The long and short of it is, make sure you know what you are about to cut is plexiglass before you run it through your table saw. They are softer than plexiglass and may require some experimentation before you get the hang of which blade and how quickly you feed your sheets through your table saw. Polycarbonate sheets can be cut with power tools such as your table saw as long as you take some extra care. Polycarbonate acrylic sheets are another type of plastic sheeting that you can buy. The benefit of extruded acrylic sheets is that they can be molded using heat. This type of sheeting is best brought down to size via the score and snap method. You’ll find the cast acrylics tend to cost a significant amount more than others.Įxtruded acrylic sheets are another type of acrylic these tend to be softer and have much lower melting temperatures and as such these shouldn’t be cut with power tools at all. They are hard and can usually be cut with a table saw without melting providing the right saw blade is used. The most important item is a special blade that’s designed to cut through plastic materials.īare in mind not all acrylic sheets are the same, so you need to make sure that what you intend to cut is plexiglass, as some acrylic sheet’s can’t be cut on a table saw without significant melting.Ĭast acrylic sheets these are what most people think of when they think of plexiglass. Things you’ll need for Cutting Plexiglass with a table sawĬutting plexiglass with a table saw will require a few extra supplies that you wouldn’t normally need if you were cutting wood. Plexiglass is popular to use in the place of glass as it does not shatter or crack.įor this reason it’s also the ideal material to use for greenhouses – the plexiglass lets in the optimum amount of light that plants need, but is still a robust material that can withstand rough weather conditions. Test the pressure you apply - cutting too slowly can melt acrylic and applying too much pressure can chip its edges.This is why you have to choose the blade you’re going to use with care and you also need to saw with care. Take care to avoid flammable lubricants or aerosols as these are a fire hazard. You can do this with water, air mists or soluble (oil in water emulsions) oils.
If a smoother finish is needed use dedicated acrylic cutting blades for jigsaws and circular saws.Īcrylic starts to soften at 80 degrees C so use coolants to keep heat build up to a minimum while you’re cutting. A 0-5 degrees rake angle which will give a rough finish. If you choose a circular saw, the optimum blade speed is 3000m/min and make sure the teeth are closely spaced (0.8-1.6 teeth per cm). Be sure to allow the blade to stop before withdrawing from the cut. Use jigsaws with metal cutting blades of reduced depth and sharp teeth (5-6 teeth per cm) - use the finest blade you can.
Circular saws can be used on acrylic sheets of all thicknesses. Jigsaws can be used on acrylic sheets upto 6mm thick. Power saws such as jigsaws and carbide tipped circular saws are suitable choices. Don't force your cutting - you're likely to generate heat which will melt the acrylic. A sharp blade and a smooth feed is the way to go. Use a length of 1 - 3 wood to distribute the clamping pressure and act as a guide for your cutting. Step 3 - Cutting acrylic sheets thicker than 4mm Press downwards on the piece that's beyond the edge of the table until your acrylic sheet snaps. When you're satisfied with the scoring, firmly clamp your acrylic sheet with the edge of the table directly beneath the score. Keep going in both directions and ideally also score from both sides of the acrylic sheet as this will make the eventual snap easier and the break cleaner. Start by scoring around 1/8th of the way through your acrylic sheet. More than one scoring pass is the way to go. If you are cutting sheets thinner than 4mm simply choose a very sharp scoring tool. Step 2 - Cutting acrylic sheets thinner than 4mm Begin by clamping your acrylic sheet to your work surface with a straight edge so it does not flex or move. Leave on the film which covers and protects your acrylic/perspex until you have completely finished cutting. And, remember - gloves and safety glasses too for this job:)
If you are contemplating how to cut plastic or cutting perspex at home, read our helpful step by step guide before you start. Cutting Perspex or Acrylic can be done at home using saws which you might already have.