Can I score acrylic sheet until it breaks?

Question

OK, here's the thing, I ordered a 3mm thick acrylic panel that's just a few millimeters (3mm) too wide. It would be a long break (920mm) if I use the traditional, score and break method which I am told is not suitable in this case.

So, my question is, can I keep scoring it until it breaks? Do you know how long it would take?

The other option I have is to sand it down but I suspect this will be even more time consuming.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello



Set your sheet up on a flat surface use a permanent marker to draw a line where you want to cut now use a straight edge of wood to clamp down over the sheet offer up a jig saw so that the blade is on the cutting line and the side of the jigsaw against the straight edge of wood and check both ends to ensure the correct distance at each end now use a good quality sticky tape and tape up over the cutting line and fold underneath it doesn't matter that you cover the line as your straight edge is now set correctly.



Place a metal cutting blade into your jig saw, reason for metal blade is they have a lot of fine teeth and less likely to damage the sheet, you can now proceed to cut your sheet keep the speed of jig saw high as you don't want it to grab material being cut, proceed with the jig saw following the straight edge, do not force let the saw do the work, continue to full length hopefully a clean cut will result.



If in the future you have a similar project I highly recommend you use polycarbonate security sheet as you can take any saw to this material with total confidence as it will never crack or splinter, and almost impossible to break it is however expensive but will last for decades and not frost or fade..



Good Luck regards Alan

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You could keep scoring it until you are completely though the entire width but at no point are you going to be able to "break" it like glass for a smooth cut.



What you need is a jigsaw or band-saw (depending on the dimensions of the piece you want). A jigsaw with the proper blade will most likely be your best bet.



You can use a handsaw with a very fine cutting blade( I have used hacksaw blades to cut it but it takes a while) and this will work in most cases but if you want a circular or variation cut the jigsaw will be the best bet.



If you decide to use a jigsaw (I would) making sure the sheet is secure is a must. The blade going up and down will case a vibration in the sheet and can case breakage or just messing up your line.



Always have the sheet on a large flat table and just let some hang of the side where you will be cutting. If the sheet starts to vibrate a lot, turn off the jigsaw and get it in a more secure hold and place.



I guess I should conclude, if it's just a small piece and it's just one job you need to do. Just get a hacksaw blade (a blade made for a hacksaw) you don't need the actual hacksaw assembly just the blade. They are like $4.00-$6.00 in almost any hardware or department store. If it's just a small job and a straight cut this should suffice.

Answer 4

Scoring Acrylic

Answer 5

I'm not too familiar with working with acrylic panels, but it seems to me that it would be difficult to snap off such a small width. I could see if you were snapping off a few inches, but millimeters doesn't seem like it would work.



Sanding may work, but if you need a perfectly square edge, that is probably not going to happen.



I would recommend cutting it. A band saw or jig saw seems like a good solution, I would imagine you could probably also use a table saw. What I would do is sandwich the sheet of acrylic between something like two sheets of 1/2" plywood. This should minimize splintering and tear out. These are woodworking terms, not sure if they are applicable here.



If it were me, I'd probably cut two sheets of plywood about 12" wide, and place them above and below the area to be cut, overlapping it on both sides. Draw a line on the top piece of plywood that represents the cut line. Now take a jig saw and figure out the distance between the blade and the left side of the base. Take a third sheet of plywood and put it on top of everything. Position it parallel to the cut line, on the left side. The distance from the cut line should be the distance you found earlier (blade to left side of jigsaw base). Now clamp everything down.



The top sheet of plywood will serve as a guide for the jigsaw. As long as the edge facing the cutline is straight, your cut should be straight. The two other sheets of plywood should prevent anything from splintering and make sure you get a clean cut.



Hope this helps.

Answer 6

I have used a carbide formica cutting knife to cut thru acrylic panels untill I was all the way thru the plastic. I used a long straight edge clamped to the panel to avoid any mistakes. It did not take me long to cut it.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

2

Answer 9

can u do your main score that cut down that score into sections and then break of?



u do kind of increase your risk of over break though thats the only problem.



also if you can sandwhich it between 2 long pieces of wood and a vice (or pair of clamps rather) that might help with sanding it straight. please wear a mask if you do sand it.