What is the best way to cut plexiglass?

Question

I am trying to cut some rectangular pieces of plexiglass for the walls of a small greenhouse box (60"x16"x20). I wanted to know how to ensure a clean straight cut. Thanks.

Answer 1

In my business I have often replaced glass with plexi. A saw certainly can work, but can also split, chip, crack the plexi, besides the blade heating at the cut line leaving residue you'll likely have to sand anyway.

Any good home store should sell a tool for this purpose. The ones I use look like a folding knife with the blade looking a bit like a flat hook. The end of the hook is pointed, and with a framing square, and the plexi taped down, you scribe your straight line, as many times as needed to get at least half way into the thickness, then as you would a piece of glass, put the cut against a sharp corner of a table or workbench and snap it.

The cut will be clean, the line will be straight, and then you should be able to fit it into the frame.

Rev. Steven

You can also use a utility knife, but it will take more caution

Answer 2

How To Cut Plexiglass

Answer 3

These others obviously have never worked with the material and are only guessing. Hand power tools will chip the stuff and may kick it back into your gut. Use a utilty knife run several times over the same line. They sell a specialty hook tool just for this purpose. The Lexan will snap clean. Use with a metal straight edge. I have cut Lexan on a table saw but used a plywood blade. DO NOT USE plexiglas outdoors. It will absorb water and cloud and/or yellow. Spend the money for Lexan. Pennies more.

Answer 4

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I used a fine tooth jig saw blade in a jig saw. Then file the edges for a final fit. My wife dropper her laptop and shattered the Plexiglas covering over the screen. Gateway wanted $400 to repair. I used a fine tooth jigsaw to cut a Plexiglas cover to fit for less than $20. Works fine. On the four sides (away from the L-shaped cutout), you can scribe the lines deeply and break the Plexiglas, just like regular glass. Clamp the Plexiglas to a bench with a hardwood clam along the score line, then break away the unneeded Plexiglas. Use this procedure years ago to make Plexiglas covers for moving map displays. If HD doesn't have the tools or skills, you're on your own. And they may not have the size large enough or thick enough to support its own weight.

Answer 5

I agree with Wolf. The high speed tools will burn the plexi as well as cut and leave a build-up of residue on the edges.

There is a tool that you drag. First make a pencil line. Then hold a straight edge on the line and drag the tool over the plexiglas. After a few times, snap the glas on that cut.

It takes a few practice runs.

Answer 6

Just about any good fine tooth saw will do. Just mark what you want with masking tape and then cut through the masking tape to assure a smooth surface edge. If using a power saw just be careful to wear eye protection.

Answer 7

Home Depot will not cut it for you... if you have a jig saw or a skill you can tape the plastic draw your line and cut.... the tape will help from leaving drag marks on your plastic and helps the raged marks it will leave use a wet sandpaper to get nice smooth edges after cutting.....

Answer 8

they make a plexiglass cutter kind of like a knife with a hook on it you drag it backwards against a straight edge ..hardware stores usually carry them..they are really easy to use

Answer 9

A table saw would be the best. If you don't have access to one use a circular saw. Home Depot may cut them for you as well.

Answer 10

High speed Jig Saw with a fine tooth blade.