How do I cut plexiglass?

I got to remove a few inches to fit in a window. It's a big piece too, almost 4 feet and I have to cut off 2 inches the fill length. How do I cut plexiglass?

Reply to
jw
Loading thread data ...

My friend GB used to build video game cabinets and he used a carbide toothed blade on his table saw to cut Plexiglas.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I have cut plexi with a electric saw with the blade on backwards.

Reply to
Fred

How do I open a web browser, get to a search site like google and come up with some clever search string like "cut plexiglass"?

Maybe the nine year old across the street can help.

Reply to
AZ Nomad

Jigsaw,hacksaw,handsaw,tin snips,........

Reply to
Dave

Table saw, sharp carbide 80 tooth blade. Dozens of posts on this topic in this NG. Check the archives. Or simply ask the techs at a plastics supply house, via Yellow Pages.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

I wish I'd had the Famous Usenet Multitool back when I had to cut some lucite panels.

m
Reply to
Fake ID

What thickness, the thinner stuff cracks easily with a saw if you let it move or catch on the blade, My Ace hardware uses a glass cutter table, they score and snap, use a sharp fine tooth blade on whatever you use and go slow.

Reply to
ransley

A RotoZip or equivalent works well. Use a guide to make a straight cut. My son used my RotoZip to cut 1 foot square panels that were about

5/16" thick. It made nice clean cuts.
Reply to
Art Todesco

snipped-for-privacy@myplace.com wrote the following:

They make a hand tool to cut plexiglas. It's like a carpet knife but works like a glass cutter. You use it with a straightedge. Just scratch deeply a few times along the straightedge, then snap the plastic.

formatting link

Reply to
willshak

I used to cut/machine a lot of plexi where I used to work. A band saw is best. At home, I'd use a jig saw with a coarse blade. Leave the protective paper on till after cutting. Bee's wax or kerosene make good cutting lubes. If using a jig saw, clamp on some sorta straight edge to hold a straight line. DO NOT slow down or stall during the cut, as the plexi will heat up and begin to melt. If you must stop, back out of the cut immediately. HTH

nb

Reply to
notbob

formatting link

Reply to
Doug Miller

On 10/11/2010 7:02 PM AZ Nomad spake thus:

So again with the unhelpful snarkiness.

Look, pal, it's a *home repair newsgroup*. A place where people come to ask questions about, oh, I don't know, HOME REPAIR???

Next time just STFU.

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

One of those small plastic letter openers.

Reply to
Joe Carthy

Same way as you do glass. In fact, they make a tool specifically for scribing the plexiglas to snap it off. Saws, etc will leave you with nothing but a melted plastic mess on the plex and blade both - don't even bother with any other method. I've done it many times - scribe, snap, Done.

HTH,

Twayne`

Reply to
Twayne

5/16" was NOT plexiglas.
Reply to
Twayne

Finally, someone who knows what he's talking about amongst all these idiots and guessers.

Reply to
Twayne

why not?

Reply to
Steve Barker

nevermind. I get it. It doesn't COME in that thickness. I never knew that.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Correct! Most full-service hardware stores have a glass-cutter that also "scores" plex. The scribe is something like a lathe cutting-tool (only it comes to a point).

Reply to
Bob Villa

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.