Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if anyone knew the easiest way to cut 1/8" plexi?
I have some and need to cut it down to make in to sliding doors and the glass shops around here wont gurantee the cuts and the want too much to cut it. Thanks Steve

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Thanks Steve
Owner of:
2.1. Bearded Dragons
www.home.wi.rr.com/stevesreptiles

I believe the best way is with a special acrylic cutting bit for either a router or rotary-type saw.

But for 1/8" I believe the scoring tools should work quite well.

I'm just curious if you have previous success with 1/8" acrylic for doors? I did some research into that and was told that only the best quality 1/4" acrylic would work and even that would have problems. Specifically warping when exposed to thermal gradiants and generally not being very secure. I did not look into it any further due to glass being cheaper and I did not want my Bearded Dragon to scratch it up.

I learned this on some of the private Green Tree Python forums where a few acrylic cage builders hang out.

But 1/8" acrylic sliders would be nice for other projects. Let us know how it works, or has worked, for you.

Thanks Chris, I have used it once before but switched to 1/4" cause my burmese got out.So I dont know how good it will work out.I originaly bought the 1/8" cause I was going to make doors out of wood for the tank and use the plexi that way,but I changed my mind so now that I have it Im going to try and use it for sliding doors.Im hoping that it will be ok it is just for bearded dragons so I dont think I have to worry about them getting out. How has using glass worked for you? What size do you use and do you use tempered or not? Thanks Steve
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Thanks Steve
Owner of:
2.1. Bearded Dragons
www.home.wi.rr.com/stevesreptiles

Hi Steve,

Nice work on the cage, btw. What materials did you use, what is it sealed with, etc.?

It makes sense for you to try the 1/8" acrylic since you already have it. Not that big of a deal to switch over to glass if it does not work out.

I am using regular glass for my 1/4" double sliding doors and am happy with it. I did build a large cage for a friend and those have not worked as well. Part of that problem is because the stand he set the cage on is smaller than the base and has caused the cage to bow slightly.

I have heard of others having good success with 1/8" sliding doors that were "double strength". I'm not sure what double strength means, though.

Regarding the use of tempered glass, I understand there are some potential problems. All involve how the tempering process causes the glass to expand in an unpredictable manner. This can cause size variation which is a problem for double sliders. This is further confounded by the fact that the edges need to be bugged prior to tempering which makes the process all the more inaccurate.

To be fair, I have little first hand experince with this. I have asked for tempered glass doors with edges properly buffed for use in plastic door tracks. I was told it was possible but not easy and not guaranteed.

The material I used was just 6`melamine shelving from Menards,then i just caulked the edges.On the glass that you use do you get the edges polised or are they still really sharp? Thanks Steve
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Thanks Steve
Owner of:
2.1. Bearded Dragons
www.home.wi.rr.com/stevesreptiles

I've used a ton of that bull-nosed shelving from Menards. I don't even want to think about how many 8' pieces I've purchased in the last 12 years.

All of the 1/4" glass is beveled and polished/buffed.

At first it did scratch up the glass track a bit. I switched away from sand substrate and then sprayed silicone lubricant onto the tracks. I also polish the glass edges myself every six months or so. The track has since held up very well, even with that initial damage.

I just looked up double-strength glass on google. Turns out that term is synonymous with 1/8" glass.

I have used the 1/8" plexi on many 2x2x1 enclosures (slide out to one side) and it works great for smaller sized animals, they largest snakes I kept in the 2x2x1's were a couple 4' boas(and if they are installed properly) The way I used it for the 2x2x1 enclosures was I routered a 1/4" groove for the glass to slide in and out of(slightly larger to allow easier sliding) and also routered a 1/4" groove on the side panel without the cut out for the door to go in and out. I then used a dowel piece as a lock in the end to secure the plexi in place.. This method worked wonderfully without a single escape in 2 years total use.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

I personally use a band saw with a small tooth bit size with a board support underneath it (it helps keep it from moving as much and also keeps the blade more secure in place.)

I also have had good success using a fine toothed hack saw in a cutting jig.(when the band saw was not available to use)
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

What are the particular advantages of 1/8" plexi/acrylic vs. glass for your application?

I've not priced them in some time but I recall the cost differences being trival for the 1/8". Not so with the 1/4" as I'm sure you know.

Heres my thoughts on it ..
1/8" as randy said installed in a dado thats deep enough to allow it to set in it deeply and slide one way would be ok as long as its secured or something so it cant be slide/bowed out.

1/8" as sliders IMHO wouldnt work well even w/ 1/8" groves slotted for the tracks as the center between them would be weak due to the fact you would have about 1/8" between doors. Any more and even with that a snake or lizard could get a head between them and easily bow the 1/8" out and be gone . It would also warp more in a larger size

With the glass i normally use a plate glass as the tensil strnegth of the normal plate on 12" doors is strong enough to take a hit from a snake and not break. as far as edge treatments i have my glass man pecil edge the corners on a wet sander so no sharpies arise for cuts and also makes it glide easily in the 1/2" plastic as i mill my own tracks in the plastic unless i go with a KV track setup.

Glass be it plate tempered or safety glass all weighs in at about 2.8-3.0 lbs per sf so the weight of the glass aids in keeping the doors firmly in place where as lighter plexi/ acrylic etc can be more easily lifted or pushed up and out of track if it isnt fitted tightly in the tracks.also with my 1/4 plexi i have a table and a 8 ft guide so i can cut it down w/ a skill saw and a fine blade , then i clean the edges up with a bench planer as it leaves both the plastic and plexi really smooth , if you then want to get real fancy you can do the flaming onthe plexi etc thats where ya "glaze" the edges with a torch and it crates a nice glass like finish to the edges .. this takes a little practice so not to melt or char the edges ofthe plexi but looks really nice when done right.
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Your dead on Alan, a duel door sliding system with the 1/8" will not work at all and would end up costing you a lost animal..
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

The advantages I found other then cost (the 1/8" plexi is dirt cheap compared to glass) I also like the flexibility of the plexi (less easy to break) when opening the door, also easier to modify when I get it home when I find something else to use it for.. (I think I have approximately 5 sheets of it sitting in the snake room for tinkering with..)

And as far as sharp edges I just buff them a couple passes with 320 grit paper and round off the corners when I cut it out..

I think that is all.. (atleast all I can think of for now) lol

Later
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

I use a plexi glass cutter, it's a simple hand held scoring tool with a sharp hook to the cutter blade. Used with a straight edge you get nice quick cuts in just a few strokes. Heavier gauges of plexi you can score and snap like glass. I then use a single edge razor blade to scrap edges smooth and hit with the random orbit sander to further smooth and round off corners. It should only cost a couple or three bucks and can be found in you LHIC look in the tools dept. or the plexi glass dept.
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Hope this helps.

BigT

Are your openings squared off? Are they the same size? I would not use plexiglass at all. I'd use 1/4" tempered glass. Once you install the tracks, there should be enough room for expansion or variation. Measure the openings precisely and have the glass polished as most have addressed already. Over time plexi will haze over. Maybe not allot but enough to look bad. It can also be scratched. I prefer real glass and it isn't to expensive. If you must use plexi, cut it with any kind of saw that moves in the same continuous motion, (circular, table, band). Using a hand saw takes way to long and can be inacurate. A back and forth motion saw (jig, sabre) will cause to much friction and the glass will melt back together. I prefer a table saw for a perfect straight cut. Make sure there is a protective barrier from the table or leave the paper on the plexi until after you cut it.

DZ