[sdiy] plastic front-panels?

[Dan Gendreau]

> i hadnt thought that drilling plastic would be more
> difficult than aluminum!  i had imagined it might chew
> the plastic up a bit.  ill need to do alot of
> experimenting first.  ill look for carbide tips too.
> my college has a pretty nice machine shop, but i might
> get some static for drilling pink plastic.  eh...

I did a little work with drilling plastic when I built my MAME cabinet from
scratch (OT: Mine looks similar to:
http://home.neo.rr.com/martinko/mame2.htm).

The stuff you probably should use is Lexan. Its a bit more expensive than
Plexi glass, but its higher density, more scratch resistant and it has a
higher melting point (it drills easier).

The problem with drilling plastic seems to be heat. If the plastic gets too
hot, it melts and then sticks to the bit. Then the next thing you have is
shattered plastic(if it solidifies ans seizes) or a big gooey mess instead
of a clean drilled hole.

I didnt use any special drill bits, but I would highly recommend that you
use a drill press if you can and clamp the lexan over a 2x4 at the spot you
are drilling. A nice finishing effect is to paint the inside surface of the
Lexan using spray paint.

-Dan Gendreau