Tips of the trade
Q. How do I cut and drill acrylic and polycarbonate?
A. Acrylic and polycarbonate sheet can be drilled using commercially available power driven equipment, such as portable drills, drill presses, lathes, or automatic multiple-spindle drilling units.
Drill bits manufactured specifically for plastics work best when drilling acrylic and polycarbonate sheet. Metal working, high-speed twist drill bits can be used with some minor modification. These drill bits are made to bite into metal when pushed. If used as is, metal working drill bits will chip acrylic sheet and they must be reground in order to scrape instead of biting or gouging the sheet. Alternatively, older drill bits that have seen a bit of work and aren't’t too sharp on the corners may suffice.
When drilling, hold the work piece firmly or clamp it to the worktable. Backup the piece being drilled with MDF or plywood to prevent chipping or blowout of the bottom surface. This allows the drill bit to continue into solid material as it penetrates the bottom surface. Allow the bit to enter the material using a slow feed rate. Slowing the feed rate as the bit exits the bottom surface prevents chipping.
As this material is subject to expansion and contraction it is important to allow at least 1-2mm of clearance around the fastener. It is important not to allow the thread of the fastener to be hard up against the sheet particularly if the material will be used in an application subject to vibration.
Panels can be cut using power saws or jigsaws fitted with aluminium or other fine toothed blades.
Q. Which plastic is which?
A. Choosing the correct plastic for the job is vitally important. It could be that presentation is the main reason or it might be strength and durability. We can help you in your choice of material to give you the best result but here is a little bit of information which will help with your selection.
ACRYLIC - (commonly known as Perspex) is available in clear from 2.0mm thick through to 20.0mm thick. It is also available in a full range of colours in 2.0mm & 3.0mm thickness. Acrylic is ideal for all types of fabrication where an eye-catching product is required. Clear acrylic is ideal for featuring your product without taking away from the product on display. Plasweld stocks clear and coloured acrylic sheet 2440mm x 1220mm in a variety of thickness.
POLYCARBONATE - looks very much like acrylic but is virtually unbreakable. Available in clear, rom 1.0mm through to 12.7mm thick. Polycarbonate is ideal for machine guards, external sign boards and window replacement in caravans, horse floats, loaders and excavators. Polycarbonate can take impact from rocks and other flying objects and is rated as being 250 times stronger than standard glass. Plasweld stocks clear and tinted polycarbonate sheet 2440mm x 1220mm in a variety of thickness.
PVC - available in white, grey or clear from 2.0mm thick through to 20.0mm thick. Excellent for making tanks for water or chemical storage, grease traps, or any construction where a sturdy product is required. Plasweld stocks clear, white and grey PVC sheet 2440mm x 1220mm in a variety of thickness.
POLYPROPYLENE (PP)- available in beige or black, PP is ideal for fabricating any items used in food production areas. It is one of the most chemically resistant plastics and is commonly used for battery cases, laboratory sinks and chemical storage tanks. Plasweld stocks black and beige PP sheet 3000 x 15000 in a variety of thickness.
POLYETHYLENE (PE) - PE is another very versatile food grade plastic. Commonly used for everything from water tanks to canoes, wheelie bins to garden furniture. PE comes in various grades with the most common being High Density (HDPE). Like PP it can be bent, formed and welded into a range of shapes. PE is perfect for customized water tanks, chopping boards and wear strips. Plasweld stocks black and white HDPE sheet 3000 x 15000 in a variety of thickness as well as UHMWPE.
ABS - ABS is often used in the automotive industry for body parts, motor bike fairings and dashboard components. It can be bent, formed, welded and glued.
Q. How do I clean acrylic and polycarbonate?
A. Acrylic and polycarbonate can be cleaned with a 50:50 mix of methylated spirit and water and a very soft, clean cloth. Never rub off dirt with your hand or with a dry cloth - always rinse or hose of all obvious dirt and grime before you apply a cleaning agent. Avoid any cleaner that contains ammonia.
New acrylic sheet can be protected by a proprietary product such as VuPlex (available from Plasweld). NEVER USE PETROLEUM BASED PRODUCTS ON POLYCARBONATE.
Q. What is acrylic? All the guff on acrylic (Perspex) right here!
Cast acrylic is a really versatile and useful plastic which is commonly used as an alternative to glass. Available in clear or a range of tints, colours and finishes, acrylic can be shaped and formed into many different applications and products.
Many items that we come into contact with on a day to day basis are made from acrylic. Aircraft cockpit windscreens and aircraft windows are all made from acrylic. So too are commercial aquariums, bank teller screens and even the bullet proof capsule on the Pope-Mobile!
Acrylic has many advantages over glass in that it is:
- around 18 times more impact resistant
- has much better thermal insulating properties
- is generally lighter than glass
- can be easily cut, drill, shaped, glued and routered
- is easy for DIY insulation
- is much safer - it won't shatter as glass will
- has great UV resistance
- incredible light transmission of around 93%
- fantastic sound dampening properties
- light scratches will often buff out
Around the home you may find many uses for acrylic including:
- shower screens and doors
- splash backs
- weather proof screens for pergolas and outdoor entertaining areas
- double glazing
- display cabinets
- cubby house windows
- covering up those little louvered windows we often find in the toilet
- doggy doors
- light boxes
- sky lights
- aquariums
- reptile boxes
- protecting the fly screen door from scratching pets paws
- replacement windows for tractors, ute canopies, earthmoving equipment and boats
- backboards for basketball hoops
- machine guards
- menu boards
- notice boards
- sneeze guards
- displays for your products at farmers markets
- quilting tables and so on..........................
Q.What is polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate is another clear thermoplastic not too dissimilar in appearance to acrylic. One of the better known brands of polycarbonate is Lexan.
Rated at up to 250 times more impact resistant that ordinary glass of the same thickness polycarbonate has many uses including aircraft windows, motorbike windshields, machine guards and bullet proof windows.
Being a thermoplastic it can be formed however, for the DIYer it can be much more difficult to work with than acrylic. The main reason for this is that polycarbonate is hydroscopic. That is, is absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and when exposed to heat in the forming process this moisture can rise to the surface of the sheet causing bubbles to appear. For this reason many professional vacuum formers avoid polycarbonate and use hi-impact acrylic instead.
One way to get around the hydroscopic tendencies of the material is to pre dry it before attempting to bend it. This can be done (with care) in an oven or under a heat lamp.
Polycarbonate is lightweight and extremely strong and is commonly available in thickness from 1mm to 12.7mm. It can be purchased from Plasweld in full sheet sizes of 1220mm x 2440mm in general purpose, UV resistant 2 side and scratch resistant grades.
English as She is Spoke! Do you know what opaque means?
Many customers contact us and ask for opaque acrylic to use in a skylight. Really, opaque material in a skylight would defeat the purpose as, according to the Macquarie Dictionary opaque is defined as "not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through". What customers should be asking for is translucent acrylic.
We carry a range of translucent opal coloured acrylic specifically for use in skylights, light boxes etc.
