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Glenna Rose
 
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Just did this last week on my Jet contractor's saw with the stock
blade. The blade is still sharp though. The technique that worked
best for me was to have the blade height just above the top of the
plexiglass and I also sandwiched the plexiglass between two pieces of
scrap wood. In my case, the bottom board was my panel jig and a piece
of mdf above the plexiglass. The edges turned out a little sharp, so I
took a file at a 45 degree angle to it to soften them.


That's the method I used, to sandwich the plexiglass between two pieces of
thin plywood (1/4" I think, it was 1982) and use a fine blade in the saw
(used the saber saw [jig saw?], trusty ol' Craftsman and a guide) . I cut
several pieces and all had nice square edges without "jags" so I must have
done something right. The project was a desktop divider for files, to
hold them horizontally, and had three columns of shelves so there was a
lot of cutting, at least 40 cuts. I likely used a sanding block with fine
grit sandpaper to finish the front edges as an extra. Used the unit in my
office; it still looks good. I absolutely loved to be able to just glue it
all together, no nails or staples! It seems that it didn't smell very
good when it was cut and I kept the doors open, grateful it was warm
weather.

I'll find out how well my memory serves me in a couple of months as there
is a plexiglass project in my fireplace mantel's future. I have no place
for the full-width mirror that is there now and want shelves on which to
put photos, etc., above the fireplace. The mirror will stay there but
I'll put shelves on each side and across the top (the mirror is 7 ft. x 3
ft.). I'll use clear tubing for the spacers between shelves which should
work well. The full-length shelf across the top will be addressed
differently and might be attached to the ceiling for support or just not
done at all; that'll be determined when the others are in place. A
decorative panel of some sort might be a better choice and only for
balance.

Good luck on your project. Do let us know what you decide to do and how
it works.

Glenna