How do you cut acrylic so it has smooth edges?

[FutureInterest]

I've cut a bunch of acrylic in the past with my circular saw or my table saw and even my dremel... but I either end up chipping the crap out of it or melting it. It's still usable and I use a bunch of weld-on 16 to make up for my cutting deficiencies. However, I finally ran into an application where I need to learn the art of cutting acrylic smoothly. I need 17 inch strips of acrylic that are 1.75 inches thick and I need them to look pro for once... Any suggestions?

 

[mockery]

Never tried it be i here a bench jointer works. Or maybe some type of plainer?

 

[seedless reefer]

I get Chuck Norris to cut mine.



Actually, I cut mine with a plywood blade on a circular saw.

Might be a good time to revisit melevsreef. I think he uses a table saw.

 

[casper75]

First off get an acrylic cutting balde for your saw. Second you can use a jointer to smooth out the edges once they have been cut.

 

[grouper therapy]

I use a joiner. But if you don't have access to one then use a router to cut the acrylic it will give you a much smoother joint than a saw. Even if you cut the acrylic oversize then run the router down the sides using a guide

 

[savingnemo754]

Use a blade with 80+ teeth on it then make sure that you cut it a little long and use a router with a flush cutting carbide bit to trim smooth. You will end up with a professional finish this way. If you have a little chip you can clean it up with the router. Oh Yeah and a table saw does work best.

 

[jade76]

jin, I use a LAMINATE TOOTH blade on a table saw...It cuts it smooth as butter. Any HD or Lowes carrys them ....also, make sure the depth of your blade is just a hair over the width of the acrylic, the less blade surface you have making contact with the acrylic the better.

 

[FutureInterest]

Excellent suggestions everyone and amazing response times! Bravo and Thanks!

 

[casper75]

Jin
I have all the tools here if you want to come down sometime and make some cuts

 

[FutureInterest]

Gratzi. Too far though but thanks for the offer!

 

[fish scales2]

And to get a crystal clear finish when you are done a torch will do wonders. I will be more than happy to show you.

 

[FutureInterest]

Hmmm... I've got a blow torch on hand and a table saw. I'll pick up the special blade and give it a whirl this weekend.

thanks again guys.

 

[james s_]

Just make sure you use Mapp Gas to flame polish!!!! Just in case you did not know that already. Any blade with 60 teeth or more should work fine Jin. Good Luck!

 

[fish scales2]

James S.;302613 wrote: Just make sure you use Mapp Gas to flame polish!!!! Just in case you did not know that already. Any blade with 60 teeth or more should work fine Jin. Good Luck!

Thanks James, I could have messed him up on that one.

 

[schwaggs]

IME, even with an 80 tooth carbide blade, the edge of the cut is still not perfect. If you are glueing them together, glue them together 1/16th long and clean it up with a flush cutting or 1/4" round-over router bit. If you aren't gluing the pieces together, you will need to hit the edges with a router or jointer to smoooth them out and then hit them with a torch for the glossy finish... I have a jointer and/or router/bits you can use if you need a place a little closer...

 

[FutureInterest]

What would non-mapp gas do to the acrylic? I just have a cheapo torch I got from wallyland to do some plumbing work a few years ago. Are those things typically mapp gas?

Thanks Jon, I may take you up on that!

 

[casper75]

one thing to rember when heating acrylic is you have to keep it heat source moving if you keep it in one place for a sec to long you will mess the acrylic up.

 

[mojo]

The only true way to get a perfect cut is to use a router with a spiral cut bit, like this:

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They make upcut and downcut bits, depending on if you have a plunge router or a table router.

After it's routed, hit it with the torch. The trick to the torch, or so I'm told, is that you have to start with perfect cuts to begin with.

I've got a couple of both types of spiral cut bits if you want to borrow one or two.

 

[FutureInterest]

hmmm... there are lot more methods of cutting acrylic than I thought...

thanks for the offer!

 

[mojo]

Once you see how well it works with a router, you won't use anything else - table saws are very crude in comparison...