Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a professional builder, acrylic perspex is becoming one of the constructors’ preferred options – especially as it’s readily available from local and national perspex cutters. Coloured acrylic comes in various styles and clear acrylic sheets offer comparable optical clarity to glass. Encapsulated with glass-like clarity, strength and resistance, working with acrylic sheets does not demand specialised skills and techniques. These sheets can be cut with standard workshop tools including:
Power saws
Acrylic dowel or blocks
Hand saws
Over the years, many do-it-yourself projects have used perspex sheets to enhance their design and durability. However, if you are a DIY enthusiast and are finding it difficult to cut acrylic at home, then have a look at several ways (listed below) to cut acrylic to size (also sold as perspex and plexiglass), achieving the highest degree of precision.
Cutting with a Hand Saw
Most people prefer to cut acrylic using a hand saw. However, this technique demands more concentration when compared with electrical saws. To achieve the best result it is advisable to use a saw that has uniform teeth.
Cutting with a Scoring Knife
It is one of the easiest methods to cut acrylic table tops. The process doesn’t demand the use of a power saw or any other heavy-duty electrical equipment. However, the process requires the following steps:
Mark the area of the sheet you want to cut.
Use a scoring knife to cut a narrow groove in the acrylic sheeting
Scoring preferably works on sheets less than ¼” (6.35mm) in thickness.
Place the sheet over a hard edge with groove-side up.
Clamp the sheet if needed.
Bend the overhang side of the sheet with quick and even motion.
As the sheet bends, the groove will deepen as the crack propagates throughout the sheet.
Bending will result in the separation of two pieces (polycarbonate sheets) with relatively straight and clean edges.
Cutting with a Jigsaw
A jigsaw is one preferred tool for cutting acrylic sheets. It is a small handheld tool that can cut the sheet with the straight blade by function up and down in fast motion. However, if you intend to cut acrylic into a nonlinear fashion, a jigsaw is the right option for you. It helps to achieve precise results by cutting the edges into curves and angular form. However, it is advisable to experiment with the setting and positioning of the machine to gauge desired results.
Cutting with a Bandsaw
A band saw is best for cutting intricate shapes and curves. While using a band saw, it is important to carefully select the blade and feed rate of the machine to minimise the risk of melting or chipping the sheet. A band saw works best with a thickness greater than 0.472 inches. It helps to achieve clean and clear edges by retaining the sharpness of the material.
Cutting with a Laser
Laser systems are designed to achieve complex and defined cutting of acrylic. Laser cutting is one of the preferred options to cut the desired design. Connected to a computer, the laser cutter works as a printer to translate the design/image onto the piece of acrylic. If you need to create complex, intricate and creative shapes with acrylic, a laser is probably the better option.
About author
James Bryant
Founder
James Bryant is the Founder of Cut My, an online retailer providing quality materials for home improvement and DIY projects. An avid DIY enthusiast himself, James started Cut My to share his passion for building and making things.
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Great products supplied as required. First class service.
Alan Jenkins,
13 minutes ago
Verified
Great product less so with delivery date promise
Great product, cut perfectly. Only problem we had was delivery, we were.promised an earlier delivery, waited in to no avail then was given 2 more dates and eventually delivered. Otherwise great product.
CHRIS B,
16 minutes ago
Verified
Product is very good …
Product is very good and arrived roughly when they said.
Tried to contact them by phone to get an update on delivery, but no chance. So emailed them, but they didnt reply for over 3 days, because of that only four stars.
Would definitely use them again.
Kevin,
18 minutes ago
Verified
Sizes spot on Delivery spot on What…
Sizes spot on Delivery spot on What more do you need? 😊
Alan Pitcher,
24 minutes ago
Verified
Great service and product
Great service and product. Going back for more.
ian nunn,
37 minutes ago
Verified
Easy to use website
Easy to use website, kept up to date with order and product exactly as described
Julie robinette,
1 hour ago
Verified
Excellent product
Excellent product, screwed up delivery of initial delivery but rectified very quickly and all well
Ian Greenhill,
4 hours ago
Verified
Very good service
Very good service, cut precisely, well packed for shipment and delivered within a few days, all good
And my skylight looks excellent
Martin Hardy,
4 hours ago
Verified
helpful and competent
helpful and competent
K and G,
4 hours ago
Verified
Great customer service and excellent…
Great customer service and excellent communication. Thank you.
Mr. Jeremy Davies,
8 hours ago
Great Product Great Price Great Customer Service
There were some delays along the way but am I glad I waited!
I had called before placing my order and from the outset they were very open and honest about some covid issues and explained if I did order there would be delays, but even after that, I still had the option to gain a full refund.
The product - Aluminium Composite - Copper coloured with Grain, all 7 pieces cut perfectly to the milemeter and with up to 4 sockets per cut/piece meant it was well worth using the socket/hole cutting service!
Just wish they sold edging strips to match 😉
Thank you 🙂 the kitchen looks amazing now!
Ian,
20 hours ago
Verified
Good service
Cut perspex light diffuser panels to custom sizes with angles and notches. Made a tricky time consuming job easy. Will use again.
Geoff Harris,
19 hours ago
Verified
Perfect size
Perfect size
Customer,
19 hours ago
Verified
Great service
Great service
P R,
19 hours ago
Verified
Excellent Service
Great purchase. Very pleased with our made to measure splashback. Arrived when expected & very well packaged so no damage. Fitted perfectly. Have ordered some shelving now.
Margaret Welsh,
20 hours ago
Verified
Very easy transaction
Very easy transaction
GEMMA CORNELIUS,
20 hours ago
Verified
Great product
Great product, good delivery . Fitted exactly into the space where necessary
Yvonne Connally,
23 hours ago
Verified
The replacement greenhouse glass was…
The replacement greenhouse glass was cut exactly to size, easy to place the order with the dimensions. Just wish it could have been a little faster on delivery.
Matched,
1 day ago
Verified
Fantastic product, just a couple of thoughts…
Bought 2x3mm panels to cover a bedroom unit for surface protection. Arrived well packaged and cut perfectly to size. Panels look great. Chose the glass option and had the edges polished and you can’t tell the difference between these and glass. 2 thoughts on them however. As they are plastic, they are somewhat dust magnets because of static, and being 3mm (as I put the feet underneath) they dip if you put anything on them. Might have been better to leave the feet off. Don’t know if a thicker option might have been more sturdy. Cleaning them with anti static spray, but a bit of a battle to keep them looking clean. Other than that would still give the product and company 5 stars for service and quality.
Debbie Foulkes,
1 day ago
Verified
Good price fast delivery
Good price fast delivery
Dennis Suttenwood,
1 day ago
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