How To Cut Plexiglass: It’s Time To Expand Your DIY Skills

This fruit bowl may look expensive, but it’s not. If you have a heat gun, this DIY project is super inexpensive. Using a heat gun and pliers, Stacy Risenmay created this bowl in minutes. 
When you buy plexiglas, it’ll be wrapped in protective paper. The paper is designed to prevent scratching. It’s not uncommon for the protective paper to stick to the acrylic sheets, which makes it hard to remove. You can use soapy water to remove the paper, but other DIY solutions are available.

If it breaks with a clean cut, use grit sandpaper to smooth over the edges with a polishing compound or buffing pad. The process is similar to cutting drywall, which requires the same tools. 

What Is Plexiglass? 

A fine-bladed curricular saw or table saw is definitely the best way all around. Use a slow speed and keep the material cool and this is the best way to cut plexiglass all-around. But try to tailor your method to the plexiglass. 
The following projects require a utility knife, a sheet of plexiglass or acrylic sheet, an electric drill, and maybe a handheld glass cutter.
The type of blade you use is important. You can use any metal cutting blade, but the best blades to cut plexiglass are carbide tipped. 

Cutting Plexiglass

To make straight cuts, use a scored line with your cutting tool or box cutter. Make a shallow cut along the flat surface. With the same line make a deeper pass while running your knife along the straight lines.  

Carbide Tips

You might be more familiar with plexiglass by its other name, acrylic. Plexiglass is a clear acrylic that has many uses. One sheet of plexiglass can go a long way. 
When you need to cut thick sheets of plexiglass with an electric saw, it is critical that you use the right blade. Even if you’re working with a jigsaw blade or circular saw, if you don’t use the right blade, you will not achieve your goal. 

If you don’t know how to use a circular saw or an electric cutting tool, you’ll need to learn how before you cut an acrylic sheet. 
You can get them in glass, leather, metal, and even agate. All you need is a heat gun and a block to shape the plexiglass around. You can buy the pre-cut plexiglass in a square shape. Ashley Phipps makes this project look easy but it will take practice to master. 

Gather Materials

Here are the steps you should follow for your DIY plexiglass project:
Working with plexiglass is easier than working with glass.  Because it is versatile, plexiglass can be applied to many projects. You can use it for furniture, walls, and showers, to name a few. 

Prepare Work Surface

We mounted the shelves and cut the plexiglass to fit and used 3/4 in plexiglass for strength. If you want something that can hold heavier objects, then install thicker sheets. You’ll also want to make sure the shelves are evenly spaced so your interior design is balanced.

Measure And Mark

Then measure again to match. Also, make tiny cut marks in a straight line with your permanent marker. 
Acrylic plastic was first produced in 1928 and brought to the market by Rohm and Hass Company around 1933. Today, plexiglass is used for picture frames, airplane windows, and basketball backboards, and in Russia, it’s used to make transparent wheels for automobiles.

Scoring And Cutting

The plexiglass here is thin and really easy to work with. You can use a utility knife or any kind of hand tool for the plexiglass which can be purchased at hardware stores or craft stores.
Whether cutting a thin layer or thick sheet of plexiglass, the durable material should be handled with care. And just as it is with glass, you’ll need to wear protective clothing, gloves, and safety glasses.

Rubber Sanding Block

You can use a permanent marker or cutting tool to mark your plexiglass. Measure everything first. Determine the size you want and write each measurement down.

Difference Between Acrylic And Plexiglass 

Serious do it yourselfers know better. 
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Plexiglass DIY Projects 

Plexiglass is medium-difficulty to cut. So you probably want to use the tool that will make it the easiest to cut. For thin plexiglass, very thin, a utility knife is hassle-free. But for thick plexiglass, a circular saw is easier. 

Cut Plexiglass Window Shelves

Acrylic sheets, unlike glass, is a versatile material for DIY projects. As we mentioned, it is of utmost importance that you wear protective gear. Cutting acrylic can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you use a circular saw to make picture frames, for example, just make sure you use the right blade.
A rubber sanding block holds sandpaper in wet or dry surface conditions. For best results, use a power sander to achieve that perfect polish. To achieve an amazing polish, use a polishing compound formulated for plastic. 
Here we have one of our own projects where we mounted plexiglass shelves on windows. We spray-painted the brackets and screws with gold color to add character.

Contemporary Pencil Holder

You can cut plexiglass with a power saw or other power tools. When working with thin sheets, it’s safer to cut them by hand, like with a utility knife or saw blade. Thicker sheets will require more powerful saws. 

With a carbide saw blade, the main body of the blade is steel. Small carbide tips are brazed onto the saw’s body. A good carbide tip might hold an edge ten to 20 times longer than a tool steel tip.

Abstract Fruit Bowl 

However, many don’t understand what plexiglass is or how to cut it. Once you learn how a world of home improvement possibilities will open up to you. 

Acrylic Desk Tray

This bin by The Handyman’s Daughter was created for LEGOs, but it can be used for anything. Special trays were cut in the wood below to accommodate the LEGO bases but they can be used for other things too. 
Among serious do it yourselfers, plexiglass is a go-to material and shatterproof substitute for glass. Among DIY home improvement projects, plexiglass is the king.

Toy Storage Bin 

One way to remove wrapping from plexiglass is with denatured alcohol. All you have to do is pour the alcohol over the paper and wait one minute. Afterward, you can start peeling it off.
Do you know how to cut plexiglass? It seems many people don’t know anything about cutting sheets of plexiglass. As a versatile material, plexiglass is easy and useful.

West Elm Wall Shelf

You’ll need a cutting tool, scoring tool, a box cutter, or plexiglass cutting tool, and measuring tape. When working with thick plexiglass, you’ll need additional tools. Thicker acrylic sheets will require a table saw with fine teeth. 
Continue cutting until you’re at least 3/4 of the way through. Then, move the piece to the end of the table and apply sharp downward pressure to the other side. If it breaks, that’s okay, but if the acrylic sheet doesn’t break, keep cutting.

How To Cut Plexiglass Conclusion

When you know how to cut plexiglass, you can explore your DIY sensibilities. If you’re working with a thin plexiglass sheet, a glass cutter will be sufficient. 
Just like with any project, you need a work surface that’s clean and organized. 
When you need to cut thicker plexiglass material, a power saw will be necessary. Cutting plexiglass with an electric saw should be handled carefully.
This plexiglass pencil holder is useful and it looks amazing. Anika’s DIY Life created this with a simple wood frame opposite a similar open-top plexiglass frame. 
Also, when using a power saw, for example, make sure you don’t use it for extended periods. You’ll need to let the blade cool in between sessions. An overheated blade could melt your acrylic sheet and ruin your power saw.