Slicing Plexi, how to?

[cheztir]

Before i go wasting any plexiglass, I'm looking to cut some plexi into about 5in long, 1/8 in. deep, and varying width. There will be about 15 total stripsWhat would be the best tool for this? Dremel, Tablesaw?

Thanks in advance
-CZTR

[AKA_RA]

with my experiance, dremels do a good job of melting the plexi as they cut it. usually this results in a buildup of melted plexi along the edge of your cut. i think if you use a low speed itll work better, but mine doesnt have a low speed, it has really fast, and off. depending on the width of the plexi pieces you want, you may want to consider just scoring it really wel and snapping it, thats what i usually do to get a really clean looking edge, but it can be a pain sometimes.

[Maz]

if you have acess to a table saw, use that. its what the pros use.
this has the basic principals to working with acrylic and check out page five for a good acrylic blade to buy. (but i just bought a plywood blade...)

[MrSlacker]

yeah table saw cuts it VERY well

[tybrenis]

You will want a table saw. If you don't have the cash to drop on a nice blade, you will want to use a blade with a 0 degree rake and a high tooth count (over 60). However, if you really want a great blade for cutting acrylic that will last you a long time, you will want a blade that:

- Uses the triple chip format
- Is carbide tipped
- Has a 0 degree rake/offset

It can also be cut with a jigsaw/scroll saw with a metal blade or a special blade for acrylic.

It can also be done on a bandsaw with a metal blade, but it looks like you are looking for making strips, not intricate patterns. A good table saw will last forever and become the most important tool in your workshop, I highly recomend investing in a decent one (not a cheap 10" desktop p.o.c.).