# How do you cut Acrylic Glass?



## Reaper941

As it states up there folks ^

How do you cut Acrylic Glazing??

The Acrylic sheets you get from Wickes, Varying from 2.5 mm - 6 mm. Wickes have stopped cutting them :bash: so I'm forced to do it myself.

The scoring over and over with a knife method doesn't work efficiently.

I've heard if you score it once or twice then pour a small amount of lighter fluid down and light it, It snaps really easily.

I know a very fine tooth blade would be needed for a saw, i.e Jigsaw, etc, etc.

How would you go about cutting it? If I can do it right, It'll save me a fortune. :mf_dribble:


Cheers!


----------



## o0oTonyo0o

Score it with a stanley and snap it, or you could use a hack saw but it leaves the cut edge a little rough.


----------



## Reaper941

Tried these, It's meant to work but.. Well.. Any flex at the cutting plane and it just shatters. That's what I've found so far.


----------



## o0oTonyo0o

Works for me mate : victory:

I've only just read your post, the lighter fuel thing looks interesting, i've never heard it before but it makes sence.

I cut some 6mm clear plastic for my shed windows about 3 weeks ago, cut it with just a stanley and a bit of 2x1 as a straight edge, score it hard and deep, I bluntened (sp¿) both sides of the blade on each cut, as long as your line goes about halfway through the perspex you will be good to go IMO.

I'll be watching this thread for better/easier methods though.


You could always try heating it a little with a paint stripper or something before you go for the snap, that should reduce the chances of it shattering in your face.


----------



## Reaper941

Yeah, I thought about using the Heat gun method. I'll give it a shot and let you know, Thanks! :2thumb::no1:


----------



## o0oTonyo0o

When you snap it i rekon you should do it like this....














Have the cut facing the ground, and raise the sheet off the floor with a coupla bits of wood or something... Don't try just bending it over in mid air...:2thumb:



Like my Paint skillz?


----------



## Graham

You need a special scoring blade, it works much better than a standard Stanley cutting blade, like this...









Score the sheet, then place the score along the edge of a table, place a length of straight timber on top and press down hard to stop the sheet flexing as you crack it.

If you use a jigsaw then a brand new medium blade is better than a fine tooth one, fine tooth blades tend to get very hot and start to melt the plastic rather than cut it. Also use a blade that cuts on the down stroke, not on the up stroke, and make sure the sheet is well supported close to the cut line.

To get a nice smooth edge afterwards scrape it with a sharp Stanley blade rather than sanding it.


----------



## Reaper941

Ta very much guys, You've just saved me a fortune. :notworthy:


----------



## eeji

I've always scored it and snapped it, never had a piece shatter yet


----------



## Vase

You could just get a wife that operates a cnc machine and a flame polisher, like I did...lol

But, I've found the thread helpful for when I have to do it myself, so cheers :2thumb:

I also find that very fine sandpaper is good for smoothing the edges. I made this last week or so, all out of acrylic. Its for mantids...


----------



## essexchondro

> You could just get a wife that operates a cnc machine and a flame polisher, like I did...lol
> 
> But, I've found the thread helpful for when I have to do it myself, so cheers :2thumb:
> 
> I also find that very fine sandpaper is good for smoothing the edges. I made this last week or so, all out of acrylic. Its for mantids...


That acrylic set up looks great. Can I ask what size each enclosure is and how you get access to them? I'm thinking that something like that would make a great display piece for 4 baby chondros :mf_dribble:


----------



## Graham

We have a lot of ours laser cut at work now, cuts and polishes all in one go!


----------



## Vase

essexchondro said:


> That acrylic set up looks great. Can I ask what size each enclosure is and how you get access to them? I'm thinking that something like that would make a great display piece for 4 baby chondros :mf_dribble:


Each 'section' is roughly 6" wide x 9" deep x 8.5" high. Ideal for some species of mantids. Made it to fit on the shelf. The front has a section thats fixed in place with velcro. Dont know if I'd trust it with snakes but for mantids its ideal. : victory:


----------



## Reaper941

Vase said:


> You could just get a wife that operates a cnc machine and a flame polisher, like I did...lol


Haha, I can't teach the OH to do that, I can operate a CnC machine but I don't have access to one. :bash:


----------



## retri

Think This should become a sticky, very useful, I didnt want to risk attemting anything like this, but my local glazier wants £70 for 2 doors and runners for a 3ft gap.....

Now I have read through the thread, think I am going to attempt cutting my own Acrylic:2thumb:


----------



## Graham

There are a few places on eBay who do acrylic cut to size for quite reasonable prices if you don't want to risk cutting your own.


----------



## MariaW

It also cuts easily on a bandsaw if you have one or know someone who has, then you can sand the edges. A jigsaw tho is too slow and just melts the two edges back together.
MariaW


----------



## start-up

cut it using the laser cutter in the workshop, when the tech is busy or if i cant be assed writing and exporting a programme to the the machine then we score with blade and take a fine brush and coat along the length of the score mark with acrylic solvent which turns it almost plastic allowing for it to be bent into shape or cut all the way through using a scoring blade. Need to apply cleaner/neutraliser afterwad sotherwise results in discoloration of the acrylic. 


M


----------



## [email protected]

*Cutting acrylic sheets*

Try using a mount board cutting tool 90 degree and rule. The arcylic sheet must be clamped down to firm base (sandwich between plywood and board). Scar the arcylic with the cutting tool keeping straight line until half way through the sheet. Unclamp sheet, move half cut edge and place on line of underboard/plywood. Reclamp using top board ontop of the cut edge. Push arylic sheet down from cut edge. It works :2thumb:


----------



## Paulusworm

Scoring method works for me. Score half to two thirds of the way through the thickness of the sheet. Place the sheet on a table so that the scored line is level with the edge of the table. Place a sheet of hardboard over the bit on the table then sit your 4 year old son on the hardboard and give the overhanging bit a sharp shove down. 

The child bit may present a problem for some but, hey, gotta use what's around you.:lol2:


----------



## AreBee

if it is splitting and shattering you are not scoring it properly / enough.

there are special bldes usualy known as 'P cutters' which someone has already posted. but there is something much easier to obtain which does the same job. in fact you will most likely already have one.

if you have anny of those retractable / snap off blades, have a look at the corners. I've googled and googled for images and this is the best I can find. All of the snap-off blades I've come across have a much deeper cut in them than this one and it is usualy on the 'back' of the blade ( the end with the hole in)










it's this cut out shape on the back of the blade which works best for scoring / cutting acrylic, perspex, poly carbonate, lexan etc etc. 

you need to score the material using a ruler, and a very light touch. simply resting the usual sharp side blade on the surface is enough. drag it along a couple of times to give you a straight line. flip the blade over to the cutting edge descibed abov and then start adding pressure to form a deeper score line. once this line is formed. continue to score with more presure. just go easy at first so you dont go off the line and scratch an area you dont mean to. 

the aim is to create a chanel, remove material from the acrylic. using the sharp edge of the blade will not do this. it will just force the material to one side, creating pressure and stress which will cause cracks. when you score the material correctly you will see large spirals of plastic coming away from it.


----------

