Plexiglas

[Chuck]

I need to buy a 3' sq piece of 1/4" Plexiglas. I tried HD but wasn't able to find it. Any ideas? TIA Chuck B.

[aemeijers]

HD and other big-boxes only carry the middle part of the bell curve in their stock. If only 4-5 people a year want it, they won't have it. Try a local glass company that specializes in commercial work like signs, store fronts and display cases, or look online. For one partial-size sheet, you will pay a premium- most of these places deal in OEM lots.

Out of curiosity, what are you making or repairing?

-- aem sends...

[WW]

Check Yellow Pages for plastics. Thats how I found some. WW

[Joe]

Google 'plastic sellers' and contact those in your area for names of affiliated small quantity resellers. I recently needed a piece of Lexan for a router base plate and Cope Plastics, the Peoria distributor gave me the address and phone number for Custom Plastics in Bartonville, IL. Worked out great.

Joe

[Rick Samuel]

MSC or Grainger

[benick]

Try your local hardware store in the weatherization isle....Alot of people still use it for storm doors and windows...

[aemeijers]

The 36" will be the hard part. Around here the stock tops out at 32" or

34 " in one dimension. You can get narrow and tall, but not larger squares. I was looking myself, last fall, to make inside storms that I could tape to the casing. Finally said the heck with it before it occurred to me to do it in 2 pieces with a taped joint in the center at the level of the where the top and bottom sash join.

-- aem sends...

[salty]

These folks are great, and a 3x3 foot piece would likely be considered a remnant and sell at a greatly reduced price. Full sheets of plastic are usually 4x8 feet.

The reason they have remnants is that they are also fabricators.

Best bet, after you look over the website is to call and talk to them for information on what remnants they have in the back. Yu may end up with a 3x4 foot piece or whatever, but it will be at a very good price.

[Doug Miller]

Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics".

[Frank]

I'm surprised:

Maybe you did not ask properly.

[Doug Miller]

Maybe you did not see the part about 1/4" thickness.

[Chuck]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be using it to make a few small shelves. I considered glass but I want to shape it with my band saw. Chuck B.

[salty]

1/4 inch extruded plexiglas won't hold much weight without obvious sagging unless it is a very short span. For shelves that will look "straight" you probably want 1/2 inch CAST acrylic, which is also available with a scratch resistant hardened surface.

[Frank]

Second guessing, if they had it maybe he could have settled for slightly different thickness. Then, of course they need to cut it to his specs. Not enough information in op.

[Chuck]

Thanks for the addl. info. Shelves are for display of small light weight objects. Will only be about 6" in length.

[Doug Miller]

The point is, Lowe's and HD both sell plexiglass -- but *not* in 1/4" thickness. Even the article you referenced described it as "thin sheets".

[salty]

If you really only need small pieces that you planned to cut from that larger 3x3 foot piece, you might get REALLY lucky looking for remnants. There is even a cast plexi now that looks just like real glass, including the green color on the polished edges after cutting.

If you call a place like Modern Plastics and describe your project, they may come up with something a lot better than you imagined, for a reasonable price.

[Chuck]

Thanks. I'll try Modern Plastics. Good info! Chuck

[Van Chocstraw]

Try a different HD or Lowe's. They are locally managed.

[Frank]

From his subsequent post, the thinner stuff should do him.