Acrylic mirror material ...
 

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three small
mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square. 3mm
acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is reckoned
to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut the stuff
reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always found them to
be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was thinking maybe something
like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting wheel ? They market this
material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when it comes to cutting it,
right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it would score and snap ?

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

In message , Arfa Daily
writes
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not
square. 3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay,
and is reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do
you cut the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before
and always found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools.
I was thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose
cutting wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's
good when it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also
means that it would score and snap ?

Expect it to scratch badly in use.

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:36:14 -0000, Arfa Daily wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three small
mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square. 3mm
acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is reckoned
to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut the stuff
reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always found them to
be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was thinking maybe something
like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting wheel ? They market this
material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when it comes to cutting it,
right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it would score and snap ?

Arfa

Needs something sharp - I once cut 8' along a sheet of polypropylene with a
bluntish jigsaw and found that I still had a single sheet but with a ridge
along each side!
A wheel would do it if the teeth are really sharp. Could be interesting
holding a small pieces without scratching them.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On 15/02/2013 01:36, Arfa Daily wrote:
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square.
3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is
reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut
the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always
found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was
thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting
wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when
it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it
would score and snap ?

Main problem in use is that the surface is soft and scratches easily so
you will forever be repolishing it.

To cut it clamp between two pieces of wood faced with paper to support
it and make the cutting strokes slow and towards the silvered face. If
you work it hard the material will melt and clog the saw. It melts very
easily.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:36:14 -0000, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three small
mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square. 3mm
acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is reckoned
to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut the stuff
reasonably neatly ?


Angle grinder.

--
Frank Erskine

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

Arfa Daily wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square.

I bought some the other week to use as a reflector to replace the
corroded piece of metal in my car's number plate illuminaire.

As said, scratches quite easily. Gives a reflection very nearly as good
as glass.

I had to cut a couple of small rectangles so clamped it to a piece of
wood and fed it through my lathe, set up as a table saw. It uses a 2"
dia cutting saw and was probably running at 800rpm (top speed!) It
produced a really nice finish. I mention this as whenever I've tried
similar material with my Dremelesque it ends up running at a far higher
speed and melts the swarf into the piece which is then a pain to get rid of.

So I reckon way to do it (for odd shapes) is to clamp the stuff down
with a guide piece and use a fine bladed hacksaw.

Scott

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On 15/02/2013 08:26, Scott M wrote:
So I reckon way to do it (for odd shapes) is to clamp the stuff down
with a guide piece and use a fine bladed hacksaw.

Sounds to me as if you need a fretsaw. They aren't expensive.

http://www.angliatoolcentre.co.uk/spear-and-jackson-eclipse-70-fs1r-fret-saw-eclipse-saw-frames-pid39171.html

Andy
--
I've never heard of the shop, they just came up first in google.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"usenet2012" wrote in message
...
In message , Arfa Daily
writes
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three small
mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square. 3mm
acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is
reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut the
stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always found
them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was thinking maybe
something like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting wheel ? They market
this material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when it comes to cutting
it, right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it would score and snap ?

Expect it to scratch badly in use.

--
Simon


Shouldn't be a problem where I need to use it

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 15/02/2013 01:36, Arfa Daily wrote:
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square.
3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is
reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut
the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always
found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was
thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting
wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when
it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it
would score and snap ?

Main problem in use is that the surface is soft and scratches easily so
you will forever be repolishing it.

To cut it clamp between two pieces of wood faced with paper to support it
and make the cutting strokes slow and towards the silvered face. If you
work it hard the material will melt and clog the saw. It melts very
easily.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown


Thanks for that. Seems a good suggestion

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"Scott M" wrote in message
...
Arfa Daily wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square.

I bought some the other week to use as a reflector to replace the corroded
piece of metal in my car's number plate illuminaire.

As said, scratches quite easily. Gives a reflection very nearly as good as
glass.

I had to cut a couple of small rectangles so clamped it to a piece of wood
and fed it through my lathe, set up as a table saw. It uses a 2" dia
cutting saw and was probably running at 800rpm (top speed!) It produced a
really nice finish. I mention this as whenever I've tried similar material
with my Dremelesque it ends up running at a far higher speed and melts the
swarf into the piece which is then a pain to get rid of.

So I reckon way to do it (for odd shapes) is to clamp the stuff down with
a guide piece and use a fine bladed hacksaw.

Scott


Thanks Scott. Valuable input

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"Andy Champ" wrote in message
. uk...
On 15/02/2013 08:26, Scott M wrote:
So I reckon way to do it (for odd shapes) is to clamp the stuff down
with a guide piece and use a fine bladed hacksaw.

Sounds to me as if you need a fretsaw. They aren't expensive.

http://www.angliatoolcentre.co.uk/spear-and-jackson-eclipse-70-fs1r-fret-saw-eclipse-saw-frames-pid39171.html

Andy
--
I've never heard of the shop, they just came up first in google.


I have a fretsaw. Actually, two, one being manual and the other electric.
Now I come to think of it, actually THREE ! I'm a bit skeptical that they
wouldn't do the old melting trick of swarf in the cut, but still worth a
try. Thanks for your input.

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On 15/02/2013 09:39, Arfa Daily wrote:


"Andy Champ" wrote in message
. uk...
On 15/02/2013 08:26, Scott M wrote:
So I reckon way to do it (for odd shapes) is to clamp the stuff down
with a guide piece and use a fine bladed hacksaw.

Sounds to me as if you need a fretsaw. They aren't expensive.

http://www.angliatoolcentre.co.uk/spear-and-jackson-eclipse-70-fs1r-fret-saw-eclipse-saw-frames-pid39171.html


Andy
--
I've never heard of the shop, they just came up first in google.


I have a fretsaw. Actually, two, one being manual and the other
electric. Now I come to think of it, actually THREE ! I'm a bit
skeptical that they wouldn't do the old melting trick of swarf in the
cut, but still worth a try. Thanks for your input.

Use the hand saw with a plastic or wood cutting blade, cut slowly and
keep feeling the blade. If it is getting too warm, stop for a while. As
already suggested, clamping the plastic between two thin pieces of wood
will help with such thin plastic.

Colin Bignell

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On 15/02/2013 09:35, Arfa Daily wrote:


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

To cut it clamp between two pieces of wood faced with paper to support
it and make the cutting strokes slow and towards the silvered face. If
you work it hard the material will melt and clog the saw. It melts
very easily.

Thanks for that. Seems a good suggestion

Arfa

Just realised the way I wrote that is ambiguous. You have to work so
that on the cut stroke you are pressing the mirror against the plastic
the other way around or an aggressive back stroke and the silver will be
rip off the surface around the edges. It is surprisingly easy to melt
the stuff and smell the monomer even with careful slow working.

If the swarf comes off in large melted together clumps you are too fast.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

In article ,
Arfa Daily wrote:
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not
square. 3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay,
and is reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do
you cut the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before
and always found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools.
I was thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose
cutting wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's
good when it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also
means that it would score and snap ?

Last thing you want when cutting acrylic is something which generates heat
as it melts easily. A fine tooth hand wood saw is fine. Finish with a
metal file. You can polish the edge with fine sandpaper followed by metal
polish like brasso.

--
*I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Arfa Daily wrote:
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not
square. 3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay,
and is reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do
you cut the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before
and always found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools.
I was thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose
cutting wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's
good when it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also
means that it would score and snap ?

Last thing you want when cutting acrylic is something which generates heat
as it melts easily. A fine tooth hand wood saw is fine. Finish with a
metal file. You can polish the edge with fine sandpaper followed by metal
polish like brasso.

--
*I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.


Thanks Dave

Arfa

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On Friday, February 15, 2013 9:35:45 AM UTC, Arfa Daily wrote:
"Martin Brown" wrote in message

...

On 15/02/2013 01:36, Arfa Daily wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three

small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square.

3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is

reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut

the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always

found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was

thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting

wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when

it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it

would score and snap ?



Main problem in use is that the surface is soft and scratches easily so

you will forever be repolishing it.



To cut it clamp between two pieces of wood faced with paper to support it

and make the cutting strokes slow and towards the silvered face. If you

work it hard the material will melt and clog the saw. It melts very

easily.



--

Regards,

Martin Brown





Thanks for that. Seems a good suggestion

Where I work we use a laser cutter for 5mm or less, it's very good, but also expensive so not much use to you unless you're likely to want to cut a lot of stuff with it, it's good for plywood and MDF too. We even use it for engraving on wood and acylic.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

On Feb 15, 10:50*am, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
In article ,
* *Arfa Daily wrote:

Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three
small mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not
square. 3mm acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay,
and is reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do
you cut the stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before
and always found them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools.
I was thinking maybe something like a Dremel with a general purpose
cutting wheel ? They market this material as 'shatterproof', so that's
good when it comes to cutting it, right ... ? I wonder if that also
means that it would score and snap ?

Last thing you want when cutting acrylic is something which generates heat
as it melts easily.

It's exactly what you want - a laser cutter. It's controling where the
heat goes that is key :-)

MBQ

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

In article
,
Man at B&Q wrote:
Last thing you want when cutting acrylic is something which generates
heat as it melts easily.

It's exactly what you want - a laser cutter. It's controling where the
heat goes that is key :-)

Right. I'll look out for one on special offer at Lidl.

--
*Acupuncture is a jab well done*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

Yes they scratch, so be careful with the cleaning. You can polish out small
scratches I think.
Weird stuff that attracts muck like mad.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"usenet2012" wrote in message
...
In message , Arfa Daily
writes
Anyone had any experience of the stuff ? I have a need to make three small
mirrors - about credit card size - and two of them are not square. 3mm
acrylic mirror material is available dirt cheap on Fleabay, and is
reckoned to be at least as good as glass. Question is, how do you cut the
stuff reasonably neatly ? I've cut other acrylics before and always found
them to be a nightmare at clogging any cutting tools. I was thinking maybe
something like a Dremel with a general purpose cutting wheel ? They market
this material as 'shatterproof', so that's good when it comes to cutting
it, right ... ? I wonder if that also means that it would score and snap ?

Expect it to scratch badly in use.

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.

Acrylic mirror material ...
 

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
Yes they scratch, so be careful with the cleaning. You can polish out
small scratches I think.
Weird stuff that attracts muck like mad.

Brian



It's a bit 'static-y' I think, Brian. Not a problem in this application
though. If it does get cleaned, it will likely be rarely, and light surface
scratching would not affect its performance as a mirror to any degree that
would be noticeable in use.

Arfa