Cutting a cheap bath panel

[Tim+]

My daughter wants to smarten up her bathroom prior to sale and her bath panel is cracked.

It?s a funny length though (1670mm) and seems hard to find.

One end of the panel tucks behind a vanity unit and won?t be visible so it?s tempting to buy a cheap 1700mm panel and to trim the end off.

Anyone done this? What would be the best cutting tool for a plastic bath panel? I do appreciate that it?ll weaken the end of the panel cutting off an end but about 450mm of that end of the panel will be behind the vanity unit so I don?t think it?ll matter.

Tim

[Tricky Dicky]

You can always reinforce the cut end with a timber profile stuck to the back of the cut end, since the edge will not be seen then you have the option of screwing the profile on. If you can create and fix the profile first then you can cut alongside it to minimise chipping.

Bath panels shatter and chip very easily a fine blade like a hacksaw blade in a pad handle at a shallow angle is probably best.

Richard

[Jeff Layman]

Do they melt easily? If so, how about a scalpel (craft?) blade or Stanley knife blade wired on to a heavy-duty soldering iron, even maybe glue gun if that gets hot enough? It could then be slowly drawn through the panel to melt a "cut" through it..

As the melted end won't be seen, it wouldn't matter if it's a bit ragged.

[Brian Reay]

It is usual to have to trim them.

The last time I did one, admittedly about 2002, I measured it several times, placed tape over the area, marked the line, and cut it with a panel saw which had hard teeth, taking my time. A little finishing with fine abrasive paper (before removing the tape), then removed the tape. It didn?t chip etc.

You can get MDF ones which have areas which have cuts on the back so you can curve them.

There is a place, I think in Kent, which specialises in buying up old stock bathroom fittings- bath panels, odd sinks, toilets, etc I did stumble across their website but didn?t save it. If you know the make it may be worth trying to search for them.

[Murmansk]

I'd have thought a multi-tool would be the best thing to use - one of those electric things with a blade that vibrates/rotates a tiny bit at high speed.

[Tim+]

Good idea. Only bought one recently so a good excuse to use it. ;-)

Tim

[newshound]

IIRC that's one of the things I used when I had to do a (sort of) similar modification. Obviously you have to watch out for melting if you apply too much pressure, even with the small amplitude.

[ss]

If the end is weakened you could glue a strap of wood on the inside.

[tabbypurr]

You'd have to get it yellow hot t melt through the glass fibres. I've a feeling he resulting finish would be poor.

NT

[John]

They really are crap aren't they. To make matters worse they bulge into the room and are liable to get damaged.

I once carefully cut one to make way for some pipes. Came to re-fit it and found I had cut the wrong end! I abandoned it and bought a wooden one.

[tim...]

did you cut the right end of that one?

tim