Cutting mirrored perspex sheets?

[Ian H]

If I were to buy a large mirrored perspex sheet to go between kitchen base and wall units, would I be able to DIY cut it or would I spoil the mirrored layer?

I would cut a 2.4 x 1.2 piece into 3 @ 2.4 x 0.4 and then cut a further 5 holes for sockets.

I’ve seen a place online that offers CNC cutting to my template but wonder if that’s necessary.

Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

With any sort of machine cutting, it's a fairly narrow line between melting the product and cutting too fast....mirrored acrylic isn't particularly prone to the layer coming off, but cutting with a coarse blade certainly causes chipping.
Thin acrylic - 3mm thereabouts - can be cut by scoring with a Stanley blade.
Similarly, using a router without some cooling medium would cause immediate melting of the acrylic. The raw edges are easily draw filed smooth with a slight chamfer.
Certainly there would be enough cover for the sockets to hide any nasties, and the edges would need sealing with silicone.
Could you get hold of an offcut for some practice?
John

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The acrylic should turn up with a thin protective pvc foil layer on both sides which helps protect the polished and plated surfaces. To cut the plastic use a jigsaw fitted with a relatively fine wavy set metal cutting saw blade, protect the surface by applying a couple of layers of wide (2in) masking tape to the underside of the saw base (to cover any burrs and/or sharp edges there may be), turn the blade orbit off and finally spritz/dribble water continually onto the cutting line to reduce any tendency of the swarf to weld back onto the main sheet.

IMPORTANT: Using water with any electrical tool is potentially highly dangerous - use a battery (cordless) saw if at all possible, if not then always use a tool which is protected with a sensitive in-line RCD. Either way ensure that as little water as possible contacts the tool by spraying the workpiece and not the tool

Cut carefully the edges can be cleaned up using a properly burred (sharpened) cabinet scraper (hint: place the plastic flat on a work surface and pull the scraper along the edge towards yourself). Set the factory edges to the top if needs be when installing

A better quality of cut can be had by using an electric router and ideally a spiral HSS router cutter, again with water cooling (same precautions apply)

Note that when cutting acrylic a lot of heat is generated, so cutting at the fastest possible feed speed and lowest rotation rate for the router is recommended (in any case no more than about 15,000rpm, ideally less - if your router is a small "screamer" running at 27 to 30k rpm, find another way of cutting because it will weld the cut in next to no time - too fast)

If it is too much of a faff, get it cut for you by the supplier (many plastics firms hsve cutting and polishing services)

 

[foxhole]

Bosch T101A Jigsaw Blade for Acrylic

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Yes but not always available. I was asked to put up a counter screen with a serving cut-out during lockdown at next to zero notice. In the absence of acrylic blades I resorted to the more old fashioned approach of using a wavy set metal blade. Incidentally, those acrylic blades also perform a lot better if you use water cooling

 

[endecotp]

I cut a piece of 3 or 4mm acrylic recently, using a fine jigsaw blade, possibly the T101A.
It started really well, then half way along the cut it suddenly started misbehaving. I thought the cut was just filling up with swarf but then I realised that the blade must have been heating up and at that point reached the melting point of the plastic; the molten plastic solidified behind the cut. Trying to snap along the re-solidified cut line was very hit-and-miss.
The first part of the cut was lovely. Water - as suggested above - might be the best solution. Short cuts should not be a problem.

 

[Ian H]

Bosch T101A Jigsaw Blade for Acrylic

Cool, just got 2 packs off e-bay for £6.

Thanks for all the advice, I’ll use them with water, it’s an electric saw so I’ll take it very easy.

 

[Ian H]

I’m looking for a supplier now but can’t find a local one. Theres a place that make displays from acrylic so I’ve e-mailed them. The others are all online.

Any ideas where I could go in the North West to pick a sheet up?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Amari Plastics in Middleton, Rossendale Plastics in Haslingden. Also many signwriting firms, firms making retail display units, etc carry polycarbonate and acrylic in stock (Perspex is actually a brand name, like Hoover). You could also ring the people who make Perspex and Lucite (Perspex International? - was once ICI) in Darwen to find out who distributes near you

 

[Ian H]

That’s great thanks. Rossendale is very close to me and they do it so I’ve messaged them too

 

[Ian H]

Rossendale Plastics have got back to me already, £102 with the VAT for an 8x4 sheet, that will give me more than what I need so can have a practice on the spare bit.


How am I best fixing the stuff to the wall? The wall is painted plaster.

 

[Burnerman]

I think an instant grab adhesive would be the way to go here, when I fix splash backs or whatever I like to employ some bracing just to hold it there until the adhesive goes off.
Naturally enough you'll get help where the sockets are, but its the very ends that need most bracing.
Is this a one piece project?
John

 

[Ian H]

No, it will have a single joint. My longest section is 3600mm, with the sheet being 2400mm.

 

[Burnerman]

For sure, disguising the join will be the biggest task, I think.....are you just going to butt it or use a H section joiner?
John

 

[Ian H]

I was going to butt them up together then put the kettle on the toaster in front of the joint