I was gifted some 3/8 inch cast acrylic. I used a small piece and tested etching it on my x-carve using a 3 &4 mm ball nose at a depth of .02 fist then .01. With some minor treaks my test will work.
Now, some of these acrylic sheets are 36" x 18". I want to cut down to smaller pieces. I have a diamond bit ceramic blade that is brand new. Will that work? I don’t think scoring and snapping will work as it is 3/8" thick.
Any advice would be helpful
that won’t work, will have a meltdown.
or you can use a table saw and a 60-tooth carbide blade
Ray, when I cut acrylic or polycarbonate, I do it in my table saw with a 60 tooth carbide plastic cutting blade (80 tooth if cutting less than 1/8" thick). I recommend the Forrest No Melt Saw Blade. Been using mine for about 25 years with great success.
No Melt Saw Blades for Plastic Sheets and Extrusions - Forrest Saw Blades: Quality Saw Blades & Dados (forrestblades.com)
Acrylic is an extremely versatile material which provides great results when being laser cut or laser engraved. Both extruded and cast acrylic can be laser cut, however extruded acrylic can be left with a slight burr on the edge of the material after laser cutting whereas cast acrylic is left with an extremely smooth edge. Depending on the power of the laser tube it is possible to cut acrylic up to a thickness of 25mm whilst maintaining a square edge. Clear cast acrylic is normally favoured when producing awards and plaques because once engraved it turns a frosty white colour which creates a stunning finish. Certain colours do not react very well when laser cut because the pigment or dye in the acrylic reacts poorly to heat, however the edge discolouration can normally be reduced by modifying settings on the laser such as the cutting speed, the volume of air flow and the amount of power being used.
Are you did it handy or on cnc machine?
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