How can I put holes in plexiglass without it cracking on me?
Question:I built a home made feeding station for my 2 (big) dogs. They make a huge mess when they eat and drink so I bought a piece of plexiglass to go on top of the feeding station. I need to put 2 holes the size of dog dishes and 1 hole for their shared water bowl. I have 2 small pieces of plexiglass that I've practiced on, but it cracks when I use a drill bit or jig saw. I don't have a router or else I would have tried that. I've also tried using a utility knife, but that is nearly impossible to make a circle with (not to mention go deep enough). So, I'm open to suggestions!
Thanks!
Answers:
The best thing to use is a Dremel tool. If you dont have that, draw out your circles then follow the lines using a drill with a small bit at the highest speed. Just take your time and it will work fine.
Cover the area with tape (any kind) & then drill.
try sharper drill maybe and dont push so hard was it laying flat might help also try tape where you drill
Drill a hole to start your saw in first. Use a sharp steel bit, run the drill fast and use very little pressure. You may even need to hold back a bit so the weight of the drill doesn't try to push through too fast.
A jig saw should work to cut the larger holes. Use a fine tooth metal cutting blade, or better yet a blade labeled for plastics. Push slowly through the material while running the saw fast. Keep the area you are sawing supported and hold the base of the saw tight against the material to minimize vibration. You may have to turn the material several times to keep the cutting area supported.
If the edges are a bit rough, use a file to dress the edges.
Measure the diameter that you need and have the guys at Lowe's cut it for you.
They did it for me... I used wood, but there was someone in front of me with plexiglass(he had it "primed" with masking tape).
They make different types of plexi glass.The stuff you have sound like the lower grade of plexi glass.The glass you have will crack and pieces may break off.Ive used it before from the sounds of what its doing.They also make another grade that dosnt crack and chip like the one you are using when drilling or cutting.I cant remember the name of it but I refer to it as shatter proof.The guys at the hardware store should know what your talking about.
I have used a scrap piece of wood under the plexiglass to support it. Then use a fine tooth saber saw blade and cutting slowly cut the wood and the plexiglass. The wood will help minimize the vibration that causes the plexiglass to crack.
When drilling holes run the drill in reverse at a high speed and the drill bit will melt through it - don't use very much pressure just let the weight of the drill do the work.
Another way to get small holes is to heat a nail or small bolt with a propane torch (hold it with pliers or vise-grips) and then melt it through. Be sure to have good ventilation the plexiglass fumes aren't to good for you.
Hope this helps, Harold
tape the area your cutting on both sides and go get a router(buy, borrow, etc.)
Plexi is expensive, so what I would do is find a local plastic shop to do it..or rent a router from your local equipment rental..
It would be cheaper to have someone do it for you..
If the plexi glass is old it will be brittle . You might want to clamp it to an old piece of wood befor cutting or score it with a knife first.
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