Material:Acrylic Glass: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:54, 15 September 2024

MaterialInfoBox Acrylic Glass

Synonyms:	poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, "Perspex", "Plexiglass"; DE: Acrylglas, "Plexiglas"
Suggested Donation:	approx. 15 € per m² and mm thickness
Suggested Tools:	laser cutter, files, scroll saw, bandsaw, jigsaw(?)

Acrylic glass is a thermoplastic and commonly known under the brand name "Plexiglass".

Be careful not to confuse this with "Bastelglas" (polystyrene) or similar when laser cutting, the other types will emit fumes harmful to humans and the laser cutter or may melt onto the bed.

Cutting

You can saw acrylic glass almost like wood, but it will melt due to heat and stick to the saw, so do it slowly. Lukas got pretty good results with a 6 TPI bandsaw blade when he needed to cut tube stock. It is also possible to score a line and break it over an edge, as you would do with actual glass.

Much better though: laser cut it! If it's not too thick, you'll end up with perfect edges and nicely repeatable results.

You'll often find a protective foil on freshly purchased pieces - leave that on during cutting to reduce the chances of shattering (when sawing) or a buildup of unsightly residues (when laser cutting)!

Bending

Acrylic glass is easy to bend when heated, e.g. with a heat gun or a more precise hot wire jig.

Engraving

Prior to engraving (with a rotary tool or laser cutter), you should remove the protective foil on the side you want to work on.

Engravings become a dull and intransparent version of the original material's color. For more visible and colorful engravings, consider using fill-in paint!

Joining

Gluing

It is possible to join two pieces of acrylic using special adhesives like Acrifix.

Thermal Bonding

It seems to be possible to "sandwich" sheets of acrylic glass purely by heat and pressure. In this paper they use simple clamps and "110°C for up to 2 hours in a fan assisted oven" - sounds like a perfect experiment for a drying oven!

Sourcing

Buyer's Guide

Online shops are cheaper, but if you do not need much, the shipping fee will make it equally or more expensive compared to hardware stores. As a rule of thumb, expect to pay ~15€ per m² and mm thickness of extruded plexiglas. Cast plexiglas costs twice as much. You might find offcuts for a lower price.

Example Stores

You can buy acrylic glass from the following shops, among others:

"Zuschnitt" in Bauhaus
- only clear
- offcuts may be available
Hornbach in Pfaffengrund/Wieblingen
- several colors available.
Plattenzuschnitt24
- cheap acrylics, plexiglas, low shipping prices
- they also ship samples for a 5 € fee (can be used as credit for your next purchase)
hbholzmaus Kunststoffe
- fast & cheap shipping, many other plastics available
- also sell cheap offcuts (various sizes, easily big enough for laser cutting!)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{MaterialInfoBox
 |material name=Acrylic Glass
-|image=
+|image=acrylic glass tubes.jpg
 |synonyms=poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, "Perspex",<br>"Plexiglass"; DE: Acrylglas, "Plexiglas"
-|donation=approx. 10 € per m² and mm thickness
+|donation=approx. 15 € per m² and mm thickness
 |available=
 |location=
-|tools=[[Laser_Cutter|laser cutter]], [[files]],<br>[[Scroll Saw|scroll saw]], ''[[jigsaw]](?)''
+|tools=[[Laser_Cutter|laser cutter]], [[files]],<br>[[Scroll Saw|scroll saw]], [[bandsaw]], ''[[jigsaw]](?)''
 }}
+Acrylic glass is a thermoplastic and commonly known under the brand name "Plexiglass".
 Be careful not to confuse this with "Bastelglas" (polystyrene) or similar when [[Laser Cutting|laser cutting]], the other types will emit fumes harmful to humans and the laser cutter or may melt onto the bed.
 == Cutting ==
-You can [[:Category:Saws|saw]] it almost like wood, but it will melt due to heat and stick to the saw, so do it slowly. It is also possible to score a line and break it over an edge, as you would do with [[Material:Glass|glass]].
+You can [[:Category:Saws|saw]] acrylic glass almost like wood, but it will melt due to heat and stick to the saw, so do it slowly. [[Lukas]] got pretty good results with a 6 TPI [[Bandsaw Blade|bandsaw blade]] when he needed to [[Project:Fish Cages|cut tube stock]]. It is also possible to [[Glass Cutters|score a line]] and break it over an edge, as you would do with actual [[Material:Glass|glass]].
+Much better though: [[Laser Cutting|laser cut]] it! If it's not too thick, you'll end up with perfect edges and nicely repeatable results.
+You'll often find a protective foil on freshly purchased pieces - leave that on during cutting to reduce the chances of shattering (when sawing) or a buildup of unsightly residues (when laser cutting)!
+== Bending ==
+Acrylic glass is easy to bend when heated, e.g. with a [[Heat Gun|heat gun]] or a more precise hot wire jig.
-Much better though: laser cut it! If it's not too thick, you'll end up with perfect edges and nicely repeatable results.
+== Engraving ==
+Prior to engraving (with a [[Rotary Tool|rotary tool]] or [[Laser Cutter|laser cutter]]), you should remove the protective foil on the side you want to work on.
+Engravings become a dull and intransparent version of the original material's color. For more visible and colorful engravings, consider using [[Fill-In Paint|fill-in paint]]!
 == Joining ==
@@ Line 24: / Line 36: @@
 == Sourcing ==
 === Buyer's Guide ===
-Online shops are cheaper, but if you do not need much, the shipping fee will make it equally or more expensive compared to hardware stores. A good rule of thumb is 10 € per m² and mm thickness. You might find offcuts for a lower price.
+Online shops are cheaper, but if you do not need much, the shipping fee will make it equally or more expensive compared to hardware stores. As a rule of thumb, expect to pay ~15€ per m² and mm thickness of extruded plexiglas. Cast plexiglas costs twice as much. You might find offcuts for a lower price.
 === Example Stores ===
@@ Line 40: / Line 52: @@
 ** fast & cheap shipping, many other plastics available
 ** also sell cheap offcuts (various sizes, easily big enough for laser cutting!)
+== Further Reading ==
+* Makezine: [https://makezine.com/2021/07/29/acrylic-tips-and-tricks-for-designers-architects-makers/ "Acrylic Tips and Tricks for Designers, Architects, & Makers"]
 [[Category:Elementary Materials]]
 [[Category:Laser Cutting]]
+[[Category:Plastics]]
 [[Category:Sourcing]]