Plexi Size - ARGH!

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jim_p

jim_p

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Posts
2,151
Loc
Natick, MA
So I got a nice six-piece order: 32x44 frames with plexi. I look up plexi sizes at my supplier, and lo and behold 32x44 is a standard size! I order a case.

Today I start to assemble the frames. Join up the first frame, pull out a piece of plexi, drop it in... and it doesn't fit.

It turns out that the plexi is in fact 32x44-1/8!

I know when I buy glass the sizing is spot-on... is plexi sizing more "flexible"?

grumble grumble grumble...
 
I have noticed the same thing Jim... stinks having to trim them down. plexi does seem to add 1/8 inch, and mats do too. or im just 1/8 off in my head.
 
Tip... measure plexi before cutting frames and adjust accordingly.
A possible reason-signmakers and other plexi users may need allowance when doing edge work?
 
More than 3 decades and I have never received glass that was not accurately sized. Boxed or pallet it has always been dead on.
 
It is always dicey to trust someone else's measurements. I got in the habit of allowing an extra 1/8" on matboards for a while. Then one day, they were sized true and I had a mess on my hands. TV glass has always been dead on. Everything else varies a bit. Same goes for photographs printed elsewhere.
 
There was one about acrylic recently that was a large piece that was oversized. The acrylic is often oversized since the edges are not protected the way glass edges are. The majority of acrylic used is cut with a saw and panel saws are very commonly used so trimming an 1/8" or 1/4" is not a problem.
 
Jeff Rodier said:
There was one about acrylic recently that was a large piece that was oversized. The acrylic is often oversized since the edges are not protected the way glass edges are. The majority of acrylic used is cut with a saw and panel saws are very commonly used so trimming an 1/8" or 1/4" is not a problem.
Click to expand...

I am setup with both a panel saw and a table saw with no-melt plastic blades. I can trim 1/64" (or less) if need be very easily. With a no-melt blade for a cordless saw you can do the same if you clamp a fence to the acrylic.
 
Larry Peterson said:
I am setup with both a panel saw and a table saw with no-melt plastic blades. I can trim 1/64" (or less) if need be very easily. With a no-melt blade for a cordless saw you can do the same if you clamp a fence to the acrylic.
Click to expand...

Got a recommendation for a no-melt blade?

For this order I'm just sending the case back and having the supplier (Don Mar) cut the plexi for me. Six sheets of pre-cut plexi is only a little bit more $$$ than the case, and it gets the job out of my hair already...
 
jim_p said:
Got a recommendation for a no-melt blade?

For this order I'm just sending the case back and having the supplier (Don Mar) cut the plexi for me. Six sheets of pre-cut plexi is only a little bit more $$$ than the case, and it gets the job out of my hair already...
Click to expand...

I think that the Tenyru blades are the best. I buy mine from http://justsawblades.com/ten/plastic_saw_blades.html

I use the 10" Pro Series in my table saw. I have both the 80 and 120 tooth models. The 80 tooth model ( PRP-25580CB) is fine for all but the most critical of cuts. I change out to the 120 tooth model if I am doing something that will have the edges displayed and polished.

The regular series 7 1/4" PC-18560CB is fine in the panel saw for doing rough cuts on 4x8 sheets.

I also have a 4" cordless that I use the 4" PC-10036 model in (although it requires an arbor adapter).

I tried other blades from Freud but liked the Tenyru better.
 
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