# Working With Plexiglass



## MonsterModelMan

I was attempting to bend and drill a hole in Plexiglass over the week-end.(_I've never worked with Plexiglass for a diorama before)_

So I was able to bend the PlexiGlass at a right angle by using a heat gun and it worked out great. So far so good....

Then I got the hair-brained idea that I could use a drill bit to cut a hole in the PlexiGlass (afterall, it is plastic) and guess what happened?:freak:

MMM


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## skinnyonce

MonsterModelMan said:


> I was attempting to bend and drill a hole in Plexiglass over the week-end.(_I've never worked with Plexiglass for a diorama before)_
> 
> So I was able to bend the PlexiGlass at a right angle by using a heat gun and it worked out great. So far so good....
> 
> Then I got the hair-brained idea that I could use a drill bit to cut a hole in the PlexiGlass (afterall, it is plastic) and guess what happened?:freak:
> 
> MMM


WELL let me tell you, you arent alone on this one not sure how big a hole you were after,, but you must use a bit made for plexiglass I also learned this the hard way,, a regular bit must be sharp as new,, and push slow to drill ( you still run the chance of cracking the plexi )... OR get the right bits made for plexi and youll have no more problems,, it has to do with the angle at which they are sharpened. reg bits are usally 118 or 135 angle and the plexi bits are like 60 degrees

http://cgi.ebay.com/Craftics-5-16-P...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item22fce5876c

they arent cheap but worth not destroying a project you worked so hard on only to trash it over a simple hole

a router will make as big a hole as you want but it is best to get a variable speed router for this, to lessen the melty part

skinny...........


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## MonsterModelMan

Skinny,

I wish I had asked or had known about the special drill bits....

I did have a second piece of PlexiGlass to work with and decided once I got the 90 degree bend done...I decided to heat the area I wanted to cut the hole into and softened it enough to use a utility knife and cut through it. 

No problem!

MMM


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## MonsterModelMan

This is what happens when you just try to use a regular drill bit...

MMM


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## skinnyonce

MonsterModelMan said:


> This is what happens when you just try to use a regular drill bit...
> 
> MMM


MMM I feel your pain, I have scraped more plexi than I have used on projects. because I didnt check into it, I now have a set of those bits I alluded to... pricey but not as pricey as the plexi I scrap because of the wrong bit being used..... just dont ever use them on anything but plexi or you'll ruin them for sure.. I keep mine with all my plexi/ acrylic type cement and glues to insure I dont in a hurry grab the wrong one..


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## lordraptor1

i have drilled holes in plexi with a normal drill bit as well as hole saws designed for wood. NO SPECIAL BITS ARE REQUIRED. let the drill do the work, you dont need alot of pressure when drilling plexi and you can cut plexi by scoring it with a razor blade and then breaking it at the score mark. then sand the edges with a fine grit sandpaper ad then flame polish the edges.


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## skinnyonce

lordraptor1 said:


> NO SPECIAL BITS ARE REQUIRED. .


Maybe not,, but if your doing a "Has to be perfect project" and only get one try at it, I wont take a chance on using the wrong tool for the job


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## bucwheat

I use bits made for drilling glass,works everytime.Now cutting Plexi is another story,I sometimes use a utility knife with a new blade.


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## jbond

Scoring and breaking it works--but if you're not cutting right angles you're still going to have a hell of a time...


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## AuroraFan1

Have worked with Plexi before.

Have used carbon steel drill bits ( and a chunk of bees wax ).

Scratches clean up with Novus 1 and 2 ( with cheescloth ).

Good luck in your adventure!


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## hartracerman

What is the technique for flame polishing?


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## bucwheat

Never heard of that.


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## Joe Brown

If you have cut or sanded a piece of Plexiglas, it almost always leaves a clouded area. To get rid of the cloudiness, you can (carefully!) slowly pass a steady flame near to it and the cloudiness goes away! On a hobbyist level, learning to do this the first time can be frustrating. 

Always work in a well ventilated area, and always, always practice this on scrap pieces before applying it to your model project.

There is some helpful information here:
http://plasticsfabrication.blogspot.com/


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## hartracerman

Thanks for the info!


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## wayvryder

Perfect! I'm making a display base using a thin sheet of Plexiglass over MDF and that link you provided has all the information I need. Thanks for the info!


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