Cutting acrylic..

[bobears03]

Can anyone tell me how to cut acrylic? I've tried my jigsaw, with different blades and my Dremmel, with different attachments. Everything just seems to shatter the pane.

[thegrun]

A plywood blade on a table saw works great. For smaller cuts a hacksaw works. How thin is the acrylic, it shouldn't shatter unless it's thinner than 1/4"

[SkullV]

Jigsaw with the finest tooth blade you can find (metal blade). Leave the adhesive paper backing on until the cutting is completed.

[tkeracer619]

If its extruded you will be lucky to get a good cut. Sharp small tooth blades, lots of power, slow cut.

Most of the time you have to go back with a router to get a good edge.

[matgvr]

if you don't have a table saw you can use a skill saw with a 10$ blade from home depot ,it has 160 small teeth,its meant for plywood and plastics. make sure what ever you choose the blade has lots of teeth at 0 degrees, that mean the teeth are all straight and don't tilt in and out at angles ,all teeth are in a straight row . good luck and cut really slow and leave a 1/16 of an inch extra for scraping and finishing edges

[rogermccray]

I cut mine with a Mitre saw

[bobears03]

A plywood blade on a table saw works great. For smaller cuts a hacksaw works. How thin is the acrylic, it shouldn't shatter unless it's thinner than 1/4"

It is the thinnest piece they had at Home Depot.

[JustinGr]

I burn thru mine, for longer cuts, I heat up a wire and melt thru the item, for small pieces, I have what looks like a paper cutter that I get super hot and melt thru it. Less chances of shatter or cracks. Polish the edge of slag and move on.

[bobears03]

If its extruded you will be lucky to get a good cut. Sharp small tooth blades, lots of power, slow cut.

Most of the time you have to go back with a router to get a good edge.

Not really sure what extruded means. As far as the edge goes it's not really a concern to make it pretty. I'm trying to cover my sump top completely.

[Barrier Grief]

Are you using extruded or cell cast acrylic? Extruded tends to either melt or crack when fabricating - not to say it can't be done, but IME, it's much more challenging with extruded. Cell cast cuts nicely with table/jig saw and is easily routed. Like others mentioned, use high count per inch saw blades intended for use on either plastic or metal.

[bobears03]

I burn thru mine, for longer cuts, I heat up a wire and melt thru the item, for small pieces, I have what looks like a paper cutter that I get super hot and melt thru it. Less chances of shatter or cracks. Polish the edge of slag and move on.

I like this idea. Don't they super heat acrylic sections at public aquariums to bind it and take it apart?

[hvacman250]

It is the thinnest piece they had at Home Depot.

What are you using this for? That stuff is way too thin for anything aquarium related.

But the easiest way to make straight cuts is score and snap it like they do there, and like glass is cut.

[hvacman250]

Not really sure what extruded means. As far as the edge goes it's not really a concern to make it pretty. I'm trying to cover my sump top completely.

Ahh, thats what you're doing with it. After a day or two, its going to curl horribly on the edges and be useless. But...if you want to cut it, use a fine tooth blade in a jig saw and keep the section you are cutting close to a solid edge. You will always be moving your piece about to cut into the solid structure youre cutting on. Make sense? The flopping of the acrylic from the blade is what is cracking your piece.

[tkeracer619]

That thin stuff is extruded. And yeah its going to curl up after a short while.

[reefgeezer]

Score it deeply with a utility knife, place the score line even with the corner of a counter, apply a sharp blow to the unsupported side of the acrylic. It will break cleanly at the score line. That's the way Lowes cuts thin acrylic.

[JustinGr]

I like this idea. Don't they super heat acrylic sections at public aquariums to bind it and take it apart?

That I am unsure of, but we do heat it and shape it, the avatar I have
<------ is my racecar and we make the whindshields out of Lexan and heat it to form the shape.

[Dustin1300]

What is it being used for if it's the thinnest they have? Cannot think of a purpose of such thin acrylic in our hobby:)

[ReLPSef]

Circular saw or table saw will do it.

[bobears03]

What is it being used for if it's the thinnest they have? Cannot think of a purpose of such thin acrylic in our hobby:)

Was just going to cover the top of my sump. I wanted to cut out holes and slots and whatever to make it fit every open spot; around pipes and skimmer and the like.

I was not aware of the differences in acrylic. I certainly don't want it to fold or curl.

Anyone have other suggestions?

[sainty333]

I burn thru mine, for longer cuts, I heat up a wire and melt thru the item, for small pieces, I have what looks like a paper cutter that I get super hot and melt thru it. Less chances of shatter or cracks. Polish the edge of slag and move on.

Do you just use a torch to heat it up? or?

[mgargiullo]

I used my bandsaw this weekend to make a cover for a 15 gallon breeder nano. Slow saw, high tooth count... Don't force the cut, let the saw do the work.

[Chondro 5]

Using a jig saw you are unlikely to get straight/clean cuts---as someone else mentioned, you can go the route of using an acrylic scoring knife and a straight edge (see pic). Others are also right in that the acrylic will bow over time under its own weight and from the humidity differential between the top and bottom side. You can fight this by reinforcing the sheet with metal or rigid plastic bars riveted along the length of the sheet.