# Cutting Acrylic



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

I got to make a sign out of 1/2" acrylic. I got a 1/8" end mill bit made for this stuff. The question is ...... what speed and how deep a pass can I make to do this?

I have to profile cut the shape and rout inside (nothing complicated) about 1/4". Just a pocket cut for an insert and then 2 1/4" numbers.

HJ


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

Cutter has to be solid carbide.
HSS will melt & weld.
I would not take much more than .060 - .090"/pass, & that may be too much if the end flutes don't like blind cutting.
And, in my view, that cutter will be cutting all day and probably melting plastic before noon. I'd use a bigger cutter.
Swarf collection should be right at the cutter or you'll be cutting more waste than new material.
Plastics.


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## fixtureman (Jul 5, 2012)

I am cutting some right now with a 1/8 up cut bit I am running it at 18000 RPM and 1.5 ips .062 deep


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Then I could do this in one pass, or should I do 2 or 3 just to be safe?

HJ


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

On a completely randome side note... I just got a spot at the Vectrix event in Las Vegas, airplane tickets bought. arrive late Thursday. wife can not attend this year.. 
Hope to see you there..
Scott


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

We'll be there Thurs eve sometime too.

Same # I used before?? First dinner's on us. Shoot me a PM where you're staying.

HJ

RainMan - - you could be there with us!!!!!!


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Did a little practicing and cut some letters out. Used 4 passes, just to be safe, before doing the good cut. Now, the dumb question, how do you get the masking paper off the acrylic? Right now I got a piece in the sink with warm soapy water. Is there a trick to this I'm going to feel stupid about when I find out?

Been soaking about an hour - not doing any good.

HJ


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

I put some denatured alcohol on it and it cut the glue pretty good. Just seems that there should be an easier way.

HJ

Nuff wood & stuff for tonite - - gonna go marinate some venison chop loins and make some bacon wraps - - - the new season is here. Need the room in the freezer.


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## Ryan360 (Jun 22, 2015)

are you talking like acrylic plexiglass? or like plastic acrylic? I cut this stuff HDPE with a 1/8 Solid Carbide bit i got off amazon ( http://amzn.to/1FszU0J ) works awesome for alu. too! But for the HDPE I take about a .125 pass at about 35-40 ipm (16,000 rpm). If your doing plexiglass, faster is better, i think i was doing like .08 - .1 passes at like 90-100 ipm (16,000 rpm) also was spraying wd-40 every now and then, keeping the surface of the plexiglass wet, where the bit was going. Just stuff that worked for me....no guarantee lol


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

The sheet that the guy gave me is labeled --

Chemcast GP
cell cast acrylic
It's 1/2" thick and clear

Last nite I cut a sample using a 1/8" end mill upcut carbide bit - 18000 rpm - .9" cut at 80" per min. Seemed to work fine. Didn't melt anything, or even heat up. I had chips flying all over the place. End product came out as I wanted.

Got to take the sample in tomorrow and get it either tweeked or approved.

Can you spray paint the clear stuff, or do you have to buy the color you need?

HJ


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## SteveMI (May 29, 2011)

John,

Like Ryan said "faster is better", keep increasing the speed until you get chips. Slower and it melts or puts too much drag on bit. I use a whiteside bit made for plastic, believe it is only single flute.

You need to get the color stuff if the customer wants color and the least bit transparent. One of the product features is not having stuff stick to it.

Steve.


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

Your sample is old or has been exposed to the sun too long, one one side or both.
Usually the protected side comes clean with no provocation.
When that happens: Soak in mineral spirits.
Peel when it starts to lift to get more solvent between the paper & the Ac.
Can take all day with a big work piece.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Quill,

That worked. Wet a rag with mineral spirits and wiped it all down. Let it set a few minutes and it peeled off. 

Thanx

HJ


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