How To Trim Acrylic Sheet

For best results use another tool like the earlier mentioned table saw to cut your acrylic roughly before getting a more exact finish with the router.

How to trim acrylic sheet.

If you want a straight cut in a thin acrylic or polycarbonate plastic sheet up to inch thick reach for a simple utility knife then follow these steps. To cut acrylic sheets start by marking the line you want to cut using a ruler and a permanent marker. All you need is a thin acrylic sheet a straight edge that is longer than your cut clamps and a scoring knife. Then score the line using a plastic scoring blade using the ruler as a guide so your line is straight.

Once you ve scored the initial line go over it a few times with the blade until a groove forms. For a thin sheet of plexiglass that is material up to about 3 16 inch thick use a scoring method not dissimilar from a technique used to cut actual glass. Fit a circular saw or table saw with a fine blade with crosscut teeth to prevent chipping the piece during the cut. Line the plexiglass sheet along the cut line.

Next repeat on the opposite side of the. Be sure to use a compressor to keep the sheet in position to avoid chipping and more time needed to polish the cut. How to cut acrylic by hand. Lay the sheet on a flat surface and.

Using solvent based glues on laser cut extruded acrylic can cause cracking due to the internal stresses from temperature differences in the acrylic. To guard against cracking place the acrylic on a flat sheet of glass in a shop oven not the one in your kitchen at about 180ºf 82ºc for about 1 hour per mm thickness then let them air cool. Clamp down the straight edge on the cut line. Clamp the plexiglass sheet to the work surface for stability.

Cutting acrylic by hand is the easiest way to go for a beginner who isn t familiar with power tools.