and wanting perhaps to set a smattering of white LEDs for stars).

    How to do this? I was thinking of sandpapering the plexi, to give it the frosted look, then attempting to spraypaint this side (it should stick since its roughed up?). I've heard there are some 'transparent' paints, dont know as im not really an artist.

  10. #70
    Woodworking unicycling bodybuilder tybrenis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips for working with plexi/acrylic

    That would be a bit tricky to do, but achievable. Yes, you would have to "rough it up" a bit before you sprayed it. They do indeed make transparent paints, but I have only seen them for airbrushes, never in spray paint form (that doesn't mean they don't exist, I just haven't seen them!).

    Some transparent paints:
    http://www.pearlpaint.com/shop~paren...oryID~5484.htm
    http://www.pearlpaint.com/shop~ocID~...oryID~5477.htm
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveW View Post
    Jon has altered his cock to compensate.

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