acrylic vs angle grinder

Xrqute

Xrqute

New member
Hi guys,

I'm really over cutting acrylic with a hack saw so I was wondering how well does it hold up against a grinder with a cutting disk? Does it just melt and go rancid as I suspect or do you actually get clean cuts?

I think I'm going to have to invest in a dremal in the near future.

Cheers,
Xr.
 
a mini hack saw should be fine dude?! jesus

Failing that, use the trick e22 uses, cut a tiny bit, then bend it and it should snap/crack evenly, then sand it flat/smooth and wet/dry it perfect
 
if you use an angle grinder it will more than likely shatter the plastic and also introduce hairline fractures into the plastic, and melt it (I know it will melt it from the time when I was ceiling fitter, someone tried cutting some thin steel tiles with one and the results wasn't too pleasant to say the least)
 
SuB said:
a mini hack saw should be fine dude?! jesus

Failing that, use the trick e22 uses, cut a tiny bit, then bend it and it should snap/crack evenly, then sand it flat/smooth and wet/dry it perfect
Click to expand...

I'm about working smarter not harder broski!

The only stupid questions are the ones left unasked.
 
Xrqute said:
I'm about working smarter not harder broski!

The only stupid questions are the ones left unasked.
Click to expand...

Not to be rude but patience is a virtue and thinking of cutting with an angle grinder is not gonna be pretty ;)

Most likely will shatter/splinter your ends meaning longer prep time with smoothing and sanding. Not quite sure whats wrong with a hacksaw. Wedge the tube in a G-clamp, and 20sec later you have made a clean cut right through.

If anything I hate the clean up afterwards and sanding the small 0.5mm 45degree angle on the ends etc. Cutting is the easy and quick part.
 
Cutting and bending your tubing is a slow, and very methodical and rewarding process matey :P Me thinks you're in the wrong hobby if you're looking for shortcuts! (get it)
 
If it's acrylic sheet, a jigsaw with a very fine blade is great, but cut slowly and protect the surface well to stop the saw foot marking the sheet.

If it's acrylic tubing, stop being bloody lazy :)
 
SuB said:
Cutting and bending your tubing is a slow, and very methodical and rewarding process matey :P Me thinks you're in the wrong hobby if you're looking for shortcuts! (get it)
Click to expand...

Warchild said:
Not to be rude but patience is a virtue and thinking of cutting with an angle grinder is not gonna be pretty ;)

Most likely will shatter/splinter your ends meaning longer prep time with smoothing and sanding. Not quite sure whats wrong with a hacksaw. Wedge the tube in a G-clamp, and 20sec later you have made a clean cut right through.

If anything I hate the clean up afterwards and sanding the small 0.5mm 45degree angle on the ends etc. Cutting is the easy and quick part.
Click to expand...

I understand this takes time. I understand patince is a virture. But whats wrong with wanting to be efficient? Is your time not precious? I know mine is. Atm I'm also amod lacing my cables the other I've been trying different materials colors etc redoing it over and over till i het that look I want. I've also got something else really cool planned in which I'm going to implement once I get a replacement gpu+block or I may hold it off just a touch more till I get my 900D but yeah I've never seen it done so I hope it really sets my apart :-P
 
There is a fine line between efficient and looking awful. Pretty sure you need a microscope to see it.
 
If there were shortcuts we would have found them, I think I've said it before but again, and in harmony with everyone else.. Take your time.

If your wanting to cut Acrylic sheet, use a Hack saw, fret saw or dremel, for tubing use a pipe cutter or hack saw.
 
Wait what :/ I could definitely cut through an acrylic tube with a hacksaw faster than you could spin up your angle grinder and melt it. Also mine would be the right length.

If your talking about sheet then it's faster to use a hacksaw than a dremel however I personally find the dremel gives a better cut. Milling is even slower still but it's practically flawless. Starting to see a trend? Generally the slow, controlled and skilful method gives the best results and when your just building one rig that is what you want.

A lathe would probably be the best, most accurate and fastest way to cut acrylic tube as you wouldn't need any time to clean up the cut.

JR
 
The effects of heat on acrylic can be seen clearly here, after heating he applies pure alcohol to the acrylic and it seeps into all the weak points within the sheet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MEhbH6DK4
A angle grinder would apply far to much heat and cause weakness within, that is if it doesn't shatter it first.
 
Wraithguard said:
If there were shortcuts we would have found them, I think I've said it before but again, and in harmony with everyone else.. Take your time.

If your wanting to cut Acrylic sheet, use a Hack saw, fret saw or dremel, for tubing use a pipe cutter or hack saw.
Click to expand...

barnsley said:
There is a fine line between efficient and looking awful. Pretty sure you need a microscope to see it.
Click to expand...

Thats why I asked! As I said in the OP I assumed it would go to shit. But I still wanted to be sure and on draw from the wealth of knowledge within these walls which is far greater than my own.

Also pipe cutters just crack acrylic you don't get a nice clean cut like you would with Conduit or copper tube.
 
Wraithguard said:
The effects of heat on acrylic can be seen clearly here, after heating he applies pure alcohol to the acrylic and it seeps into all the weak points within the sheet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MEhbH6DK4
A angle grinder would apply far to much heat and cause weakness within, that is if it doesn't shatter it first.
Click to expand...

moot point if it's acrylic tubing to be bent with a heatgun though really isn't it :P

I linked that video myself some time ago! ;)
 
Xrqute said:
After watching this it has made me think I could use an angle grinder with CUTTING disk (as I said in OP) not a grinding disk and get goid cuts. Because as the end of the day it's just a bigger Dremal the cutting disks work exactly the same way.
Click to expand...

it not just the disk that you got to take into consideration, it the speed at which it runs at, too fast = hairline fractures from the vibration.
 
i hate using my dremel to be honest. it may be faster than a hacksaw but that just means mistakes can happen faster. if i even have to handle acrylic i use a saw not as grinder. as the guys mentioned the issues of heat and microfractures etc. the skipping/bounce alone on a dremel would probably wreck your cut.
 
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