plexi edges

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ERIC

ERIC

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Dec 31, 2001
Posts
1,851
Loc
New York's Hudson River Valley
Business
Newburgh Mercantile
Help! I have a Mod type frame made by an artist the allows you to see the edges of the plexiglass glazing.

I need to replace this piece of plexi and the old one has real clean smooth edges.

If I cut it on a table saw, is that enough? Or do I need to polish the edges? How?
 
Use progressively finer grades of sandpaper - depending on the saw blade you use.

It's a pain, BTW.
 
Plastic sheet & tube distributors -- the wholesalers who sell acrylic sheets to fabricators -- sell a tool that looks like piece if 1/16" thick steel, about 10" long and 2" wide, with notches cut into its edges. One notch is triangle-shaped, one is oval-shaped, and one is round. I think the price is less than $10.

This thing works like a draw knife, with the ends plastic-covered to serve as handles. By drawing it along the cut edges of acrylic you can make very smooth, clean edges. And if you want them to be truly polished, you can do the wet-sandpaper trick as Ron described.
 
If you want it smooth and rounded you could use the back side of a hacksaw blade. The none sharp side. Pull it against the side of the plexi torwards yourself. It will round off the sides of the plexi as well as smoothing out the edges.

PL
 
In the acrylic fabricating industry, we use a small butane torch to slightly melt the edge. The technical term is called 'flame polishing'. It works better than any method I have tried, and takes very little practicing to get it right.

Call me, I'll talk you through it.

Or

There is a pdf file on the Cyro site that explains it very nicely.
 
If you have a Dremel in your shop, that job could be easily done with a polishing wheel and a polishing paste. There is a special polishing solution for plexi from your acrylic supplier. Or, you can buy one at the local auto shop.
 
Of cause, you should do each step of the job consequently : cutting-sending –polishing.

Jerry,

We never used “flame polishing”. Could you provide more details on that method? Is it O.K. to use that technique in the woodworking shop environment?
 
MAN! I love this place!

I need to keep the edges as square as possible, but I think with a little practice I can use almost any/all of the above suggestions.

Thanks.
 
Eric, I think if you just go down and borrow Paul's torch for doing his Creme Brulle you'll be set.

Just push the sheet out about 3" overhang on a table top, then play the tip of the flame down the edge. It's kind of a 6" forward, 3" back, 6" forward... you will see the scratched surface "glass" and that is when you move on. It is actually very fast.. I used to take most of the time finding some dumb matches... then I went and go of those micro igniter triggers...

The creme brulle isn't half bad either.... heck on the diet, but tasty. :p
 
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