Table saw and plexiglass?

[cazz]

Is it possible to cut 3mm plexiglass with a table saw or is it like "It works but not recommended"?

 

[Patzie]

If the blade is fine it should work, then depending on what you’re actually cutting “plexi” is a brand so I assume you have an acrylic sheet since these are often loosely referred to as plexiglass, these are a bit more prone to cracking than polycarbonate sheets which are easier to work with. But it should work with good tools.

 

[cazz]

yeah, I first thought of writing acrylic sheet but wrote plexiglass instead. Hmm, I'm not really sure about the blade right now as I was thinking of borrowing a friend's machine. It probably has "standard" teeth to be able to saw studs and such. I know I used a not so fine toothed jigsaw on the material and it went fine.

 

[Patzie]

Experiment, but my experience with acrylic plastic is that using rough or dull tools can easily cause chipping and lead to cracks, but just test if the tools meet the standards

 

[cazz]

Thanks, maybe I'll do that
Maybe a dumb question but you won't break the saw if it doesn't work??

 

[Niq]

3mm extruded acrylic, which is the most common, will almost certainly crack with a table saw unless the blade is very sharp and has many teeth. However, if you place a scrap piece of some form of wood panel or a wooden board over the sheet so it's held firmly and saw through both at the same time, it will work fine, but saw gently.

You can also score the acrylic and then snap it. If it's long pieces, it's best to use a board or something to get an even break. However, you need to score deep enough.

 

[Björn Melander]

I have the same experience as @Niq that the subject needs to be fixed against the support. With a plunge saw and fine-toothed blade, you get fine cuts.

 

[cazz]

I remember in middle school where we had colored plastic pieces and we had a type of knife that was like a hook which you ran a few times and then snapped off.

 

[prototypen]

I use the blade for aluminum and it gives clean cuts in plexi.
The alu blade has a negative rake angle which might be the magic.

Protte