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03-20-2007, 10:33 PM
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#1 |
Name: Jerry City: Salisbury State: NC County: Rowan Join Date: Feb 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 6.88 over 180 days |
Have a notion to use 1/4" plexiglass to make a dust port for my jointer. Has anyone had experience cutting plexiglass? What I have cut on the bandsaw or table saw chipped a lot on the cut line, not to mention the fusion from heat.
I will be cutting a 6" diameter hole--------think an adjustable circle cutter in the drill press at low speed will work successfully? 
Jerry
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03-20-2007, 10:40 PM
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#2 |
Name: David City: Pittsboro State: NC County: Chatham Join Date: Oct 2005 Age: 52 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 3.69 over 180 days |
Originally Posted by walnutjerry  Have a notion to use 1/4" plexiglass to make a dust port for my jointer. Has anyone had experience cutting plexiglass? What I have cut on the bandsaw or table saw chipped a lot on the cut line, not to mention the fusion from heat.
I will be cutting a 6" diameter hole--------think an adjustable circle cutter in the drill press at low speed will work successfully?
Jerry That would work I am sure. I have had great succcess with routing the stuff as well. 3" rad is right on the edge for the circle cutters; I would probably make an Mdf template and route the circle.
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David
"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea" Bernard-Paul Heroux | |
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03-20-2007, 10:41 PM
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#3 |
Name: Jim M. City: Wilmington State: NC County: New Hanover Join Date: Mar 2007 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 6.18 over 180 days |
Jerry,
Try using the heavy blue painters tape on the cut lines. I use plexi once and awhile when I'm carving fins for fish. It'll cut down on the chipping. Jim
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03-20-2007, 10:43 PM
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#4 | | Webmaster
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Name: DaveO City: Clayton State: NC County: Johnston Join Date: Aug 2005 Age: 38 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 7.00 over 180 days |
I have cut Plexiglas by scoring it with a razor knife and snapping it over a straight edge. But I've only used 1/8" stock before. I have cut other plastics like Lexan with a circular saw with the blade reversed. I think that your plan for cutting the hole with a circle cutter at slow speeds will work as good as anything. Another option might be a scroll saw with a fine blade also at a slow speed, although that might be more difficult to get a perfect circle.
Dave 
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Honestly Honey, that will cost around $100 $150 $200, and I need a few more tools. 
Heard from a client..."If I had your tools and experience...I could do it myself" 
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03-20-2007, 11:46 PM
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#5 |
Name: Mark City: Goldsboro State: NC County: Wayne Join Date: Mar 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 5.87 over 180 days |
From my experience, Plexiglas (methacrylics) can be cut with a fine tooth band saw or scroll saw also. They are brittle and any binding while cutting or drilling a pilot hole will cause chipping. If using a scroll saw or jig saw, it is best to sandwich it with scrap plywood to reduce any vibration caused by the reciprocating blade. Lexan (polycarbonate) can be cut with metal shears as well as a variety of saws. It is far from brittle.
An advantage of Plexiglas is that you can smooth/clear up the edge with heat or glue it with acetone. Polycarbonate does not react well to acetone as it turns it milky.
Go
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03-21-2007, 12:10 AM
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#6 |
Name: Jerry City: Raleigh State: NC County: Wake Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 47 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 6.96 over 180 days |
Have used Rotozip-type saws and router with upcut spiral bit with very good results. Less cleanup than any other method I've tried. HTH
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Jerry
If mistakes are opportunities to learn, then I must be in graduate school!
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03-21-2007, 06:37 AM
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#7 |
Name: Rick Herrell City: Pilot Mountain State: NC County: Surry Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 56 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 0.08 over 180 days |
Plywood blade on a circular saw. I run an electric sign shop and that's what our crane truck crews use in the field to trim plastic sign faces.
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Rick
Pilot Mountain,NC
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03-21-2007, 07:39 AM
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#8 |
Name: Michael City: APO State: AE County: ARMY Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 31 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 3.89 over 180 days |
in theory a if you used a circle cutter that was sharp, maybe tape up the top with blue tape it should work. let us know if it goes
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03-21-2007, 01:45 PM
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#9 |
Name: wayne City: Mocksville State: NC County: Davie Join Date: Sep 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 2.88 over 180 days |
Jerry
We're located in Davie county and should'nt be to far from you depending on where you're located in Salisbury figure out exactly what you want and get with us and if its not to big (12x18 ) we can cut it on the laser for a small nominal fee.Give me a shout 336-782-6201 if interested. Nice crisp edges.
Wayne
Last edited by chris99z71; 03-22-2007 at 11:04 AM.
Reason: take smiley out...again.. :)
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03-21-2007, 07:35 PM
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#10 |
Name: Jerry City: Salisbury State: NC County: Rowan Join Date: Feb 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 6.88 over 180 days |
Originally Posted by wayne Jerry
We're located in Davie county and should'nt be to far from you depending on where you're located in Salisbury figure out exactly what you want and get with us and if its not to big (12x1  we can cut it on the laser for a small nominal fee.Give me a shout 336-782-6201 if interested. Nice crisp edges.
Wayne Thanks for the offer Wayne--------I may end up taking advantage of that. I am going to try the circlle cutter on the drillpress first and see what happens. Call it continuing education  .
Jerry
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03-22-2007, 10:52 AM
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#11 |
Name: Todd City: Hillsborough State: NC County: Orange Join Date: Nov 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 0.70 over 180 days |
I'd sandwich the plexiglass between two pieces of scrap pine board or such. That's what I did when I cut some. Not only did it drill no problem, I could also cut the corners off on a chop saw.
Todd | |
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03-24-2007, 06:54 PM
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#12 |
Name: Jerry City: Salisbury State: NC County: Rowan Join Date: Feb 2006 Avg Visit Freq/Week
= 6.88 over 180 days |
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions for cutting the circle in plexiglass. I was all set to try a combination of them. I found my circle cutter (probably had not used it in 5 yearts or more), and guess what----it will not expand to cut a 6" diameter  . 4" is the limit. So back to the old reliable plywood.
Jerry
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