Plexiglass: what to cut at home

At home, it is very rarely necessary to cut Plexiglas. Usually such work is performed by specialists in workshops. However, this skill can be useful in everyday life. After all, sometimes there is a desire to make your own hands a vase, an aquarium or a small decorative table. So, the subject of our review is plexiglass. Than to cut such material?

Material Features

Not everyone knows what Plexiglas is. What to cut it at home and what features does it have? First of all, plexiglass has the performance characteristics of durable plastic, and also looks like ordinary glass. This material is transparent. However, unlike glass, he does not fight.

Thanks to such properties, Plexiglas became popular. What to cut it in everyday life? In this case, not everything is so simple. The material itself is strong enough. Plexiglas has been widely used. After all, in some cases it is dangerous and problematic to use ordinary glass. Processing material can be almost all available methods. However, there are some nuances that should be considered when working with plexiglass.

Laser cutting of plexiglas

How are products made of plexiglass in production? As a rule, a laser is used to cut this material. This is the most convenient method. However, it can not be used at home. Thanks to a thin laser, you can make an exact cut. In this way, even small parts of future products are usually cut out. However, this method of cutting has certain limitations: a laser beam creates a high stress of the material. In the future, individual parts can not be glued together.

Cut out products from Plexiglas can only be in industrial conditions. If necessary, contact the appropriate organization for assistance. The main thing is to make all the drawings in advance. Also it is necessary to select an experienced master.

Plexiglass: what to cut?

In some cases, the saw can be used. It can be tape or disk. The last type of saw is designed for a straight section. The seam turns neat and clear. As for the band saw, it is suitable for the manufacture of blanks. Cut such a tool with clear edges is unlikely to work. To make the surface smoother, it is recommended to use a milling cutter.

It is worth noting that this method of cutting Plexiglas can be used not only in production, but also at home.

Special equipment

Products made of plexiglass are cut with a high-speed tool. This allows you to get a smooth and high quality seam. The speed of such equipment can be up to 4 thousand revolutions per minute. After that, the plexiglass undergoes additional machining.

However, do not forget that this material has a low thermal conductivity. As a result of cutting at high speed, edges can quickly heat up. In some instruments the "Plexiglas" mode is provided.

Will get a hacksaw for metal

If you need to cut plexiglas at home, you can use a hacksaw for metal. This is the most accessible tool. However, this method has a serious drawback: the cut location remains rough and rough. To eliminate such a defect, additional processing is required. To smooth the cut location, you usually use sandpaper or a file.

Cut plexiglass

Methods of cutting plexiglass at home can be completely different. Someone uses a hacksaw for metal, and someone uses a cutter. In fact, this tool is a saw with only one tooth. To cut the plexiglas, you need a metal ruler of a certain length. This tool must be placed on a sheet of material in the place where it needs to be divided. After that it is required to make a cutter along the ruler.

When the slice reaches ½ the thickness of the sheet, you can stop, and then gently break the material. If defects appear, they can be smoothened. For this, it is necessary to treat the edge of Plexiglas with sandpaper. If desired, the cutter can be made independently of the emery cloth. Some experienced craftsmen use glass for cutting plexiglas. This method requires reliable protection for the hands.

Using simple tools

If cutting plexiglas with a laser is an expensive pleasure for you, then it is possible to cut the material with improvised materials. Very often for such work use a nichrome thread. Before cutting, it must be heated. This requires a transformer, whose power is 24 watts.

As a result of simple manipulations, you can carefully cut the plexiglass. The heated nichrome thread simply melts the material. This allows you not only to cut the plexiglas, but also to cut out the curly details.

Also, some masters use a slotted screwdriver. This option is suitable for cutting plexiglass at home. The material is usually pressed with a screwdriver face. The tool must be held at the very edge of the handle. After that, the blade of the screwdriver is heated with a soldering iron, whose power is 25 W.

Plexiglas should start to melt. The tip of a screwdriver simply draws a line at the point where there should be a cut. After that, the plexiglass breaks easily. To get a straight line, you can use a ruler made of metal or a saw blade without teeth.

In addition to the above methods, it is possible to cut Plexiglas with a milling cutter or a circular saw. The thickness of the blade in this case should not be more than 1 mm. It should be noted that during the cutting process, smoke may appear. In this case, the edges of the material are often foamed due to the temperature increase due to friction. This can be avoided. It is necessary to cool the working surface of the tool.