In case you use a blunt blade, not only will it take a longer time for you to cut, it also cause potential damages to yourself. Once you've scored the initial line, go over it a few times with the blade until a groove forms. Cutting plexiglass requires patience. For a sheet which is thicker than 0.125 inches, you should use a circular saw for the best result. Thickness of Lexan: In case a sheet of Lexan is thin and fragile, you should use a utility knife. Lexan is also known as Polycarbonate. You can cut with tin snips , smooth with a plane and sand round corners. Proceed to cut the line without forcing the saw. You can also use Lexan as a layer to add extra insulation to a wide range of items, from your corrective lenses, protective windshields and bottles. Follow the lines that you have marked on the sheet of Lexan slowly and steadily to avoid wobbles and unclear cuts. You should always protect the Lexan with a cloth, clamp it in place, and use the right circular saw blade. If you bought a windshield that's too high, you don't need to send it back, you can cut it down to size. Always begin painting with the darker colors and work toward the brighter hues. Here on, mark the cut line of the sheet by scoring the plastic with the help of a knife. You can cut Lexan with a circ. Make straight cuts with a circ… Cutting Lexan can be quite similar to cutting a cement board. If you choose to use a band saw to cut, make sure you secure it properly as well. Warmer paints evaporate faster once they land on the surface. Follow all of the steps on cutting Lexan for different tools and I am sure that you would be able to have very clean and smooth cuts from Lexan. Set the polycarbonate material on a cutting platform, as described in step 3 above. Dave Lehnert. Copyright text 2020 by DIY Blog - Woodworking, Plan. Last but not least, it can be easily bought from many stores with a very affordable price. I hope with all of the guides and useful tips above, you would be able to choose the most appropriate tool for your projects. Score the Lexan four to six times until the blade begins to get into the center. Thanks to the nature of the plastic, it is quite easy to cut Lexan with various types of tools. If you will be cutting the plexiglass freehand, do not use any cutting guides. Then, score the line using a plastic scoring blade, using the ruler as a guide so your line is straight. Best Battery Chainsaw In 2021 – Top Reviews & Comparison, How to Fill a Raised Garden Bed for Cheap Cost, Best Contractor Table Saw 2021 – Reviews & Comparison. Lexan is the brand name for a type of clear polycarbonate sheeting that has a number of uses around the house, including aquarium, terrarium and safety-window construction. You’ll achieve very good results if you use a tool such as a circular saw or table saw as well. What is Allium and How to Take Care of It? Therein lies the finesse of cutting plexiglass, especially curved cuts with a jigsaw. On top of that, the material is cheap and less fragile than others. Lexan cuts really nice, just make sure you keep the cutter moving, if you sit in one place too long you will still melt. This tool is also suitable for cutting other unique and original pattern. If you learn how to cut it now, you will see that this will be really useful for your next projects in the future. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Proceed to cut the line without forcing the saw. Remember to clamp down your sheet securely when you cut with a jig saw. Whatever your purpose for using this versatile material, you now know how to cut Lexan effectively. For other tools, you don’t have to press the blade too hard into the sheet of Lexan. Lexan can be cut with almost any saw, but problems arise if the wrong blade is used because of heat build-up and Lexan's low melting point. If you’re thinking to yourself “it sounds like I shouldn’t cut too fast, and I shouldn’t cut too slow”… well, thats exactly right. Except, instead of wood fibers or particles, or even fiberglass mesh, you will be cutting through a lightweight plastic. If you need to cut Lexan, you can use any power tool to cut a piece of this plexiglass material to the size that you need. You should also place another stable and flat board underneath the piece of Lexan if you don’t want the tool such as the utility knife to cut through the working table and cause scratches on the surface. It also has a high optical clarity. Score your cut line on the material with a knife. These steps are applicable for all of the tools that you are going to use to cut Lexan. Straight cuts can be performed by using a circular saw. If this is the case, why not provide the highest quality polymers and plastics? You will need to cut it to size for specific projects at work or at home. Start your circular saw and let it reach full speed. Make sure that the blade that you use is the sharpest. Tip: Instead of drawing the cut line on the sheet of Lexan with a pencil, you should use duct tape to cover the line that you intend to cut. For thicker Lexan, you can use a hand shears. How To Cut Lexan Polycarbonate. Step 3 Turn the tool on to 6 or 8 and begin the cut. Learn how to cut plexiglass so the process becomes safer and cleaner. Learning how to cut acrylic sheet can lead to near-limitless application possibilities. Remember—do not cut deep because you only need to create a simple cut line, nothing more. Steps To Take Before You Cut The Sheet Of Lexan With Different Tools: How To Cut Lexan Using A Pair Of Hand Spears: Follow The technique of cutting Lexan is a lot similar to cutting cement board. It is a type of lightweight plastic that you can use for various DIY home projects, construction projects as well as backing board. If you’re thinking to yourself “it sounds like I shouldn’t cut too fast, and I shouldn’t cut too slow”… well, thats exactly right. I got a piece of lexan to try to protect my scope better (I am currently using 3 layers of packing tape, a suggestion by the owner of the field), and I dont know how to cut it. Place the painted Lexan in an area that is warm. Acrylic and Lexan, a branded name for polycarbonate sheeting, are both durable and flexible materials, often compared to one another because both are transparent and both stand as two of the most frequently utilized types of see-through plastics.Acrylic and polycarbonate both weigh half as much as glass and yet both plastics are much more shatter resistant. Step 2: After that, you can push the sheet into the saw. When you need to cut Lexan, you can essentially treat it as a sheet of plywood and cut it with any power saw you would use for that material. @https://twitter.com/michaelbaker018. In addition, based on your need to have straight cuts or curved cuts, you also need to choose the tool accordingly. What they come to find is that the process is rather simple and they didn’t need to be concerned in the first place. How to Cut LEXAN. Adjust the saw speed so the blade is moving at approximately 12,000 strokes per minute. This reduces the risk of bleeding or running. One trick to help prevent splintering is to stick painter's tape over the cut line. Steps . Make sure that the blade that you use is the sharpest. Is anyone setup to cut thick Lexan? Too much or too little pressure will lead to the cracking of the sheet of Lexan. saw with "Chunk Carbide" blade, it will work. Diyhouze.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. While it is a common material, many people struggle to learn how to cut Lexan. 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