Cutting 7mm plexiglass with the TS75 and Guide rails

[PreferrablyWood]

Anybody done any work with plexiglass with the TS75 and the Aluminun blade? How are the results? Should i cut on a foam board support under the cut would likely be important..

Help!

 

[Stone Message]

I do not have a TS75 but have cut a lot of Perspex (is that the same as Plexiglas?) using my Kapex 120. I found it best to use a low speed as you do not want to melt the plastic. Take the cut slowly and clean up at regular intervals as the chips go everywhere due to static.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[semenza]

I've cut it with the TS55 and Fine blade. Lowered the speed a bit. No problem.

Seth

 

[jkuisma]

I cut plenty of acrylic plastic with the TS55 and aluminum blade, ranging from 3mm to 32mm. The TS55 does a great job, i find that overall it does a better job than a table saw with a plastics specific blade. Experiment with the rate at which you push the saw through the material, watch that you don't push through too fast (the cut edges can chip) or too slow and the edges may melt. That said I don't use it much differently than when I cut plywood except for changing the blade. Use a foam sheet underneath as to support the cut. Perspex and Plexiglass are trade names for acrylic from different manufactures, like Kleenex is a trade name for tissue paper.

Regards
John

 

[Distinctive Interiors]

I've cut plenty of this type of material with both the TS55 and TS75, both with the special Aluminium/Plastic blades. They cut nice and clean, although have a practice on a scrap section first just to get the correct speed setting on your saw and to find the most suitable feed rate.

Here's a picture of a job I did recently, and a picture during installation using the Gecko's....!!!!!

 

[rst]

I use my 75 to cut acrylics and polycarbonates to make store and refrigeration accessories almost daily.  I use an AGE plastics/aluminum blade with better results than I get with my $3000.00 table saw.  I do not slow my blade speed but a trick is after cutting to drag the saw back thru the cut and the material is ready for fusing or scraping.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

Thanks all for the helpful info! I'm waiting for the funds to materialize after my recent buying spree before I spring on the Aluminium/Plastics blade. Also for just this one job coming up I may just get the plexi precut..

One more thing, if the TSC 55 is something I may invest in, I might go with the aluminum blade for that saw as I think for thin material the TSC 55 will be easier to handle, and the splinter guard will work right out of the box...

Cutting plastics and solid surface materials is definitley something that I'm going to be doing though..

 

[PreferrablyWood]

I've cut plenty of this type of material with both the TS55 and TS75, both with the special Aluminium/Plastic blades. They cut nice and clean, although have a practice on a scrap section first just to get the correct speed setting on your saw and to find the most suitable feed rate.

Here's a picture of a job I did recently, and a picture during installation using the Gecko's....!!!!!

Really nice clean work there. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[paulhtremblay]

How timely is this! I just cracked two pieces of plexi glass. I actually cut the length and width with a knife and broke it at the kerf with no problem.

But when I tried to cut a hole with a hole saw, I cracked it. I didn't crack my test piece, and I didn't crack the piece after. So I made three attempts, and two of them succeeded, but neither one of those counted. Boo!

I think the drill rotated too fast when I cracked my piece.

 

[rst]

Cutting plastics, especially acrylics requires a slow steady speed and firm contact with a backer.  Acrylic, especially, should be cut with a scraping action rather than gouging.  Plastics drills are made to scrape and have a 60 to 90 degree point, unlike regular metal of wood drills. It often helps to drill partially through and then flip and finish from the other side.  Small diameter holes should have chamfered edges to help prevent stress.  I use Weldon countersinks for these.

 

[rst]

Another consideration is that if you are planning on edge gluing, you must use a saw cut edge with no sanding or scraping to insure a tight bond.