# Cutting Plexi Glass to make a Hopper Frame



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi all

A while back I messed up and bought a MDC hopper body with no frame. I looked and looked on ebay for a frame or a damaged hopper that I could salvage the frame off of. Finally I decided I would make a frame.
I had some 1/8 inch Plexi Glass out in the garage, so I pulled it out and set off trying to cut the pcs, first with the dremel and then with the band saw. The Dremel melted the plexi Glass more than it cut it. The Band saw, although it cut a very nice smooth edge, couldn't cut straight. So I went to Home Depot and bought a $10.00 blade for my 10 inch table saw. The blade is designed for plastics. With the table saw, the cuts are very straight and for the most part square. JC offered a suggestion to put masking tape on both sides of the Plexi Glass to prevent chipping. I tried this on the first few cuts and it worked very well. Then I made some cuts without the masking tape and for the most part, only one cut seemed to have the very slightest chipping along the edge. As far as the Plexi Glass melting with the high speed of the table saw blade, I had very little problems with melting. What little there was could be snapped off with your thumb. I then used a pc of sand paper to smooth the edges to make sure the pcs all layed flat against each other. Once all the measuring cutting and sanding was done, I set about welding them all together with Plastrut Plastic Weld. With the brush supplied, just hold the two pcs you want to weld together against each other and brush some plastic weld along the seam. It sucks right into the seam and with in seconds bonds the two pcs together. This is great stuff. After it was all assembled I gave the new frame a shot of semi gloss black and installed it on the hopper body. Now I just need a set of trucks and some decals and it'll be ready to haul some coal.

Randy


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Lowes sells a tool for scoring plexiglass, you score the sheet and then snap it at the score line. Works great, even on 1/8" thick sheet.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

The only drawback to scoring is that the edge that you get after scoring is not square.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried scoring and snaping. But it didn't work for me. If you don't have a large flat surface with a squared off edge, the results are hit and miss. With the saw, I get exactly what size pcs I want.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I cut it (when I have to) with a dremel and reinforced cut off disc. Cuts fairly clean with not too much melting. But all the "crumbs" makes a mess and gah! what a stink!... But if it's all ya got, it works


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Looks like you did a Great Job Randy!!!


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Chris


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Great work! Nicely executed assembly.


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the tip about the blade Randy, I am going to have to get one of those.

Tom H


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Good job Randy. I use a tablesaw too for most of my acrylic (plexi) cutting.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

A good carbide tipped blade, 60 tooth or better, works great on plexi also and there is also a blade made especially for plastics available from Woodworker's Supply and also TAP Plastics. The secret to good cutting is to make sure the material is held down firmly on the table. Any looseness causes chipping.


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Richard, etal, 

I would add to your comments: 

1. WAX the table top so the material (whatever) slides easily 
2. A nice slow even material feed 
3. Make sure your rip fence is parallel to the blade 
4. If your acrylic still has the paper on both sides when you get it - leave it there, it will help with chipping 

Bob C.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice Job Randy. Later RJD


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone and thanks for the wax tip Bob. I gotta try that. 

Randy


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## Mr Ron (Sep 23, 2009)

The only concern I have with using a table saw for cutting small pieces of plastic, is safety. Due to the small size, your fingers are dangerously close to the blade. I think a small hobby table saw with a 4" blade, would be more appropiate. Dremel used to have a small table saw and Harbor Freight has them.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron 

I agree with you there. I'd love to have one of the Dremel Table saws, but with the going price on ebay for used ones around $100.00, I'll have to do with the 10 incher. 

Randy


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Mr Ron on 19 Jan 2010 10:39 AM 
The only concern I have with using a table saw for cutting small pieces of plastic, is safety. Due to the small size, your fingers are dangerously close to the blade. I think a small hobby table saw with a 4" blade, would be more appropiate. Dremel used to have a small table saw and Harbor Freight has them.


Mr Ron,
i've got one fo the small Harbor Freight saws and I honestly feel safer cutting properly on my large saw vs. the tiny little thing. My opinion of course.

Chas


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

"Mr Ron,
i've got one fo the small Harbor Freight saws and I honestly feel safer cutting properly on my large saw vs. the tiny little thing. My opinion of course.

Chas"


*I was looking at one of those "Mini Saws" at Harbor Freight. I take it your not completely thrilled with it.*


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Randy,

Your frame looks great, nice job!

FWIW:

The Dremel saw is nice but anemic IMO. It’s great for balsa, veneers and thin plywood’s. 
While I never tried to cut acrylics or plexiglass when I had the Dremel, I don’t think it would be happy. 

There are better saws that would perform satisfactorily that are simply more powerful. A Jarmac might get it, MicroMark’s and the Proxxon (there maybe others too). I have the Proxxon and have cut acrylic and plexiglass with same. Variable speed saws and disc sanders such as Proxxon’s afford the operator more options IMO, especially with all the different materials we throw at our tools.

As far as safety goes, no matter how small the saw and material at hand is; a safe operator always uses the fence and a push stick appropriately sized for the task. This is an absolute, accepted safety guidelines suggest anything less than 6” requires a push stick. How much are your fingers worth to you?

Michael


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Dan, 
This saw has been discussed in the archives at some point? My concern is that it is tiny. Base is small and table is small and the whole thing looks like ti will tip over pretty easily. LEt's use an example. You buy a cheap "contractors saw" Cheap sheet metal base and a lightweight frame and motor. While it will do fine bolted down if it isn't supported well your asking for trouble. Try setting it up in the middle of your driveway adn cutting a sheet of plywood with it. Odds are it is going to bind up and tip over or shoot the wood back at you. Now scale that down to this little saw. No good way to fasten it down and we are likely going to cut sheets larger than the table, fence, & gaurd are going to handle. Now look at the Dreme, the Proxxon, and Micromarks hobbby saws are much larger and more stable units. i'm not saying it won't work . I'm saying it scares me enough I've not used it much yet. i've also not needed to use it thus get it out and spend time setting it up vs. Goiing to the garage and using the big 10" saw which is already set up adn just needs to be adjusted for the job at hand. My two cents. 

Chas


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## ZachsPappaw (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice Job Randy.









And I learned something about small table saws too.









Have Fun: Jeff


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Another thought .... 

Two other types of saw blades that will work well are hollow ground planer blades and hollow ground plywood blades. Being hollow ground they eliminate any friction against the body of the blade, reducing heat and poor cutting quality. 

Bob C.


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