Anyone got a suggestions for cutting 6-8mm thick perspex

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Carlow52

Established Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
191
Reaction score
1
Have access to a load of post covid screens which will need to be trimmed. The ens pieces wont be that big but useful for a glass house: i might end up with 200 plus pieces so need to be able to cut at scale.
Nothing on youtube gives me confidence.
Thanks as always
 
If its normal perspex then band or table saw no problem as long as you keep it guided and firmly bedded down on the table as you cut, or it gets snatched and can break
 
Don't use the skill saw. The blade spins very fast and you have a good chance of melting the plastic. If you have a fret saw or fine tooth pull saw (Japanese type) this would be better.
 
I think it would be worthwhile borrowing, or taking it to a table saw .

I cut up quite a bit of perspex/acrylic a while back.

I ran a piece of twelve mm plywood across the table top and fixed it to form a zero clearance, then cut the perspex like it was wood, I didn't feed it too fast and it worked perfectly
 
I ran a piece of twelve mm plywood across the table top and fixed it to form a zero clearance...

As you say, some sort of zero clearance setup is useful, as perspex can chip when the blade tooth exits the material. Masking tape along the cut line is a minimum example of this.

An air blast to remove the chips rather than mix and melt them back into the cut is a good idea.
 
Have access to a load of post covid screens which will need to be trimmed. The ens pieces wont be that big but useful for a glass house: i might end up with 200 plus pieces so need to be able to cut at scale.
Nothing on youtube gives me confidence.
Thanks as always
I'm a total newbie here. I've recently cut some 4mm perspex. For shed windows. Slightly smaller than 300x300mm. Accurately and without mishap.

I used a sliding mitre saw with a Saxton "fine wood" 255mm 80T blade.

My perspex cut

I chose this from the various methods used on YouTube - mainly because of the blade. A table saw I'm sure would be fine as well, and I do have a table saw as well - but the important thing is that you need a decent blade fitted - not a 32T or 40T blade as fitted to my table.

You can also use the "score" method and break the perspex off at the score by clamping the score line to the square edge of a solid table and using a firm straight edge clamped on top of the perspex. I was hesitant to do this myself because it looked "risky" - although I have no firm evidence that it would be - and it seemed a dependable technique when used by the expert!
 
The problem may be the lack of protective covering, perspex when bought new has a plastic protection film on both sides, sliding bare perspex across a table/band saw or running a skill saw up it will scratch the surface, may be an idea to put some kind of backing onto the face, cut edges can be chemically polished.
 
I've cut loads of this type of perspex here, I just use a handsaw, you get a pretty good cut that can easily cleaned by scraping with a sharp Stanley blade
It hand planes not too bad either, but I just hope for all our sakes that they don’t need the screens again sometime in the future.
Ian
 
It hand planes not too bad either, but I just hope for all our sakes that they don’t need the screens again sometime in the future.
Ian
Same here, I've still got the clamps but I've used all the sheets of acrylic 🤪
One thing I did notice is that where I drilled any hole ended up with tiny internal cracks around the drill hole
 
As as plastics distribution company we used to stock and cut ICI Perspex (acrylic), though that was long ago I still regularly cut a fair bit of plastics in general. I'm still using some of the scrap and sample materials I gleaned all those years ago. :)
Just a couple of points....

You can cut acrylic quite easily on a standard table saw 6 to 8mm will be fine, thinner sheet is best with a backing sheet of ply, hardboard or MDF. It's recommended you use at least a 60 to 80 tpi blade and you'll get far superior results with a negative rake type. The same applies to a hand held circular saw but you have to be extremely careful as any deviation and it will jam, a track saw is far superior. As said if no paper / plastic protection sheet then you need a backing or it will scratch (not with a track saw though).

We did all our main cuts on a large wall saw with smaller cuts on a standard table saw and intricate cuts with a bandsaw and occasionally a router. Sharp tooling and don't go too slow or you'll melt the plastic. PPE is essential as chips are sharp and hot!

Yes you can plane edges though a flat file is just as easy however don't put your fingers under the plane or file as acrylic edges can be as sharp as glass. The edges can be polished with micromesh and buffed or flame polished with a little practice.

Stig mentioned cracking around drilled holes, these are stress cracks and there are ways to relieve and mitigate those. There used to be some good handouts from ICI to the trade for working practice which may still be around and worth checking as well as other manufacturers as well as distributors such as Amari Plastics.

LASTLY. You're a lucky so and so to get your hands on a stash like that. :ROFLMAO:

EDIT
I assumed the sheets are cast acrylic, extruded handles a bit differently. If you aren't sure just inspect the surface carefully and you will clearly see extrusion marks if it's the latter.
 
As as plastics distribution company we used to stock and cut ICI Perspex (acrylic), though that was long ago I still regularly cut a fair bit of plastics in general. I'm still using some of the scrap and sample materials I gleaned all those years ago. :)
Just a couple of points....

You can cut acrylic quite easily on a standard table saw 6 to 8mm will be fine, thinner sheet is best with a backing sheet of ply, hardboard or MDF. It's recommended you use at least a 60 to 80 tpi blade and you'll get far superior results with a negative rake type. The same applies to a hand held circular saw but you have to be extremely careful as any deviation and it will jam, a track saw is far superior. As said if no paper / plastic protection sheet then you need a backing or it will scratch (not with a track saw though).

We did all our main cuts on a large wall saw with smaller cuts on a standard table saw and intricate cuts with a bandsaw and occasionally a router. Sharp tooling and don't go too slow or you'll melt the plastic. PPE is essential as chips are sharp and hot!

Yes you can plane edges though a flat file is just as easy however don't put your fingers under the plane or file as acrylic edges can be as sharp as glass. The edges can be polished with micromesh and buffed or flame polished with a little practice.

Stig mentioned cracking around drilled holes, these are stress cracks and there are ways to relieve and mitigate those. There used to be some good handouts from ICI to the trade for working practice which may still be around and worth checking as well as other manufacturers as well as distributors such as Amari Plastics.

LASTLY. You're a lucky so and so to get your hands on a stash like that. :ROFLMAO:

EDIT
I assumed the sheets are cast acrylic, extruded handles a bit differently. If you aren't sure just inspect the surface carefully and you will clearly see extrusion marks if it's the latter.
Not too sure exactly what my sheets were but it kind of had a rubber-like feel to it if that makes sense, fine toothed hand saw produced a good clean cut as long as I didn't go too quickly and generate heat and bind the blade
 
Not too sure exactly what my sheets were but it kind of had a rubber-like feel to it if that makes sense, fine toothed hand saw produced a good clean cut as long as I didn't go too quickly and generate heat and bind the blade
Possibly PVC which can feel a bit rubbery though not the only one. Some of the different plastics were most easily identified by burning a corner and sniffing it. Elf'n'safety wouldn't be amused these days. :ROFLMAO:

I'd forgotten some of the differences but it's coming back now I have a 3D printer.
 
Back
Top