Anyone tried cutting plex or polycarbonate
I think it's called with a hole saw.
Grateful for tips.
 
Just so you know: Plexiglas is not the same as polycarbonate. Plexiglas is a trademark for another plastic called polymethyl methacrylate, acronym PMMA (polycarbonate: acronym PC). I don't have specific tips for hole sawing, but the basic rule for machining thermoplastics is sharp tools, high cutting speed, and low feed. It's very important that the material doesn't get too hot when it's being cut.
 
I had no idea about that. Thank you.
 
In woodwork class in middle school, we sawed strips of plexiglass on the band saw to heat up and twist around to make baubles for keyrings. It didn't seem to be a big problem.
 
Polycarbonate can be cut with virtually "anything" (handsaw, jigsaw, circular saw, etc.) without it cracking, and drilling, screwing, etc. is easy.

Here is a good instructional video on how to cut plastic sheets with a circular saw. I use this method for both polycarbonate (Lexan) and acrylic (Plexiglas, Perspex, Altuglas) in thicknesses from 3mm and up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqtKH8VfRcI

Just when the circular saw blade hits the edge of the sheet, it's easy for the inexperienced to get a slight jerk in the wrist, and if it's an acrylic sheet, a small chip can easily go off in the corner. So it's important to have a steady hand, but it's not difficult once you've practiced a few times.

If it's thinner dimensions, the sheet will sway more when it sticks out over an edge like that. For example, with a thickness of 2mm, there's a risk that the blade can break the material, even when it's polycarbonate, which is incredibly impact-resistant. You might need more support from underneath. One option can be to have a particle board underneath that is thick enough for the blade not to go through.

You can also consider snapping the material when it is in thin dimensions. That is, score with a utility knife and then snap the sheet in the opposite direction. This works well with 2mm acrylic sheets and polycarbonate sheets up to 1.5mm. There are instructional videos about that on YouTube as well.
 
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