[sdiy] arcrylic panels - other methods

[James Husted]

on 8/24/01 1:43 AM, Scott Evans, Gen Mgr at esresource at earthlink.net wrote:

y to mount it on the box in such way that you can hide the edges...
> 
> For fine finishing of rough cut edges on production work, use a torch fed by
> hydrogen and oxygen (acetylene will NOT work, too dirty). This makes a very
> smooth
> edge on the material. The torch should move about 1 foot per second.
> 
> This material will ignite, but it is not fast burning.

A much safer method is to use toothpaste and a buffing wheel or cloth. Get
the chalky type of toothpaste (not the gel type). I used to do allot of
plexi sculpture and this is how you get the mirror edges. It take time but
the chances of messing up and ruining you work is much, much less. A drill
with a polishing pad is the best for fast jobs. Use allot of paste, it's
cheap. You can even buff out scratches with this method (go by hand on the
front surfaces).

 As for bending etc., always use electric heat (no flames). After a few
minutes in a open oven (let the fumes out), you can bend the stuff like
paper till it cools. You can do small stuff in a toaster! I've made bending
jigs suspended over space heaters and they work great too. The best is to
get the elements from an oven or grill, and make a single long line with
them (insulate and focus). Then you only heat the sheet where you want to
make the bend. Much sharper edges result.

Always use drill bits with a plastic pitch to them if possible, bits for
soft metals will work also. Wood drills will shatter edges. Go slow and work
up to the size you want.

A finishing saw is the best. The smaller the teeth the better. Band saws
also good. Worry about heat gumming the works (you will see the plexi melt
while cutting). Most of the real Plexiglas wholesale houses sell drills and
saw blades also. Just do a Google search on Plexiglas, you'll get hits like:
http://www.allstartools.com/Sawblades30.html which sell Plexiglas saw blades
and stuff like that. I used to just look up Rohm & Haas in  the yellow
pages. They used to be the big gorilla in Plexiglas.

So much for Plexiglas 101. If you need more info, contact me.
-James

-- 
James Husted
The ErsatZ Planet
james at ersatzplanet.com
www.ersatzplanet.com