working with plexiglass

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:45:52 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 18 July, 23:14, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>
>All sorts of solvents. Exactly what depends on MSDS / OSHA regs in
>your part of the world. Talk to your plastic supplier, but really this
>is a simple problem and you just buy a jar of their recommended
>moonshine. There are two sorts - thin pure solvents and also thickened
>glues, made by dissolving plastic scrap in the thin stuff. One gives a
>cleaner job, the other helps to fill gaps.
>
>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>
>Mechanical fasteners, with the ability to slide for cross-grain
>moisture movement of the timber. Otherwise use well-dried and long-
>seasoned stable timber, small linear dimensions and epoxy.
>
>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>
>Depends on the size of what you're making, and what you can get. I
>make big display boxes from 6mm, small things from 3mm.
>
>You need some tools, first of all a saw. Bandsaws work well, as they
>aid clearance of the swarf. A problem with working plastic like this
>is the "wooly" swarf that comes off, and its tendency to re-weld to
>the sides of the cut with heat. On my bandsaw I had to also remove the
>mesh finger-guard from the dust extract port, to avoid clogging. If
>you use a reciprocating jigsaw, it needs to have low vibration and
>works best with a mild pendulum action - swarf welding is the
>problem. Fretsaws work well too, but are obviously slow.
>
>A belt sander (cheap benchtop mounted one, common these days) is a
>useful tool for finishing edges, before gluing. Straighter, smoother
>edges need less gap-filling from the glue and so look neater when
>finished.
>
>Finish polishing is important. Use many different grades of wet & dry
>paper in turn (double the grit for each step) and you might find a
>powered sander helpful. As always, don't switch grits until you're
>finished with the larger grit, otherwise you end up with a polished
>mirror that has big scratches left in it. Final polishing used to be
>done with paste polishes (and took ages), but these days it's far
>easier to buy some Micro-mesh abrasives. These work excellently well
>for polishing acrylic.

These days, edge polishing of plexiglas is done with a flame.

On 19 July, 12:59, [email protected] wrote:

> These days, edge polishing of plexiglas is done with a flame.

That tends to round the corners, so it's good for bare edges, but not
if you're trying to make butt joints.

I make my display cases with 45=B0 butted mitres. I can saw these on the
bandsaw, but they still need polishing up to 400 grit wet & dry if
they're to be invisible, even after solvent welding.

I doubt it's more than half. Be nice.


"-MIKE-" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.


On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>
> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> Yeah, ok buddy.
>


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.

"-MIKE-" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Yeah, ok buddy.

I recall a model maker neighbor used laquer thinner to bond plastics,
but that's been fifty years or so ago.

I would suggest visiting a big hobby shop. I was in one recently and
saw a rack filled with specialized adhesives and a counter manned by
hobbyists!

As to the wooden base, might you rout a groove to take the plastic?
Recessing the box into the base might serve to hide the joint and the
glue used.

"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote

>>2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>
> Sorry, no idea. My best guess is that you'll probably need a mechanical
> fastener of some sort. Acrylic plastics are glued to each other with a
> solvent
> that essentially bonds them into a single piece. This process obviously
> won't
> work if the other piece is wood.

I have successfully glue acrylic 'Perspex' to wood with a general purpose
hot melt adhesive. It pays to warm both surfaces before gluing.

I seem to remember that you can make an adhesive by dissolving scraps in
glacial acetic acid.

Take care with the acid.

Jeff

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net

On 19 July, 20:16, "Josepi" <[email protected]> wrote:
> The commercial solvents are just pure acetone, the main ingredient in nail
> polish remover.

Nail polish remover has been cellulose acetate, not acetone, for some
years now. Doesn't dry skin as much, but it's useless in the workshop.

Nail polish remover is also full of perfume and oils to relieve the nasty
effects on your skin from the acetone.

I wasn't suggesting to use it. I should have elaborated more.


"Andy Dingley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Nail polish remover has been cellulose acetate, not acetone, for some
years now. Doesn't dry skin as much, but it's useless in the workshop

On 19 July, 20:16, "Josepi" <[email protected]> wrote:
> The commercial solvents are just pure acetone, the main ingredient in nail
> polish remover.

.

Ed Lowenstein wrote:
> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
> sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
> Thanks in advance.
> ---> Ed

Be aware that there are different types of Plexiglass.
http://www.plexiglas.com/acrylicsheet/acrylicsheetfamily/

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Sniffing acetone again?


http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?p=94220

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00825.htm

http://www.thepenshop.net/Library%20Tutorials%20and%20Reference/Plexi.pdf

http://www.rplastics.com/faqs.html

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353848

http://www.ehow.com/how_5229770_glue-plexiglass-together.html

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/28985/

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f55/plexiglass-finish-6957/

http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6661



"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
That is not correct. Acetone does not dissolve plexiglass.


In article <[email protected]>, notbob <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On 2010-07-18, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>
>All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. If straight acetone
>is too difficult to work with, mix some Plexiglas sawdust with it till
>you get the consistency you want.




"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Fiberglass and plexiglas are *not* the same thing. Acetone is an excellent
solvent for the resins that make up the former; it has no effect on the
latter.

OK, I'll go 60% and that's tops.


"-MIKE-" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
I don't have the patience nor imagination to figure that put. :-)



On 7/19/10 4:19 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In
> article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]>
> wrote:
>> On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
>>> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>>>
>>> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Yeah, ok buddy.
>>>
>>
>> At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.
>>
>>
> PDFTFT

"Ed Lowenstein" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f786e5de-a309-4cb8-8a3e-f7bf43ae2841@t10g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...
>I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
> sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
> Thanks in advance.
> ---> Ed



You are going to need to give more infor for #3. Like what are you using
the stuff for?

The commercial solvents are just pure acetone, the main ingredient in nail
polish remover.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-nail-polish-remover.htm

but the commercial plexiglass solvents come in a nice hypodermic style
dispenser. If it touches the plexiglass elsewhere it disolves it too and it
looks like hell.


Plexiglass is an old product that will yellow on you. Look for polycarbonate
(depending on usage) at Home Depot, Single , double and triple thicknesses
are available for green house and other usage


"Ed Lowenstein" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f786e5de-a309-4cb8-8a3e-f7bf43ae2841@t10g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...
I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
sides. I need to know 2 things:
1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
Thanks in advance.
---> Ed

On 7/21/2010 2:04 PM, notbob wrote:
> On 2010-07-21, Larry Jaques<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
>> their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
>> the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
>> drying, and has a very nice capillary action.<shrug>
>
> Yeah. I guess I was just hallucinating when the whole class used it
> in a Summer school crafts shop dedicated to working with Fiberglas.
> Musta been from sniffing all that acetone.
>
> Are there better solvents? Yes. MEK is fun, if you don't mind yer
> kid being born with flippers. DCM, the primary solvent in Tap acrylic
> cement. You checked the prices at Tap Plastics, lately? Bring $$$!!
> Otherwise, acetone (which is no saint) works jes fine. ;)
>
> nb


Isn't the cleaning fluid that plumbers use to clean and prime PVC pipe
before gluing MEK based?
The stuff I have in my workshop is I'm sure.
I'll check and report back

--
Kevin (Bluey)
"I'm not young enough to know everything."

[email protected]

Some don't know the difference between plexiglass and other plastics, it
seems.
http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?p=94220

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00825.htm

http://www.thepenshop.net/Library%20Tutorials%20and%20Reference/Plexi.pdf

http://www.rplastics.com/faqs.html

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353848

http://www.ehow.com/how_5229770_glue-plexiglass-together.html

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/28985/

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f55/plexiglass-finish-6957/

http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6661



"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Don't know what solvent you're actually thinking of, but it's not acetone.
Acetone does *not* dissolve plexiglass. Here, try an experiment: soak a rag
in
acetone and wipe it across a piece of acrylic plastic -- then watch as the
acetone evaporates, leaving the plastic totally unscathed.

Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]
oups.com:

> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with
> plexiglass sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too
> sapele base? 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
> Thanks in advance.
> ---> Ed
>

Lots of good info here.:
http://www.tapplastics.com/info/video.php

The thickness you need depends a lot on how big the boxes will
be.

Ken

On 18 July, 23:14, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
> sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?

All sorts of solvents. Exactly what depends on MSDS / OSHA regs in
your part of the world. Talk to your plastic supplier, but really this
is a simple problem and you just buy a jar of their recommended
moonshine. There are two sorts - thin pure solvents and also thickened
glues, made by dissolving plastic scrap in the thin stuff. One gives a
cleaner job, the other helps to fill gaps.

> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?

Mechanical fasteners, with the ability to slide for cross-grain
moisture movement of the timber. Otherwise use well-dried and long-
seasoned stable timber, small linear dimensions and epoxy.

> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?

Depends on the size of what you're making, and what you can get. I
make big display boxes from 6mm, small things from 3mm.

You need some tools, first of all a saw. Bandsaws work well, as they
aid clearance of the swarf. A problem with working plastic like this
is the "wooly" swarf that comes off, and its tendency to re-weld to
the sides of the cut with heat. On my bandsaw I had to also remove the
mesh finger-guard from the dust extract port, to avoid clogging. If
you use a reciprocating jigsaw, it needs to have low vibration and
works best with a mild pendulum action - swarf welding is the
problem. Fretsaws work well too, but are obviously slow.

A belt sander (cheap benchtop mounted one, common these days) is a
useful tool for finishing edges, before gluing. Straighter, smoother
edges need less gap-filling from the glue and so look neater when
finished.

Finish polishing is important. Use many different grades of wet & dry
paper in turn (double the grit for each step) and you might find a
powered sander helpful. As always, don't switch grits until you're
finished with the larger grit, otherwise you end up with a polished
mirror that has big scratches left in it. Final polishing used to be
done with paste polishes (and took ages), but these days it's far
easier to buy some Micro-mesh abrasives. These work excellently well
for polishing acrylic.

On 19 July, 18:47, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:

> All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. =A0

You'll be lucky. Acetone dissolves acrylic well enough that a spill
is damaging to the surface, but not well enough that it makes a useful
solvent glue.

On Jul 19, 11:37=A0am, GROVER <[email protected]> wrote:


> Syringes are not easy to obtain as they have =A0other nefarious
> uses.
>
TSC stores carry syringes for the farming community. Easy to obtain. I
buy them all the time to glue small letters to a substrate.

Once a know-it-all troll, always a know-it-all troll!

and as usual, Full of Shit 61% of the time!


http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?p=94220

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00825.htm

http://www.thepenshop.net/Library%20Tutorials%20and%20Reference/Plexi.pdf

http://www.rplastics.com/faqs.html

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353848

http://www.ehow.com/how_5229770_glue-plexiglass-together.html

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/28985/

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f55/plexiglass-finish-6957/

http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6661



"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
That is not correct. Acetone does not dissolve plexiglass.


In article <[email protected]>, notbob <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On 2010-07-18, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>
>All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. If straight acetone
>is too difficult to work with, mix some Plexiglas sawdust with it till
>you get the consistency you want.

On Jul 18, 6:14=A0pm, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
> sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
> Thanks in advance.
> ---> Ed

I did the same project many years ago and offer the following tips in
answer to your questions.

1 . There are 3 techniques used to bond acrylic plastics together
depending on strength requirements, they are capillary, soak cementing
or reactive. The capillary method can be accomplished using ethylene
dichoride applied with a hyperdermic syringe. The reason for the
syringe applicator is neatness counts. Spills away from the seem will
show. Syringes are not easy to obtain as they have other nefarious
uses.

2 and 3. No idea.

Try reaching the acrylic manufacturers such as Rohm and Hass, DuPont
and many others. They usually can supply booklets or web sites with
details of fabrication which should authoritatively answer all your
questions.

Automotive tail light assemblies used (and maybe still are) to made of
cast acrylic plastics.

Joe G

On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:58:59 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
<[email protected]> wrote the following:

>On 19 July, 18:47, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone.  
>
>You'll be lucky. Acetone dissolves acrylic well enough that a spill
>is damaging to the surface, but not well enough that it makes a useful
>solvent glue.

Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
drying, and has a very nice capillary action. <shrug>

--
Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels,
throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions,
without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act
with cheerfulness. -- Joseph Addison, The Spectator, July 12, 1711

On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
> sides. I need to know 2 things:
> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
> Thanks in advance.
> ---> Ed


Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

In article <[email protected]>, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>> Thanks in advance.
>> ---> Ed
>
>
>Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.

Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the same
stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance is
not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home Depot
or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign shops,
too.

In article <f786e5de-a309-4cb8-8a3e-f7bf43ae2841@t10g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>sides. I need to know 2 things:
>1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?

Google "IPS Weld-On". You won't find it at home centers or hardware stores;
look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics".

>2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?

Sorry, no idea. My best guess is that you'll probably need a mechanical
fastener of some sort. Acrylic plastics are glued to each other with a solvent
that essentially bonds them into a single piece. This process obviously won't
work if the other piece is wood. Epoxy or cyanoacrylate ("super glue") might
work -- experiment on scraps.

>3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?

Depends on how large the boxes are. If they're only a handspan wide, 1/10"
should be plenty. OTOH, if they're as large as you are tall, even 1/4" might
not be thick enough.

On 7/18/10 9:38 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>> ---> Ed
>>
>>
>> Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>> plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.
>
> Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the same
> stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance is
> not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home Depot
> or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
> dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign shops,
> too.

Wow, Doug. Really?

How is that misleading? I told him to ask the manufacturer.
I wrote it's "like" pvc, not "is" pvc.

Are you a corporate lawyer or something? :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 7/18/2010 9:38 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>> ---> Ed
>>
>>
>> Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>> plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.
>
> Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the same
> stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance is
> not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home Depot
> or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
> dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign shops,
> too.

I was not mislead whatsoever into thinking that Mike was suggesting the use of
PVC solvent to bond plexiglass.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

In article <[email protected]>, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 7/18/10 9:38 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article<[email protected]>,
> -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>>>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>>>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>>>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>>>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>>>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>> ---> Ed
>>>
>>>
>>> Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>>> plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.
>>
>> Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the same
>> stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance is
>> not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home Depot
>> or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
>> dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign shops,
>> too.
>
>Wow, Doug. Really?
>
>How is that misleading? I told him to ask the manufacturer.
>I wrote it's "like" pvc, not "is" pvc.
>
>Are you a corporate lawyer or something? :-)

I said "potentially misleading". And IMHO it is -- someone not reading
carefully could conclude that PVC pipe solvent would work for that job. Since
the OP clearly doesn't know what to use, I wanted to clarify for his benefit
that it won't.

In article <[email protected]>, Upscale <[email protected]> wrote:
>I bought acrylic doors for an entertainment centre that were cut to
>size on a tablesaw. By experimentation, I found that I could polish
>the edges by using a hand scraper to get rid of the blade marks and
>then a polishing wheel in a drill to finish them off. I was pleased to
>find out that it was a very fast process. Maybe not the established
>procedure, but it worked well for me.
>
Thanks, Upscale, that idea's a keeper.

In article <[email protected]>, Upscale <[email protected]> wrote:
>On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:59:44 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
>wrote:
>
>>Thanks, Upscale, that idea's a keeper.
>
>You're welcome Doug. After first trying the process of increasingly
>finer grits of sandpaper and then using the polishing compound, I
>realized that impatience would get to me long before any edges were
>polished. So, I looked for a shortcut.

It's been a few years since I had to do that, but the last time I did I
smoothed the edges as best I could with a file before digging out the
sandpaper. Took a lot less time than it would have to do everything with
sandpaper, but I'll surely give the scraper a try the next time I have to do
this. I expect it to be quite a bit faster than files.

On 7/19/10 7:09 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/18/10 9:38 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
>>> In article<[email protected]>,
>> -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>>>>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>>>>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>>>>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>>>>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>>>>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>>> ---> Ed
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>>>> plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.
>>>
>>> Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the same
>>> stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance is
>>> not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home Depot
>>> or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
>>> dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign shops,
>>> too.
>>
>> Wow, Doug. Really?
>>
>> How is that misleading? I told him to ask the manufacturer.
>> I wrote it's "like" pvc, not "is" pvc.
>>
>> Are you a corporate lawyer or something? :-)
>
> I said "potentially misleading". And IMHO it is -- someone not reading
> carefully could conclude that PVC pipe solvent would work for that job. Since
> the OP clearly doesn't know what to use, I wanted to clarify for his benefit
> that it won't.

Yeah, ok buddy.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 7/19/10 11:19 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, Upscale<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:59:44 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks, Upscale, that idea's a keeper.
>>
>> You're welcome Doug. After first trying the process of increasingly
>> finer grits of sandpaper and then using the polishing compound, I
>> realized that impatience would get to me long before any edges were
>> polished. So, I looked for a shortcut.
>
> It's been a few years since I had to do that, but the last time I did I
> smoothed the edges as best I could with a file before digging out the
> sandpaper. Took a lot less time than it would have to do everything with
> sandpaper, but I'll surely give the scraper a try the next time I have to do
> this. I expect it to be quite a bit faster than files.


It makes perfect sense that a scraper would work.
Those hooked scoring tools they sell for plexi are essentially very
narrow scrapers.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

In article <[email protected]>, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 7/19/10 11:19 AM, Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article<[email protected]>,
> Upscale<[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:59:44 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks, Upscale, that idea's a keeper.
>>>
>>> You're welcome Doug. After first trying the process of increasingly
>>> finer grits of sandpaper and then using the polishing compound, I
>>> realized that impatience would get to me long before any edges were
>>> polished. So, I looked for a shortcut.
>>
>> It's been a few years since I had to do that, but the last time I did I
>> smoothed the edges as best I could with a file before digging out the
>> sandpaper. Took a lot less time than it would have to do everything with
>> sandpaper, but I'll surely give the scraper a try the next time I have to do
>> this. I expect it to be quite a bit faster than files.
>
>
>It makes perfect sense that a scraper would work.

Of course it does. It just never occurred to me. That's why I'm grateful to
Upscale for mentioning it.

On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>
> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> Yeah, ok buddy.
>

At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

In article <[email protected]>, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 2010-07-18, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>
>All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. If straight acetone
>is too difficult to work with, mix some Plexiglas sawdust with it till
>you get the consistency you want.

That is not correct. Acetone does not dissolve plexiglass.

In article <[email protected]>, -MIKE- <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
>> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>>
>> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> Yeah, ok buddy.
>>
>
>At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.
>
>
PDFTFT

On 7/19/10 4:19 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
>>> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>>>
>>> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>> Yeah, ok buddy.
>>>
>>
>> At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.
>>
>>
> PDFTFT

I don't have the patience nor imagination to figure that put. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On 7/19/10 5:24 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
> On 7/19/10 4:19 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
>> In article<[email protected]>,
>> -MIKE-<[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On 7/19/10 2:17 PM, Josepi wrote:
>>>> What he really means is nobody else can read like he can.
>>>>
>>>> "-MIKE-"<[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>> Yeah, ok buddy.
>>>>
>>>
>>> At least he's doesn't completely make $h!t up half the time.
>>>
>>>
>> PDFTFT
>
> I don't have the patience nor imagination to figure that put. :-)
>
>
Please Don't Feed The Fine Trolls.
:-)

--
Froz...


The system will be down for 10 days for preventive maintenance.

"notbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2010-07-21, Larry Jaques <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
>> their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
>> the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
>> drying, and has a very nice capillary action. <shrug>
>
> Yeah. I guess I was just hallucinating when the whole class used it
> in a Summer school crafts shop dedicated to working with Fiberglas.
> Musta been from sniffing all that acetone.

Prolly was, as you seem to be carping at someone who suggested using it.

>
> Are there better solvents? Yes. MEK is fun, if you don't mind yer
> kid being born with flippers. DCM, the primary solvent in Tap acrylic
> cement. You checked the prices at Tap Plastics, lately? Bring $$$!!
> Otherwise, acetone (which is no saint) works jes fine. ;)
>
> nb

In article <[email protected]>, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 2010-07-21, Larry Jaques <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
>> their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
>> the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
>> drying, and has a very nice capillary action. <shrug>
>
>Yeah. I guess I was just hallucinating when the whole class used it
>in a Summer school crafts shop dedicated to working with Fiberglas.

Fiberglass and plexiglas are *not* the same thing. Acetone is an excellent
solvent for the resins that make up the former; it has no effect on the
latter.
>Musta been from sniffing all that acetone.

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
>On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:58:59 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
><[email protected]> wrote the following:
>
>>On 19 July, 18:47, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone.  
>>
>>You'll be lucky. Acetone dissolves acrylic well enough that a spill
>>is damaging to the surface, but not well enough that it makes a useful
>>solvent glue.
>
>Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
>their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
>the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
>drying, and has a very nice capillary action. <shrug>

Don't know what solvent you're actually thinking of, but it's not acetone.
Acetone does *not* dissolve plexiglass. Here, try an experiment: soak a rag in
acetone and wipe it across a piece of acrylic plastic -- then watch as the
acetone evaporates, leaving the plastic totally unscathed.
>

"notbob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2010-07-21, Lobby Dosser <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Prolly was, as you seem to be carping at someone who suggested using it.
>
> It would "seem" your use of the word indicates you're not sure. Good
> thing, too, cuz yer wrong.
>
> nb

You were Not replying to Larry?

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:19:15 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
wrote:
>sandpaper, but I'll surely give the scraper a try the next time I have to do
>this. I expect it to be quite a bit faster than files.

And definitely a lot smoother than files. A few seconds with the
polishing wheel tells me if I need to go further with the scraper or
just continue with the polishing wheel.

On 2010-07-21, Larry Jaques <[email protected]> wrote:

> Greenhouse friends of mine from the 1970s use acetone exclusively for
> their orchid containers. All solvents which attack acrylic will damage
> the surface and most work really well for glue. Acetone is thin, quick
> drying, and has a very nice capillary action. <shrug>

Yeah. I guess I was just hallucinating when the whole class used it
in a Summer school crafts shop dedicated to working with Fiberglas.
Musta been from sniffing all that acetone.

Are there better solvents? Yes. MEK is fun, if you don't mind yer
kid being born with flippers. DCM, the primary solvent in Tap acrylic
cement. You checked the prices at Tap Plastics, lately? Bring $$$!!
Otherwise, acetone (which is no saint) works jes fine. ;)

nb

On 2010-07-21, Lobby Dosser <[email protected]> wrote:

> Prolly was, as you seem to be carping at someone who suggested using it.

It would "seem" your use of the word indicates you're not sure. Good
thing, too, cuz yer wrong.

nb

On 2010-07-18, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:

> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?

All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. If straight acetone
is too difficult to work with, mix some Plexiglas sawdust with it till
you get the consistency you want.

nb

"-MIKE-" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 7/18/10 9:38 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
>> In
>> article<[email protected]>, -MIKE-<[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>> On 7/18/10 5:14 PM, Ed Lowenstein wrote:
>>>> I planning a project where I'll need to make boxes with plexiglass
>>>> sides. I need to know 2 things:
>>>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>>>> 2. What adhesive to bond edges of plexiglass boxes too sapele base?
>>>> 3. What thickness of plexiglass should I buy?
>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>> ---> Ed
>>>
>>>
>>> Ask the manufacturer what "glue" to use. Most of it is like pvc
>>> plumbing, in which the solvent actually melts the two pieces together.
>>
>> Correct, but potentially misleading -- the solvent you need is *not* the
>> same
>> stuff used for PVC plumbing. The principle is the same, but the substance
>> is
>> not. The stuff you need is called IPS Weld-On. You won't find it at Home
>> Depot
>> or Ace Hardware. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastics". Any plastics
>> dealer either carries this, or can tell you who does. Check with sign
>> shops,
>> too.
>
> Wow, Doug. Really?
>
> How is that misleading? I told him to ask the manufacturer.
> I wrote it's "like" pvc, not "is" pvc.
>
> Are you a corporate lawyer or something? :-)
>
>
Nope. he's just an agitator.

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:59:44 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
wrote:

>Thanks, Upscale, that idea's a keeper.

You're welcome Doug. After first trying the process of increasingly
finer grits of sandpaper and then using the polishing compound, I
realized that impatience would get to me long before any edges were
polished. So, I looked for a shortcut.

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:45:52 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
<[email protected]> wrote:

>mirror that has big scratches left in it. Final polishing used to be
>done with paste polishes (and took ages), but these days it's far
>easier to buy some Micro-mesh abrasives. These work excellently well
>for polishing acrylic.

I bought acrylic doors for an entertainment centre that were cut to
size on a tablesaw. By experimentation, I found that I could polish
the edges by using a hand scraper to get rid of the blade marks and
then a polishing wheel in a drill to finish them off. I was pleased to
find out that it was a very fast process. Maybe not the established
procedure, but it worked well for me.

Really?

Can you cite some sites to back that up?



"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
That is not correct. Acetone does not dissolve plexiglass.

In article <[email protected]>, notbob <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On 2010-07-18, Ed Lowenstein <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> 1. What adhesive to bond 2 pieces of plexiglass?
>
>All you really need to bond Plexiglas is acetone. If straight acetone
>is too difficult to work with, mix some Plexiglas sawdust with it till
>you get the consistency you want.