We have had a number of 4 tube florescent light fixtures installed in the
basement since sometime in the late 1960's.

One of the "shades" recently decided to crack and break for whatever reason.
The replacement shades that I can find are all about 1/4 inch to wide to
allow it to sit flat within the frame for the light fixture.

Given the thickness, or lack thereof, I can't seem to trim it to fit.
Everything I've tried results in a shattered shade.

Help.

Charlie.

Very sharp knife.
Score and snap or score and keep scoring until it falls off..

we have run into this problem ourselves. you're looking in the wrong
shelf. you want to find the replacement panel for the fixture already
your size. not a drop in panel for the ceiling grid with a light above
it, it won't fit and won't cut to size.

"Charlie" wrote in message
news:aSCxf.204866$2k.30015@pd7tw1no...
We have had a number of 4 tube florescent light fixtures installed in the
basement since sometime in the late 1960's.

One of the "shades" recently decided to crack and break for whatever
reason. The replacement shades that I can find are all about 1/4 inch to
wide to allow it to sit flat within the frame for the light fixture.

Given the thickness, or lack thereof, I can't seem to trim it to fit.
Everything I've tried results in a shattered shade.

It's called a diffuser, and spelling is fluorescent. The plastic is too
brittle to cut with a saw. Try as another said - score it repeatedly with a
utility knife, making sure to 'back-up' the cut with something solid to
avoid flexing it too much. HTH

home depot buffalo ny. look for the fixture itself and part for it.

Charlie wrote:
We have had a number of 4 tube florescent light fixtures installed in the
basement since sometime in the late 1960's.

One of the "shades" recently decided to crack and break for whatever reason.
The replacement shades that I can find are all about 1/4 inch to wide to
allow it to sit flat within the frame for the light fixture.

Given the thickness, or lack thereof, I can't seem to trim it to fit.
Everything I've tried results in a shattered shade.

Help.

Charlie.




By shade do you mean one of those flimsy
translucent plastic panels? If so, you can cut
the oversized piece on a table saw (or a circular
saw). The trick is to use a saw blade with a lot
of teeth (a plywood blade is fine) and put it on
the arbor backwards. The saw will cut some but it
mostly just melts through so the finished cut may
have a rough curled piece of melted plastic, but
you can take if off easy with a swipe or two of
150 grit sand paper.

PanHandler wrote:
"Charlie" wrote in message
news:aSCxf.204866$2k.30015@pd7tw1no...

We have had a number of 4 tube florescent light fixtures installed in the
basement since sometime in the late 1960's.

One of the "shades" recently decided to crack and break for whatever
reason. The replacement shades that I can find are all about 1/4 inch to
wide to allow it to sit flat within the frame for the light fixture.

Given the thickness, or lack thereof, I can't seem to trim it to fit.
Everything I've tried results in a shattered shade.


It's called a diffuser, and spelling is fluorescent. The plastic is too
brittle to cut with a saw. Try as another said - score it repeatedly with a
utility knife, making sure to 'back-up' the cut with something solid to
avoid flexing it too much. HTH



Cuts fine, just flip the blade so the teeth point
away from the cutting direction. Or if you live
dangerously feed the panel through the saw from
the outfeed side.

Charlie wrote:
We have had a number of 4 tube florescent light fixtures
One of the "shades" recently decided to crack and break
The replacement shades that I can find are all about 1/4 inch too wide
I can't seem to trim it to fit.

I had to replace 130 or so of those in an office building a while back.
I used a straight edge and a router with a 1/2" carbide straight
cutting bit, no chips, no cracks, no problems. VERY FAST,, I HAD to
keep it moving, burned plastic smells terrible :-)

Tom in KY, wear a dust mask to keep those particles out of your lungs!