1. Home
  2. ⚙ Mechanical Engineering
  3. Source of plexiglass

Source of plexiglass

I have a hobby application for which I would like to employ thin sheets of plastic. Basically I'd be creating laminates which I would turn on a lathe. I would like to then polish the result to a gloss finish. So the questions are: Is plexiglass appropriate for this application or would something else (e.g. acrylic) be better? I would need sheets (about letter page size) in various colors. Is colored plexiglass available? I need thin sheets (about 1/16"). Can somebody suggest a supplier (hobby / retail would probably be best) where I can get small quantities? Thanks Steve

Reply to
Steve
Loading thread data ...

I'm not particularly familiar with machining acrylic/plexiglass, but it is fairly brittle and may pose some machining challenges. I do know that cast acrylic is more machinable than extruded acrylic due to the residual stresses produced by the extrusion process. I believe most large sheets are cast, but other shapes are commonly extruded.

Alternatively, you might want to consider polycarbonate. It is easily machined and can be polished. Polycarbonate comes in multiple grades, includinng machine grade. I don't know if it is readily available in multiple colors, although it can be colored.

I would begin looking for plastics suppliers in order to identify sources. Since you are buying small pieces, making mail order purchases will be practical. Otherwise, I would start with local plastics suppliers.

Reply to
John Eric Voltin

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.