Replies

1. 
   makita | Feb 14, 2004 11:56am | #1

   Herm,

         plexi almost comes with masking paper or, plastic film, adhered to both sides. Leave it on while cutting and drilling and right up until you install it in your cabinet. ON a table saw ,use a very sharp, fine tooth blade and a moderate feed rate. When you drill it, back it up with wood and hold the sheet down as it will want to climb the flutes of your bit as you break through the far side,and if allowed to do so,will probably crack when it hits the chuck. Practice drilling on scraps until you get the feel of it. To finish the edges, you can join it or sand it. When you peel the masking, make sure that the sheet is warm, at least room temp. as it will come off much easier. To clean plexi, use an OLD 100% cotton T-shirt and a plexi cleaner such as Brillianize or, in a pinch, Armor all. 

                              Hope this helps,

                                               Chris
1. 
   foghorn | Feb 14, 2004 10:27pm | #4

   I will be using a lot of plexiglass over the summer to repair inserts for a screened in porch. The only place local to buy the stuff is HD and their supplies are usually pretty limited.

   Would you know any reputable suppliers that ship in 4x8 sheets say at 1/8 or 3/16 thickness?

   Thanks for any suggestions.

   PS I'm in NJ

1. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 14, 2004 11:12pm | #5

   Curbell Plastics is a large, reputable supplier.  I haven't bought for home, but at the manufacturing plant where I work we buy from them all the time.  They can get almost anything that exists in plastic.

   http://www.curbell.com/plastics_branch.html

1. 
   foghorn | Feb 15, 2004 12:58am | #6

   Many thanks for the feedback

2. 
   JohnWW | Feb 16, 2004 11:13pm | #7

   Mike,

   Any metropolitan area will have a wholesale plastics supplier, probably a few in fact.  Look under plastics in the Yellow Pages.  You may find that they'll cut the plastic to size for a nominal fee, which is usually more than worth the savings in time and trouble.  Even with the right tools cutting up plexi is no fun.

   Be aware that plexi shrinks and expands far more than glass, if the old panels were glass the rabbets and method of attachment probably aren't going to work well for the plexi panels.

   John W.

   Edited 2/16/2004 3:53:52 PM ET by JohnW

1. 
   jackplane | Feb 17, 2004 04:41pm | #8

    To drill plex without chipping successfully, you need to remove the rake angle on the drill bit edge by grinding or honing. This ensures a clean cut.

2. 
   foghorn | Feb 17, 2004 09:11pm | #9

   thanks John

2. 
   Ejc | Feb 14, 2004 02:25pm | #2

   Herm,

   I have cut a lot of plexi for display boxes over the years.  So far I have found Freud's blade to be great for cutting the stuff, I believe it is their LU94. if you only have one oor two cuts, maybe you doont want to invest in it ( I think it was around $80.) but if your going to work with plexi in the future, It will be very helpful.  As far as the edges , you can sand or profile them with a router, as mentioned in the other post, always leave the paper on till the end.  Also as far as drilling, go slow ( with the feed) if your using a twist bit, I have found spade bits to work very well, and not be "grabby".

                    Good Luck.....          Eric

3. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 14, 2004 04:31pm | #3

   Spade bits work well, as do brad point bits.  Both are better than standard twist drills.  Slower speeds so you cut through and not melt through.

   You can't assemble in any way that puts tension in the holes, so the holes have to be clearance holes.  You can't drill them undersize like you can with wood, and you can't use flat head screws because the taper under the head will wedge the hole open and crack the plastic.  It helps to use fiber washers under the heads and tighten only gently.

   If price will allow, polycarbonate is much more resistant to shattering than acrylic.

4. 
   Agee | Feb 18, 2004 07:45am | #10

   Plexiglass is very hard and brittle.I have used Lexan with great success in the past.It is much easier to machine FWIW.The local suppliers will have it.

   Mike Agee