How to Cut Plexiglass Without Chipping

[@bshank8858]

What I love about this video, this guy gets straight to the point and just information, not a bunch of random crap about their personal lives, bad humor for 7minutes with only 2 minute of useful info. I love it, straight to the point!

[@weejim48]

This is what KZbin is for. Getting some tricks of the trade to make life easier.👍

[@DEJaegerWoodworking]

Great tip Chris! Not sure why anyone would down vote this video when you're providing good tips.

[@shenidan2023]

This is a very well put together video. Speed is perfect, advice is excellent and there's no padding with unnecessary info or waffle. Many thanks Chris.

[@SteveH-TN]

Thanks for sharing this information. !

[@IanSmithKSP]

This guy is the best how to video personality anywhere on the internet. He's composed, he's extremely knowledgeable, he's concise yet thorough and he's full of unique and valuable tricks. Sir, if you started your own KZbin channel and hired a social media manager to get the word out you would have 100,000 subscribers by 2018.

[@marcsmith5793]

Clarion he has 122k now wow, you called it.

[@gillis9999]

Excellent video. I have no idea why I wasn't thinking of using one of my sleds for this as it's obviously the way to go. Great idea to cover it with plywood to stop the juddering and not cutting the corner last. Thank you very much for this!

[@TheNordicHunter]

Excellent video. Now if I just had all these tools and the shop to put them in.

[@daffyduck6169]

Just what I was looking for, a simple fix. Brilliant ! It's one of those things that seems so obvious AFTER one sees it that you might ask yourself ...Why didn't I think of that.

[@jerrybobteasdale]

That's solid advice that also applies to delicate wood pieces too.

[@tinkmarshino]

Good for you.. we need to pass on the old carpenter and wood working tricks to these young 'un that are not in the field.. Well done yall!

[@rogerk7194]

Thnx Chris. That looks like it works gr8. I have used a plywood blade that I mounted backwards on my table saw before, and it does a pretty good job. That plastic is nasty tho, no matter what you use.

[@gemum4219]

What kind of blade did you use? Too, I have a large piece to cut (35"x65") will a jigsaw work? Tips for cutting plexiglass with a jigsaw please. thanks

[@redbaron2448]

What be the best method of cutting circles or shapes for acrylic with a b band saw or router table

[@sherryroberts7716]

Hi! I have a 1/4" Lucite rod. Can I use a Dremel saw to cut it to length? Thanks!

[@billcoley8520]

Wow at the smudges from simply handling. I didn’t think it would be as drastic.

[@bgower86]

What if you wanted to cut curves for rounded corners? Is there a tool that you can trim plexiglass with? Like a dremel maybe?

[@broccolifan6971]

Great tip. Thanks. How to prevent tiny chips on the edge? Does it have anything to do with saw blade? Too old? or more teeth would help? Waxing the blade would help?

[@brucea550]

Put painters tape over where the cut will be. Both sides of the sheet.

[@geneblake]

any tips in cutting out a segment of Plexi with a Dremel? Trying to put up a piece of Plexi on my French Doors to prevent the dogs from destroying the paint, and I need to cut aroung the handles for both doors.

[@MrBonners]

Deep score cuts (assuming you are putting in mullions) and cut relief kerfs perpendicular like relief cuts on bandsaw tight curve work and snap them out. Drill hole in scrap area first big enough to get pliers a hold and snap the relief pieces. Try on scrap first as per usual. Search here on YT. You will get plenty of 'how to'.

[@brucea550]

Nice system! I always wrap both sides of the piece with blue painters tape, with the cut centered on the tape. Seems to stabilize it well. The more teeth the blade has, the smoother the cut.

[@jennyluvsfood]

i wanted to replace the glass on cabinets for the my youtube cooking channel ...this was v helpful! thanks!

[@jameskelman9856]

Nicely done. Thanks. I had been reversing my saw blade but it takes additional time .

[@wizzardofwizzards]

Simple and to the point, good advice!

[@johnbrakefield1608]

Simple and brilliant, thanks

[@itssewxtra1713]

That was awesome! I do that when I sew too. It’s the same principle in reverse. You start your seam about 1/2 inch in on the fabric edge basically same distance in as away from them edge. Otherwise with slippery fabric the machine will often eat the fabric and jams the machine which is a mess and if it’s really bad can out a whole or destroy your project. Next you stop about and inch or two down, turn it around and sew off the edge. I’m so happy this made sense right away. Its daunting enough learning to use the saw. I love your channel btw, I’ve learned so much.

[@andrizeefoshizee]

Cool parallel. Thanks for sharing!

[@philipbyrnes7501]

Very clever, quick and simple, thank you, a great idea

[@roypetrieacoustic]

Can you also use a handsaw or machinenal jigsaw or hand jigsaw ... or something that I have at home?

[@stefinatrix3426]

Great idea, thanks. I like that zero clearance insert in your sled. Are plans for that sled available?

[@MrBonners]

Google/YT search it..................DUH!

[@johndoe-bw6pj]

You also need to keep the height of the blade as low as possible(just 1mm above the material) and not cut too quickly.

[@karljohnson7316]

Put masking tape on the area to be cut will help

[@robertschulke1596]

TAP sells an acrylic cutter which simply scores a line, and you snap off the excess. For thin acrylic like this, it would be a "snap".

[@richardcheese7348]

Kip has really upped his game! Lafawnduh got him a nice shop!

[@andrewtowell5655]

Thank you so much. Havnt the use of saw. Instead cut a 3 inch line at each end with a junior hack saw then scored a line with a Stanley and snapped of;had to tidy with a file,looks fine though.Thanks again

[@Sava12242]

absolutely brilliant, thank you so much! Perfect for framing!

[@slirpslirp]

what kind of blade is it ? is it good the one for wood ?

[@SpatialGuy77]

G’day, did you do all the cabinetry in your workshop there. If you did, it looks sensational, you must be really proud. It’s been on my to-do list for about 5 years lol

[@brianmoore581]

I noticed the Festool miter saw behind the guy in the video. If you also have a track saw, I have had good results laying plexiglass on a sheet of plywood and cutting it with the blade extended only a mm or so past the depth of the plexiglass, fully supported by the plywood and cutting just deep enough to leave a small mark on the surface of the plywood, not all the way through.

[@billpbritt]

I've been cutting plexi professionally for years. The best way is to use a metal cutting carbide blade and installing it in reverse.

[@blockeduser5769]

Bill Britt I bet that works great for siding too... Can't wait to try it...

[@stephenconant9243]

Do yours a special blade for this?

[@nirmal6362]

Very helpful tip though I have no plans to cutting glass.

[@TheseusTitan]

We cut large sheets of polycarbonate several feet long with out panel saw. We found methods that work but every so often something goes awry but nothing detrimental. One of the best ways to cut plastic substrate is with a router. It will never chip.

[@bobkachmarzinski2202]

Polycarbonate is 20 times stronger than acrylic! I have never chipped it and don't see how that would be possible. I have set my saw to a depth in a thin spot a couple of times, and it will literally fold like drywall paper. It's used in aviation

[@TheseusTitan]

@@bobkachmarzinski2202 Do you have employees? Also, we’ve cut hundreds and hundreds of sheets. It can break with no problem if it gets caught up in the teeth and slams against the back part of the saw in a repetitive manner. Polycarbonate cuts better on a table saw. We buy extremely large sheets off a roll however and usually cut it on the wall saw. I just finished a job with 2-10’x8’ pieces. We used another method of cutting that size

[@stevenreilly55]

I expect that isn't a general purpose blade. What blade is recommended?

[@Ken-wc7po]

Awesome thanks for the correct safe method... 👍... 👍

[@miguelatambucho748]

Wow! Great tip. Thanks

[@ETBass-si1st]

What are the specs of your saw blade? I am going to try and cut down a 4' x 8' x 1/4" sheet of plexiglass to pieces 40" x 60"What else should I consider? Thanks

[@user-um8fy8wh4n]

try using a triple chip carbide blade with a negative rake. That is what our shop always uses for cutting any plexi. Works great .

[@64puma64]

What kind of blade? Or does it matter?

[@Queteimp]

Nice nice very nice I like smart people. 100 pts!

[@_P0tat07_]

I was making a router table for my home In building trades and my teacher let me use some plexiglass for the insert. It was my first time cutting plexiglass so I had no idea what to expect. The 1/4" plexiglass kept riding up on the blade and my friend who was on the other side kept freaking out. I just used a piece of scrap wood to hold the piece down. I was nervous but it was hilarious watching my friend freak out. And the plexiglass I was cutting smelled really bad when as you cut it. The shop room is massive (so we could work on framing at stuff) and the whole shop and classroom reeked of burning plastic. I of course found it hilarious but we did end up having to open up the large garage door.

[@jimroadhers]

i have a sheet that i wanna cut into a clipboard, i really want the rounded smooth edges. normally i run tape over the cut line to prevent cracking when i use a jigsaw blade designed only for plexi,,,, what are my steps to get a silky smoothe rounded edge?

[@MrBonners]

Try a skim cut on a piece of scrap cut-off on a router table with curved bit. I've never tried it, get back to us. Maybe with a ply panel on top and bottom, sandwich. Caution. To high a speed will melt and burn the poly I would think.

[@darrylknox5919]

You could get a triple chip blade for acrylic from someone like Forrest. Beautiful cuts then. ( :

[@pinventor5401]

would you mind showing how an acrylic tube is cut?

[@NMranchhand]

Saw it all coming until the "flip". That was a good one. Thanks.

[@enzopontone2227]

Simple and effective! GREAT!!! Thanks for hint!

[@sanityfalling]

I generally run it backwards over the blade in a sled and that works without the flipping or the scrap.

[@solidusseal]

I think one used for metal . WIth very fine teeth (lost teeth close to eachother)

[@randmayfield5695]

Excellent. Thx

[@Fictionfactoryinc]

What if I’m cutting a circle?

[@davepearson8859]

what saw blade are you using ?

[@BruteFarce404]

what kind of table saw is that where the blade moves not the material?

[@dongnecco7988]

Very informative and easy to understand. Perfect!

[@kimpliny]

What saw blade is with the table saw? It would be much more helpful should it have mentioned.. :(

[@tonymac96]

I was cutting plexiglass which was about 1/4 thick...with a jig saw with a metal blade...and the plexiglass melted through the cut...and it was hard to separate the parts..since they joined together... any suggestion ?? Thanks

[@janhaag3540]

use a blade that stays cool, they make them.

[@jimlarson123]

Try laying down a strip of Scotch tape over the cut line. It will help lubricate the blade and reduce melting. Stumbled across this tip by dumb luck many years ago.

[@ES-xq7iu]

Water

[@fabio40]

Does the type of blade matter?

[@steamsteam6607]

Great video

[@ShepherdschapelYTexplainsbible]

Thanks

[@mikegratzer5387]

Do I need a speciall blade?

[@scrotymcboogerballs118]

great video man, you helped me a bunch!

[@andrewjackson4422]

What a great simple idea.

[@stoneyj1a1]

wow, there's no sawdust at all in that shop. amazing, is it just for show?

[@acanadianwoodworker]

All the clean guys eventually run magazines

[@68paulie]

Never heard of a dust collection system? Lol

[@stoneyj1a1]

@@68paulie yeah, i worked in a cabinet shop for 2 years and there was still dust everywhere.

[@jenniferdrake2360]

Great idea

[@wallyjackieturgeon3070]

Thank you

[@ryanybos]

2 direction cut very nice thanks

[@mavirek]

As a new homeowner, my wife and I want to skin our lanai's screened wall with acrylic panels. I watched your video to learn how to work with acrylic. Do you think drilling multiple screw holes along the edges of the panels would allow the panels to be held up with screws to the aluminum frame? We even thought we would use double-sided Flex tape between the aluminum beams and screw holes to create a softer contact and some gasket effect (hope I used that word correctly). We keep watching videos to get a sense of how much acrylic can take in stress--hanging from screw holes, or what will stick to them. If you have an opinion, thanks in advance for sharing.

[@brianmcquain3384]

great thanks

[@davesstuff1599]

Very smart. Would be nice if tile could be done like this but your not supposed to have it upside down.

[@MarioLopez-ml8uw]

Knowledge is power.

[@dbnoho]

Just learned a lot, thanks folks. I was using tape, then a jig saw etc. I mean the easiest way is to know exact dimensions and have the big box store do it for you. But at home, I’m giving this a go as I just shattered corners.

[@woodcraftbynieves]

Do you need a special saw blade?

[@BudiSantoso-hl4bf]

Just use the cuter to scratch. Then break it like you cut a sheet of glass. Cheap, fast and clean

[@Othermails08]

Can I use the Plexiglas as insert for cabinet’s door?

[@ChuckFull]

This guy talks about acrylic (Plexiglas) and polycarbonate (Lexan) as if they are the same, but they are radically different. Acrylic will chip or crack very easily, while polycarbonate absolutely will not. You can whack polycarbonate with a hammer, or cold-bend it at a right angle like aluminum, and it will not crack or break.

[@daffyduck6169]

What he said was..."I like to use sheet acrylic OR poly-carbonate" Never did he say that were the same. You INFERRED incorrectly my good man. And your table saw blade cares nothing about one or the other either for that matter.

[@tmst2199]

I was confused by the reference to polycarbonate, as well, and wondered about its use for eyeglasses.

[@laser979]

It also depends on what you want to do with it. Polycarb can take a beating but will scratch easier. Acrylic is shinier which might make it better for photo frames, but it's more fragile and cracks easier.

[@cmnr8487]

the cutting method is the same for either product.

[@barrygoldwater360]

Great method, thanks.

[@sailingserenity5268]

Great info. Thx

[@hathazarathoustra]

Very useful. Thks. That I need.

[@NorthernChev]

My 35x38 piece of plexiglass will not fit on my cross cut sled.

[@alexiswashington3559]

Impressive

[@minerblue9641]

I cut mine with razor knife, it doesn't take a lot of time or expensive equipment.

[@69Accord69]

Miner Blue what about all the thick pieces? Sorry but my 1/2 inch is much faster with a saw.

[@robertschulke1596]

Note that polycarbonate has little UV resistance. Check you plastic you're using. Acrylic is generally better.

[@davidhennessy4393]

Robert Schulke .

[@nathanegbert977]

Sunglasses, corrugated roofing and greenhouses are all made out of polycarbonate, never acrylic. I think you got it backwards, Robert.

[@bikermike]

You just need a big fancy expensive table saw and the right blade which you didn't mention any thing about....

[@scrotymcboogerballs118]

yeah but who doesnt know at least 1 person w/a decent table saw

[@3daypriest]

Agree about the blade type. But given his setup, his clips are most certainly aimed at appropriately equipped hobbyists/professionals.

[@youtubebitchcenter1463]

biker mike I was gonna say the same thing “ just need to find room for a giant table saw in my kitchen to make an 8 x10 picture frame! If you turn the blade around it helps!

[@michael-dm2bv]

biker mike - not necessarily true. used this method on a 1/4" piece of pexi, with an 1/8" piece of cheap plywood on a pos dewalt jobsite table saw with well used (used to rip oak dunnage reclaimed lumber) 60 tooth carbide tipped saw blade and had zero issues. i've tried it without the plywood and i needed to change my drawers. this method could probably be easily adapted for a doo doo free miter saw experience also.

[@michael-dm2bv]

biker mike - besides, if ur in a bind regarding needing to fabricate 1/8" pexi picture frame glass just score both sides and snap. and sand ur edge if ur ocd.

[@robhein]

What kind if table saw are you using? Its so silent

[@armenvegas]

Perfect thanks

[@peterbradbury1592]

Good idea, thank you

[@westernpan]

I will use this tip

[@wurly164]

Great, now I have no excuse to hang up that picture of my mother in law...... thanks a lot

[@MarianCobirlie]

thank you !

[@vinfish4697]

excellent

[@davidheizer5887]

Great tip thanks

[@Hudant11]

Awesome.

[@LizMcNamara47]

I thought he was working in his kitchen, so neat! Great video

[@Diyman43]

Put it through tile saw table did this yesterday with out needing to do any of the above ;)

[@richardclarke9966]

I'm sure everyone has a tile saw 😕

[@Diyman43]

Richard Clarke sure same could be said with a table saw 😏

[@richardclarke9966]

@@Diyman43 woodworkers having a table saw is pretty logical. Woodworkers having a tile saw isn't....

[@Diyman43]

Richard Clarke yeah woodworker probably do.. however you originally said “everyone” 😉

[@richardclarke9966]

@@Diyman43 you think many non-woodworkers follow the Woodworkers Journal channel?

[@divalea]

The workshop layout, cabinets, and window made me think he had a saw in a kitchen at first. And I’m like, “Someone is going to be mad about the sawdust in the food.”

[@ronald5728]

The same system is used to cut some types of tiles with a tile saw.