cutting plastic?

[drache]

does anyone here have experience with cutting that thin hard clear plastic the critter keepers are made off - #6 in the US
what could I cut it with - don't want it to crack it

[Lori P]

Rhea, you don't have one of those rotozip tools do you?? It's like a drill but it spins much faster than a regular drill, so it cuts that kind of brittle plastic better. Jamie said a regular drill with a tiny bit will probably still splinter the plastic... do you just need a hole? Could you heat/melt it?

[Stefan-A]

What about a large hole, about 4" in diameter? How do you cut one of those?

[drache]

not a hole
I want to cut it to fit into an opening
thankfully I need a rectangular strip, and after some experimenting earlier, I think what will work is to score it with a sharp blade and then to pop off the unwanted pieces by supporting the main part along a ledge and giving the rest a good downward whack
I just need to take the time to set up the first few scoring cuts, so the plastic doesn't slide around under the T-square - some sticky stuff . . . hm

[infernalis]

A Dremel with a saw blade works great.

[drache]

I want a dremel - I do
and a table saw
and . . .
oh - I just figured out what to do with that leftover 2x4 - I'll make myself some saw horses
meanwhile I just wanted to fix the hinge on Mikhaila's bedroom door, and found that I needed to chip out an entire ledge of paint in the door frame - some rotten wood too
so my plastic project got put on hold
but I'm still going with the scoring and breaking approach, given the tools I have

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

hmmm... I was going to suggest a soudering iron... but that wont work to cut :rolleyes: the plastic

[infernalis]

hmmm... I was going to suggest a soudering iron... but that wont work to cut :rolleyes: the plastic

There is a cutting tip, it looks like an exacto blade, clamps into a soldering iron for cutting plastic.:D

[drache]

There is a cutting tip, it looks like an exacto blade, clamps into a soldering iron for cutting plastic.:D
will have to check that out

[infernalis]

Not sure where to get one, used them in art class, it holds an exacto number 11 blade in a heated handle.

We sculpted all kinds of plastics with it.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I use soldering iron to cut plastic, just normal tip, but gentle pressure and move slowly!

[drache]

well
the scoring and breaking worked well, but it does leave a less than smooth edge
once I cement it in, nobody'll know
it'll serve as a barrier to keep the substrate in a tank that's set on end for an arboreal tarantula

[person365]

Sawzall try that

[bsol]

Sawzall try that

the reciprocation on a sawzall is too great... I used my band saw and that thing cut 3/16" lexan clear plastic w/o any issues. It has a really nice cut too!
a skill saw would work as well.

[reptile3]

rhea so now you have your Christmas list ready!!! Things you need around the house...:D:D:D

Dremel
Sawzall
skill saw
table saw
soldering iron
exacto number 11 blade

[NetBSD]

i always use a Dremel with a simple cutoof wheel on it, nice slow speed and afterwords just run over tyhe edge with a sharp knife to remove any burs

[drache]

I want the dremel, the table saw, and a glue gun (guess I can get the last item on my own budget)
I also would like my father in law to find my industrial belt sander and help me put a new blade on my circular saw

[tyflier]

Most wood burning tools have a detachable tip for large or small work. One tip that is available is a sharp, X-Acto style blade. This things heats up and cuts hard Lexan like...well...a hot knife through Lexan, actually. It's cool 'cause it gives you a nice, crisp, clean cut without having the ragged edges associated with cold-cutting plastic.

Just remember that the fumes are incredibly toxic. Do it in a well-ventilated area, or, better yet...outside.

[person365]

rhea so now you have your Christmas list ready!!! Things you need around the house...:D:D:D

Dremel
Sawzall
skill saw
table saw
soldering iron
exacto number 11 blade

just ad a power miter saw and a smaller diameter circular saw and and replace the soldering iron and exacto blade with dewalt impact driver and drill (18 volt) lol... oh yeah remove the burrs with a rasp. it is a lot safer