Cutting Acrylic

I used to cut plastic using the score and snap method. It was a PITA. I now use my table saw and a Freud Industrial combo blade. It's worked very well for both ABS and acrylic sheets. The edges are much better than what I used to get with the score and snap method.

-Peter

I've been told if you reverse your bandsaw blade, teeth up instead of down, that it will cut acrylic perfectly.

As a solid surface fabricator, I do quite a few displays using acrylics of all thicknesses. The best results with Plexiglass, for me, is to use the same blades as the ones I use for acrylic solid surface ( not to be confused with polyester solid surface products i.e. Avonite Studio collection, Formica alloys etc). Royce Ayr Ultima TCG 80 teeth (120 for the 12' version) with a -5 degree negative hook. Amana and BladesLLC have similar blades. I always leave the protective paper on the Plexiglas because I use felt-tipped fingerboards to apply mild pressure on the material because the thinner stuff likes to chatter (not shatter). On the Unisaw, I toss on a cpl of blade stabilizers. The magic words are: sharp blades and major suction on the DC. Hope this helps. BTW, those sawblades are considered General Purpose as well, and they work very well on melamine (I hate that s*it) and Baltic Birch plywood etc. so your investment won't go to waste.

Rob

"Bill Stock"

I'm in the sign business and do quite a bit of that. A triple grind tooth set,

Barry Lennox