- 1). Make straight cuts in Plexiglas or Lexan, with a thickness of up to 0.236 inches or less and up to 18 inches wide, by scoring and breaking. Lay the sheet paper side down on a flat surface. Use a metal straight edge and a grease pencil to mark the cut line.
- 2). Score the cut line with the tip of a utility knife at least five times on thin material, using the straight edge as a guide. The score line should penetrate close to half the thickness of the Plexiglas.
- 3). Place the score line on the edge of a table. Lay a straight thick plank edge side down, over the table side of the cut line. Clamp the plank down with G clamps close to the score line. Apply sharp downward pressure to snap the Plexiglas in two.
- 4). Cut larger pieces of Plexiglas or Lexan of any thickness on a table saw. Use a blade with 60 carbide-tipped teeth and with a triple-chip-tooth design. The teeth should have a square profile and a 5 to 10 degree positive rake angle.
- 5). Peel the edge of the paper back. Tape both sides of the cut line with masking tape to prevent chipping. Glue Kraft paper to the underside of the Plexiglas with a dab of rubber cement on each corner to prevent scratches. Mark the cut line on the upper surface of the masking tape.
- 6). Adjust the saw fence and cut the Plexiglas or Lexan with a feed rate of 3 to 4 inches per second.
- 7). Cut curves or irregular lines through Plexiglas or Lexan on a band saw fitted with a "skip tooth" or "buttress" blade. Glue Kraft paper to the underside before cutting as described in Step 4. Feed the material through at a constant speed fast enough to prevent it from chipping, and slow enough to prevent it from melting.
- 8). Finish all cut edges with 100-grit sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block prior to joining the material with acrylic cement.
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