Acrylic Perspex is a type of acrylic sheet that has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in engineering, lighting, construction, and manufacturing. It’s so fashionable now that it’s being used by amateurs as well as DIYers!
Acrylic is quite simple to work with as long as you know how to cut it correctly (although experts like Simply Plastics can get this done for you!). With a little perseverance, you can get excellent results.
How to score and break acrylic sheets
If your acrylic sheets are thin (less than 5mm thick), you can cut them with a sharp scoring tool rather than using any power tools.
You will require:
- Ruler/Set-square
- Marker pen
- Scoring knife
- Clamp
- Solid flat surface edge
Step 1: Sketch your desired design.
To begin, pick out the location where you want to cut the acrylic. Using a marker or grease pencil, draw a straight line along your selected lines.
Step 2: Score according to the criteria
To prevent the panel from shifting while scoring, fasten it to a flat surface. The acrylic’s surface should be scored with a scalpel after the glue has dried. Run your scoring knife along the marked line, using your ruler as a guide, to make a thin groove in the acrylic. Continue doing this until you’ve carved out an even deeper hole in the acrylic.
Step 3: Break off the scored edge
Place the scored line on a solid surface, facing up. A workbench or tabletop is ideal; just make sure it’s clamped down. Push down on the overhanging edge with a quick sweep of your hand to snap it off. The crack will spread through the acrylic sheet as it bends, deepening the groove. You’ll have two pieces of acrylic perspex with fairly straight and clean edges when you’re done!
Remove any large debris, dust, and lint from the surface of your drumhead. If necessary, you can sand these edges later in this article.
How to hand saw acrylic sheets
You will require:
- A hand saw with a tiny-toothed blade (24/32 tooth is ideal)
- Ruler/set-square
- Marker pen
- Clamp
- Solid flat surface edge
Step 1: Make a drawing of the guideline.
To begin, make yourself a cutting guide by drawing a line on your workpiece. As you may expect, you can use acrylic to mark the line you wish to cut.
Step 2: Place your acrylic in position.
Place your acrylic on a solid surface and hang the piece to be cut over the edge. Clamp down the acrylic to the solid surface to keep it from shifting. Acrylic chipping can be prevented by avoiding creating a lot of movements or vibrations during the cutting process.
Step 3: Saw through the acrylic
Please note that you should not use a saw designed for wood cutting. The teeth of woodworking saws are usually considered too big, which may shatter acrylic when cutting. Choose a hacksaw with a fine-tooth blade if you’re working with acrylic.
Continue sewing along your line, making sure the acrylic doesn’t move too much. Check that you’re keeping to the guidance; while cutting it’s easy to go off-track. When dry, the acrylic perspex should be sanded and polished to restore its transparency and sheen. If there is a rough edge after completion, it’s worth sanding and polishing the acrylic perspex to remove it.
