How to cut Plastic Sheet

[mrjimmy2o9]

How do I cut your clear polycarbonate sheet 3/8 inch(9 mm) thickness? I see that you sell blades at your store but it doesn't say if it can be used on polycarbonate or if it can which blade is best for 3/8 inch polycarbonate. I'd have tap plastics cut it for me but their charging extra for every straight 45 degree cut I want.

[tapplastics]

@mrjimmy2o9 The blades we carry will cut acrylic and polycarbonate equally well.

[jkmac407]

How would you cut the plastic for specific shaping? Jigsaw I would imagine?

[tapplastics]

@jkmac407 Either a jigsaw or band saw will work. If you use a jigsaw, be sure to provide good support to minimize vibration. We place a piece of 2" Styrofoam under the plastic and then cut through both. The Styrofoam supports the plastic and does not dull the blade.

[gvxrlole]

This is a great video -- covers a lot of options. One thing I'm curious about: I need to straight cut a ⅛" thick polycarbonate sheet. Would the scribing and breaking method work for this? Seems like polycarbonate is more inclined to bend than break.

[tapplastics]

@gvxrlole Scribing and snapping 1/8" material can be done, but it is a challenge.

[DetroitIsland]

Hey guys! Another tip for you:

If you want perfect cuts in your plastic, plexiglass or acrylic you can also use a ceramic tile circular cutting wetblade like the Skil wet tile saw, Model# 3540-01 to cut your rectangles and a bearing backed bandsaw for your various shapes.

Thanks again TAP; see you in MichIgan!

[suha514]

Tap Plastic - you have the best videos.

[llJorgelI]

Thank you TapPlastics for the in formation! It will come to great use for my summer projects!

[malibu78321]

I'd like to make a black acrylic frame, similiar to that shown in the video "Fireplace - Large.m4v"; seems a suitable task for a DIY beginner. Which approach should I take: have a retangular portion cut from the center of a plexiglass sheet or construct the frame by gluing 4 border pieces?

Thanks to your tutorials, I'm very excited about starting my new acrylic creations hobby!

[tapplastics]

@malibu78321 I tried loading that video twice with no luck. You are choosing between cost and appearance. A solid piece with the center cut out would give the best looking finish but you are buying more material. 4 border pieces are less expensive however the butt joints will show. 

[woshigepro]

what kind of hand saw works better? because the one i am using is hard to saw.

[tapplastics]

@woshigepro Handsaws are not very effective for cutting plastic. If the material not too thick, try scoring and snapping. Otherwise use a very fine tooth saw and carefully support the plastic, but even then, you will not get a good edge.

[woshigepro]

@tapplastics thanks for the information. =)

[redxile666]

How can I cut an acryllic sheet into circles if I only have stuff like exacto knifes to work with?

[tapplastics]

@redxile666 An Exacto knife will not do it. Order the circle directly. It will not be much more expensive than the plain plastic, and it will be perfect.

[phillipk]

at 3:48 you say "straight rectangular cuts" are free of charge. Gee, I just paid $12 for 12 pieces cut to 4"x 0.5".

[tapplastics]

@phillipk If you order pieces cut from our material, there should be no extra charge for straight cuts. If we cut your material or material from the 'cut-off bin', there is a cut charge.

[twisted2cj]

this is awesome thanks tapplastics

[0urGaia]

Love the laser, so precise and fast. Very informative thanks

[LoriliLee]

If u have all this equipment u probably know how to do this

[1995brendan1995]

If i were to cut a eight of an inch of acrylic using a plywood saw, would it cause harm to the plastic?

[tapplastics]

@1995brendan1995 If it is a sharp fine tooth blade, you might get some melting. There might also be some chipping, but good technique/practice can minimize that.

[wrenchaholic]

@tapplastics

yes i tried my first cutting today with a metal fine tooth blade and it remelts together and chips like glass....will try with the 10 teeth per inch.

[jowlly]

amazing

[fly2000jtb]

where is tap located? are you a company supplier only? cool video. gave 5 think you know what you are talking about for sure!

[tapplastics]

@fly2000jtb TAP is located in California, Oregon, and Washington. You can find our locations on our website.

[lunadiety]

thank you for your video, it was easy to understand and i learned a few things.

[Box0Rain]

This is a great professional tutor. Especially learned something with the stryrofoam tip. Thanks! 5/5*

What teeth # would you recommend for cutting 1/8" acrylic with a jig saw so there is no micro cracking or worse?

Thank you if you can reply.

[tapplastics]

Use a jigsaw blade with 9-12 teeth per inch. If you can blow cold air (with a compressor or shop vac in reverse) on the plastic as you cut, this will help cool the blade. A band saw or table saw can give you better results.

[TwinTutorials]

could you use a fan to cool it

[tapplastics]

Yes.

[TwinTutorials]

Ok cool i think my dad has a jigsaw

[TwinTutorials]

i need to cut a curved piece is it possible to do that with utility knife

[tapplastics]

For very thin material this could be possible. It's not recommended for thicker material.

[blueboar1986]

Does the acrylic knife work for 1/4" thick acrylic? You said 1/8" in the video but have 1/4" in product description.

[tapplastics]

Depending on the length of the piece you are trying to 'snap' 1/4" can be done, but not particularly easily. You will need to experiment. We generally don't recommend that thickness for that method, but that doesn't mean someone can't do it.

[eliasbaez69]

is it possible to use a dremel rotary tool?

[tapplastics]

It depends on what you are trying to do with that tool. The Dremel I am familiar with is good for engraving or light grinding/sanding, but not for cutting. A tool like a Roto-Zip is more powerful and can be used for cutting, especially for curved cuts.

[tetramincolor2000]

can you cut them with a box cutter

[tapplastics]

You cannot cut through the plastic with a box cutter.  But, you can scribe the plastic and then snap it to make the cut. You will need to make several passes with the cutter before your snap the plastic.

[TheLittleWorldofGaz]

hi i need to cut several reclangual with cureved edges (but not oval) is there anyway i can do this at come without a lazer it need to be in the center of the peice about 5 mm high each

[tapplastics]

You can cut curved pieces with several tools, including a band saw, scroll saw, and a saber saw. You can also use a router or a Roto-Zip type of tool. To cut out the center, drill a hole first, then insert the blade of the saber saw, or the router bit through the hole and start cutting.

[willyjones7]

how would one make a hole starting in the middle

besides using a laser

thanks!

[tapplastics]

There are several methods. The simplest is to use a Forstner drill bit for a simple circle cut-out. For larger holes, you can use a saber saw, router, or Roto-Zip tool. First drill a hole in the area to be cut out, big enough to put the blade or bit through.  Then, Insert the blade or bit and begin cutting.

[happysingerinoz]

can I fit a blade to a tile cutter to cut plastic? Ive cut strips using the diamond wheel fitted as standard and its ok but the finish isnt as clean as I would like... would that wheel work better or ok if I drop the wheel/motor as it sticks half way out at the moment?

[tapplastics]

You would probably be better off with a fine tooth blade that fits your tile saw. Lowering your blade might help since that will produce less friction on the plastic.

[NipkowDisk]

Outstanding! My brother told me about TAP Plastics and there's a store about 1.5 hours from me. He said nothing but good about you folks and so I know where I'm going for my plastics needs! Please keep these excellent videos coming and posted!

[gutobach]

I wanna find something to cut polyethylene.

- 0,50my to 0,90my

The package that I produce it´s like a box, so needs to be a horizontal cut.

Somebody help me.

[thinkableslinky]

do u have any stores in the south east of england?

[seneca67]

This company rocks! special note: Always use a guide on a table saw.

[robopanther]

T-t-t-t-tap. Tap. Tap plastics.

Tap. Tap plastics. The fantastic. Plastic place!

[rde24]

excellant!