Well really I don’t mean to ask about working with Lexan per se, as I’m sure it’s very similar to wood. Really what I’d like advice on is the type of material to buy. I stopped in a plastic manufacturer by me in LIC and the sheister tried to sell me a sheet of bulletproof lexan (1/2″) for $350 or a sheet of acrylic for $210. I’m thinking in the $30-50 range, I see display cases made of the stuff all the time, there’s no way that they’re paying big money for a crappy display case for soda or something. . . what I’m getting at is: What is the name of a material that is clear (relatively) and is sold of thicknesses of 1/2″ at a reasonable price? Plexiglass? When I think if that I think of 1/8″ sheeting. . . Thanks as always.
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Replies
Jimbo--See McMaster Carr and this part number for a 48" sqaure sheet of Lexan
http://www.mcmaster.com/
part number 8574K83
Alan
You can get plex from 1/8" up to 1", and it will be a lot easier than lexan. It is harder, that is more brittle, but easier to work. Lexan and poly-carbonate are a lot tougher, but easier to scratch, and more expensive. They will also kick your butt from kick-back if you don't have the right blade, and well aligned fence, with preferably zero-clearance insert.
Cope plastics is a big distributor if you need a source.
"Lexan and poly-carbonate are a lot tougher, but easier to scratch"I'm confused. If lexan/polycarbonate is tougher than plexiglass/acrylic, doesn't that mean that lexan would be more scratch resistant?___________________________________________________________________
It is noble to teach oneself, it is still nobler to teach others -- Samuel ClemensSteve
Plexiglas is harder. Hardness comes at the expense of brittleness, so it will break like glass, sort of. It also comes in SAR, scratch and abrasion resistant,
Plexiglas is a brand name of acrylic. Lexan is a brand name of polycarbonate. They are very different materials.
Acrylic is the less expensive of the two. It is what you'd find in a hardware store as plastic window sheet. It is easy enough to cut, but is brittle and can crack if mishandled or around screw holes. Polycarbonate has 30 times the impact strength of acrylic. It is the material sports helmets are made of. Bullet proof glass includes layers of polycarbonate. It is easy to work with. In fact it is easier than acrylic because you won't be able to crack it. At work we've even cut 1/8" polycarbonate on a hydraulic sheet metal shear. Trying that with acrylic would shatter it.
Half inch thick material of either is going to be pricey. It will be much higher than the price you imagined. Polycarbonate is incredibly tough, do you really need ½"? Here is a commercial supplier who can cut to size for you. http://www.curbell.com/plastics.php3
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