Acrylic

[Maverike-prime]

Hey all, I'm fairly new to actually modding computers but by no means to working with tools and compounds and the like. However, one thing I haven't worked with before is acrylic. I have 2 major questions, and maybe some minor ones from those, but I'll go big and work down to details:

1) What is best to use to cut acryllic?
Right now, I'm not looking to do any sort of fancy cuts just straight lines.

2) What can I use to afix peices of acryllis together?
IE if I cut 6 squares, what can i use to put them together to build a cube.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Omega]

For cutting, either a jigsaw or tablesaw would be good. A dremel if you don't mind going slow and probably messing up.

For gluing, just use Acrylic Epoxy, or hot glue.

[chedabob]

If you are cutting a straight line, use something sharp, like a Stanley knife, to score about 1/2 way into the acrylic, then use the edge of a desk to snap it.

At least thats how I think its done, dont take my word for it.

[Zephik]

If you want to "fuse" acrylic together instead of just having it "glued" together, try researching "Weld-On". Tapplastics (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/category.php?bid=21&PHPSESSID=20061213132013660994380) would be the place that I would purchase it from for online retailers. They also have their own version of "Weld-On" that does the same thing.

-SnowFire

[Omega]

If you want to "fuse" acrylic together instead of just having it "glued" together, try researching "Weld-On". Tapplastics (http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/category.php?bid=21&PHPSESSID=20061213132013660994380) would be the place that I would purchase it from for online retailers. They also have their own version of "Weld-On" that does the same thing.

-SnowFire

Dear god, I love TAP. We have a store about 9 miles north of my house, that's like, a 10 minute drive. It's awesome. You go in there and there are so many nifty acrylic thingies!

[Zephik]

I have to drive six hours for the nearest tap store. It's on my "what to-do before I die list" though. :bunny:

For Rankenphile, It would probably be within a 20 minute drive or less. I wonder if he has ever been there?

-SnowFire

[Omega]

I have to drive six hours for the nearest tap store. It's on my "what to-do before I die list" though. :bunny:

For Rankenphile, It would probably be within a 20 minute drive or less. I wonder if he has ever been there?

-SnowFire

It shouldn't be on the "what to-do before I die" list. It should be "what to-do every week" list.

That place is like a plastics heaven. You can get pieces cut to size and you can probably get things custom made. Of course, that takes out some of the fun.

[Zephik]

With these gas prices I have no choice unfortunately, but I would love to pay them a visit sometime in the near future! lol only people like us would consider making vacation plans to go to a tap plastics store. 8)

If you want a cheap online retailer for Acrylic, I would suggest estreetplastics.com. I haven't had the chance to use them yet, but I plan to here in the near future for my "Classic Retro PC mod".

-SnowFire

[Airbozo]

I work less than 10 minutes from Tap and go in there every other week to dig through the scrap bin. A couple of the guys in there have been helping me with my bubble gum mod. I was going to have them cut a round piece of plexi for me, but the plexi was $15 and to cut it they would have charged me $30! I decided to do it myself and actually did a pretty good job (I thought) until I put it in the sphere and I need to do some "adjustments". I am in the process of making a jig for my router to allow me to cut circles. This will clean up the circle I have and then will require only minor sanding.

Cutting Plexi; You can use many different things. I use a hacksaw to do little things, a jigsaw to do larger cuts, the dremel for detail and the router for thinning and circles (now). When using a jigsaw or handsaw, use metal cutting blades with lots of teeth, for a cleaner cut.

[Logic Zero]

I use a dremel, not sure what rpm because i have a li-ion one but setting 5-6 works great, just get a new disk and put it all the way into the acrylic and slide it through, once you get the hang of it, its quick to do and very clean and great straight cuts.

[tybrenis]

A dremel is an awfull tool for cutting acrylic, sorry guys.

Cutting acrylic depends on the thinkness. If you are cutting acrylic 1/8" thick or thinner, you can score and snap it. Simply mark your two points, and line them up with a metal ruler. Purchase a plastic scoring tool from your home depot, lowes, or similar supply store. Make a few score until it is easily snapped along a right angle (such as a table).

If you are planning on making a computer case... you'll probably want 1/4" or 3/8" acrylic for your project. In that case, the only way to get truly square, easily glued edges is by using a table saw.

No offense, but hot glue is a terrible idea for a computer case, especially an acrylic one, it would give you bad seams. Also, do not use silicon caulk or epoxy either, it is not glass or anything else.

The only real way to "glue" acrylic is to actually bond it together using a strong solvent that breaks down the acrylic at the joints. When it evaporates, the plastic's chemical structures have been fused together and are not one piece.

You want a good solvent, you could use a brand name like Weld-On, or you could simply find some methylene chloride, which is most commonly used in the undustry over commercial producst such as Weld-On, for it is cheaper and commonly thats all commercial solvents really are.

[Maverike-prime]

okay, so basically for my purposes my fathers table saw should do just fine for cutting the sheets of acryllic I need, right? is there anything I need to know about cutting acryllic before I give this a whirl?

As for the Weld-on, do they carry that in like Lowes or Home Depot?

[Fear]

Home Depot should definitley have the stuff Ty is talkin 'bout. When I buy plexi, I ussually have the ugys at my hardware store cut it. They use this special knife made to cut thinner plexi. It just slices right through it with ease. Another way to cut plexi is a simple hacksaw. You can fidn them at dollar stores. Buy like 10 or so blades for it, and you can saw right through plexi.

[gobygoby]

Home Depot should definitley have the stuff Ty is talkin 'bout. When I buy plexi, I ussually have the ugys at my hardware store cut it. They use this special knife made to cut thinner plexi. It just slices right through it with ease. Another way to cut plexi is a simple hacksaw. You can fidn them at dollar stores. Buy like 10 or so blades for it, and you can saw right through plexi.


:down: :eek:

[tybrenis]

Home depot is not really the best place for plastics. Yes, they will have your basic acrylic and lexan in 1/8" sheets.

Home depot will not have the solvent you are looking for. For that you'll have to head online or to a plastic's specialty shop. Look up plastic in your yellowbook or similar local phonebook kind of thing.

If you want to build a truly nice case, I'd end up buying most things online. You'll probably want 1/4" acrylic and a solvent glue. Also, you'll need a squeeze bottle with needle or (the better solution) a syringe with needle for applying the solvent.

As for cutting it with a table saw, here is the best thing:
For a real good table saw blade for plastics, you'll want a carbide tipped, "triple-chip" design saw blade with about 80 teeth.

As for a hardware store version... find a very fine toothed blade, preferrably carbide tipped. For someone not equipped properly to work with acrylic, it's an expensive hobby. That's why most people just call on someone to do some of that work for them (someone like me, I build stuff for my friends a lot).

[b4i7]

actually....working with 1/8 in ive never had problems with working with a dremel... yeah...youll spend a bit of time with a file straightening it out...smoothing up....but i dont have a problem with it....hell i even cut circles in it with a router bit...

yeah...a bandsaw and table saw are nice to use....if 1 they are available to you and 2 you live in a place that will allow you to use one(i live in an upstairs apartment)

i prefer the dremel cuz...all i have and use is 1/8 in....and its easy to make a couple passes with a dremel than the acrylic knife...which ive tried to use and scraped a sheet cuz it didnt break along my line

[Maverike-prime]

Well, I'm not trying to build a new case. Rather I'm looking to build the front bezel and then making a matching face for the sides and top. I want to stealth the front as much as possible. I'm looking to do a smooth flat front with bassically 2 panels, one for the DVD drive, and one for the front side USB ports and memory card reader and then the power button. That's about all I want on the front of the case. And then just flat sides and top. So should I be looking at like 1/4 thick or would like 1/8 or 1/16 do it?

[Maverike-prime]

hey all, Just wanted to say thanks for all the help and I thought you all might wanna see the post in my blog about my computer modding efforts thus far.
http://maverike-prime.blogspot.com/2006/12/not-warhammer-related.html#links