Cutting Acrylic Sheet with a table router

Cutting Acrylic, Cutting Plexiglass - Table Routing

Part 3
Using a table router is one of the best methods for cutting acrylic sheet. It’s also a much more versatile method for cutting and generally produces good edge quality. There’s a video on this blog of someone using a table router to trim some acrylic parts. The router bit he’s using has a bearing on it that rides against the part while the excess is trimmed away. This method also works great for cutting when you already have a template of the shape you want to cut. Use double sided tape to secure your template to the acrylic sheet and cut your part. For straight cuts, set up a fence to ensure straight line cutting. Table routers are wonderful for doing edge details such as beveling and bullnosing. Router bits for wood work just fine for plexiglass or acrylic sheet. Cutting is done in the conventional direction, that is, the blade is turning towards the material feed. Just like when cutting acrylic with a saw, use a sharp tool. Don’t use a bit you have been using to cut wood and expect a great edge quality. Larger diameter bits (1/2”) produce better cut quality than smaller diameters. The general rule is to run as high an rpm as possible, however on bits with a diameter over 1” always check what the manufacturer recommends. And never forget to practice good safety.

How to Cut Plexiglass, How to Cut Acrylic

Part 1
Let's just get this out of the way first... What's the difference between Plexiglass and Acrylic? Nothing, it's the same thing, Plexiglass is the common name for Acrylic. Paper or film masking? Depends on your application, I prefer film because most plastic sheet manufacturer's film masking is specially made to work as a cutting lubricant.
We are often asked what is the best method to cut Plexiglass(Acrylic). For us, that's easy. We walk over to one of our state of the art computerized saws that is equipped with a high precision top of the line Acrylic blade. Perfect results. For the normal do it yourselfer the best answer is... it depends on what tools you have available to you and what you are trying to do. On the right is a link, Plastic Fabrication Manuals. On that page are a collection of fabrication manuals from different plastic sheet manufacturers. That's a great place to start. They cover cutting, drilling, bending, polishing and much more. Also on the right are a few videos, we'll try to keep adding more. I hear many people say they have had great results using a Dremel, I have never had that much luck. For a Dremel, your project needs to be small and you need to have a great deal of patience.
The most common tools to achieve the best results are either a table saw or table router. Using a table router generally produces better edge quality. Meaning less work if you plan to polish the edges. Don't get me wrong, a table saw can produce a great cut as well. One of the things to keep in mind is to use a very sharp blade or bit and a nice smooth steady feed. Allow the saw or router to freely cut the Plexiglass, don't try to force the material into the blade. You can tell by the sound. If you force it, you are generating heat and now melting the Acrylic instead of cutting it. Remember, sharp blade and smooth feed.
Part 2: Saw Cutting Acrylic/ Plexiglass
Part 3: Table Routing Arcylic/ Plexiglass