Plexiglass/Acrylic Help & Tips Appreciated!

[Jaedena]

Hi All,

I'm in the middle of a costuming project that will include a plexiglass prop. I've gone out and bought my 4'x4' piece of plexiglass, and I'm looking for some tips, tricks or any sort of advice the community can offer on cutting, etching, forming and fastening plexiglass. I've never worked with plexiglass before.

From a logical standpoint, I'm thinking scoring with a box cutter for cutting, heating with a heat gun for bending, but not sure what the best method would be to etch lines in it or stick two pieces of the material together without defacing the join. The plexiglass is transparent neon in color, I'd like the joins to be as clean and sharp as possible.

Any advice is warmly welcomed!

 

[UPSTATENYER]

I worked in an acrylic fab shop for 5 years. For nice cuts and glue joints use a router in a table with a flush router bit. 2 face tape a strip of plastic or wood on the edge where you want it cut, use a strip of thin material between the bit and edge you are cutting. This will leave you with a very small amount to remove in the final pass.

For nice bends you can use a cal-rod type heat source, i know they sell them for sign makers.

For gluing use Weldon #3 in an applicator bottle.

 

[Jaedena]

Awesome, thank you!

 

[ericwong]

Plastic - Bending and Forming - YouTube

good video and bending of acrylic...

ps: that's not my voice..

 

[Talisen]

2 face tape a strip of plastic or wood on the edge where you want it cut, use a strip of thin material between the bit and edge you are cutting. This will leave you with a very small amount to remove in the final pass.

Can you better explain this technique? Thanks.