Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in the process of building some new cages and I need to know what the best way is to cut plexiglass. I picked up a 4' X 3' sheet of .093 thick plexi and I need to cut some 11" X 46" pieces for the window in the door. Can I do this with a circular saw or would it shatter? What kind of blade is best?

Mark

For such thin plastic, they sell a plastic cutting scribe tool. You clamp a straight-edge along the cut line and carefully scribe the plastic to make a small groove. Then you can remove the straight-edge and keep scribing in the original groove a few more times. Then simply snap the piece off. Then sand the edges. Easy and inexpensive.

You might want to experiment on a scrap piece first to get the feel of using the scribe.

They do sell circular saw blades for plastic - the teeth are straight and small. You would have to keep that thin material held down really well or you'll get chatter. Maybe sandwich it between some cheap hardboard pieces before cutting.

Could I use the type of scribe that is used in cutting glass? Or do I need to buy a special one for plastic?

Thank you for the response.

Mark

>>For such thin plastic, they sell a plastic cutting scribe tool. You clamp a straight-edge along the cut line and carefully scribe the plastic to make a small groove. Then you can remove the straight-edge and keep scribing in the original groove a few more times. Then simply snap the piece off. Then sand the edges. Easy and inexpensive.
>>
>>You might want to experiment on a scrap piece first to get the feel of using the scribe.
>>
>>They do sell circular saw blades for plastic - the teeth are straight and small. You would have to keep that thin material held down really well or you'll get chatter. Maybe sandwich it between some cheap hardboard pieces before cutting.

If you have to cut it imo the best way is to use a band saw. I used it regularly cutting plexi when I worked in the air craft industry. But I agree with Mark on the scarring and cracking technique as being the easiest way. Also its the best way to avoid damaging the material.
-----
Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

Hey Mark,

Many professional acrylic fabricators use table saws with special blades or routers. Of course the blades are expensive as are the tools, that's why acrylic stuff costs so much!

Here is what I do for more precise consistant cutting of acrylic with a router. First I make a template of the piece I need to cut out of 1/2" MDF. I check that this template is perfectly square and the correct size then I clamp my acrylic to the top of it and leave a little to overhang around the edges. I use a router with a laminate trim bit to cut the acrylic flush with the MDF on all sides. That's it. I know that seems like a lot of extra steps but it comes out the same every time.

For material that thin I also vote for the scribe and snap method. Personally I never work with acrylic thinner than 1/4"

For future reference on blades... The best flush trim bit is an Upcut Spiral Flush Trim Bit made by Whiteside. It can be bought online for about $30 and the best saw blades are made by General Saw. They have a whole group of carbide blades just for cuttng acrylic. If you have any other questions about it... shoot me an e-mail!

Good luck!
-----
Sean Bradley
Owner : EbN
www.ExoticsByNature.com
www.BallPythonMorphs.com
www.BoaConstrictorMorphs.com
www.CornSnakeMorphs.com