# Cutting 1/4" acrylic with dremel



## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

I watched a video of this but I'm a bit skeptical. Has anyone tried doing this? I've failed at cutting my 1/4 acrylic several times via scoring. I did 1/8 no problem but I intend to use 1/4" for my baffles and weir. So I'm tempted to use a dremel, I will go buy one if others have tried this and succeeded. Please no hypothetical answers.

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For anyone with acrylic experience I don't intend to fuse weld any of this but I am aware I'll need to give the edges a good sanding/buffing if I did intend to. 

A second part of my question is do I use a standard cutting disk or do I opt for the wood and plastic multipurpose blades

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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

I cut my 1/4" acrylic using the scoring tool commonly sold for this purpose. Took awhile, and made a bit of a mess, but I'm a small female who is not particularly handy, so if I can do it, anyone can.

Just be patient and work slowly.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

randym said:


> I cut my 1/4" acrylic using the scoring tool commonly sold for this purpose. Took awhile, and made a bit of a mess, but I'm a small female who is not particularly handy, so if I can do it, anyone can.
> 
> Just be patient and work slowly.


At 80 bucks a sheet I'm done messing up haha, u just don't have the patience, I dug in the tool at least 15 times with consistent pressure. It's just not doing it for me. I can cut really small pieces but I'm doing a long weir and it's just not working out. 

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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Something that has worked well for me on long cuts;
Score the acrylic as usual (lets say 15 passes) on the top side (use "top" as reference)
Then put the acrylic in a vise with the top side facing you and put the cut line right at the top of the vice. Start at the far right end.
Bend the acrylic away from you just enough for the cut line to crack.
Move the acrylic to the right, just past where you think the crack ended.
Bend the acrylic again, just enough for it to crack.
Keep doing the above until you get to the other end - pretty certian you will have a nice clean break. Have mad 2"x24" breaks this way.

Now, if you are trying to make a piece say 16" tall by 36" long the process is the same, but you may have to get creative on your technique for holding the acrylic.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Immortal1 said:


> Something that has worked well for me on long cuts;
> Score the acrylic as usual (lets say 15 passes) on the top side (use "top" as reference)
> Then put the acrylic in a vise with the top side facing you and put the cut line right at the top of the vice. Start at the far right end.
> Bend the acrylic away from you just enough for the cut line to crack.
> ...


Little more awkward, 4.5x24 it's been a pita. 

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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

My thoughts on the Dremel are not good. It is a small weak tool that relies on spin for it's power. Very high speed rotation compared to other power tools. that igh speed makes the blade heat much quicker than a far larger blade running at slower speed. With plastics, I normally find I'm not cutting as much as melting my way through after just a short bit of cutting. The melted plastic tends to wind up in the blade as well as a cut which can weld itself back together after the blade passes. Just not my tool of choice for plastics other than simple demolition. 
For cutting when snapping can't be used, I would favor clamping the sheet down along an edge like a table and then use a handsaw with the finer teeth for the cut. Scoring the top edge before cutting can help you get a smoother cut as it tends to grab little chunks less when it is scored first. One side will be more ragged than the other but it may give you one better smooth side. 
For more complex cuts like curves a coping saw or other tool like a saber saw with a bade that is thin from cutting edge to back is good if the saber saw can be run at slow speed to hold down the heat. Run too fast the cut just welds back together behind the blade.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

randym said:


> I cut my 1/4" acrylic using the scoring tool commonly sold for this purpose.


I too do that a few times on both sides. Then I put it under a door and pop it at the score. Works 90% of the time.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Another option:
Whatever tool you decide on, clamp a guide to the acrylic so you can stabilize the tool and cut a straight line. This guide could be a straight piece of wood (perhaps a scrap of 1 x 4) or a level (though I do not like to use my levels like this). 

If Dremel has some special blades for plastic, use them. 

I have not done this, but I have watched my son, and seen the results- he cut some really interesting acrylic computer cases then back lit them. 

When I cut acrylic I used a skil saw with a plywood blade. I have drilled, too, using a wood bit, and turned the drill to its lowest setting.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Diana said:


> Whatever tool you decide on, clamp a guide to the acrylic so you can stabilize the tool and cut a straight line. This guide could be a straight piece of wood
> 
> When I cut acrylic I used a skill saw with a plywood blade.


Yeh I always start with a piece of wood to cut. 

Does using an electric skill saw cause any bits to fly toward your face?


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Hilde said:


> Yeh I always start with a piece of wood to cut.
> 
> Does using an electric skill saw cause any bits to fly toward your face?


Not really but you should always wear a full mask when doing it incase. I've cut 3/4 abs and polycarbonate with a saw, not comfortable doing 1/4 though. I'm going to pick up a Dremel and test it on an old acrylic sump before I cut my sheet for the weir

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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

shrimpNewbie said:


> Not really but you should always wear a full mask when doing it incase. I've cut 3/4 abs and polycarbonate with a saw, not comfortable doing 1/4 though. I'm going to pick up a Dremel and test it on an old acrylic sump before I cut my sheet for the weir


That seems the safe way to go. Are you certain you can't pick up the pieces you need on amazon or ebay cheaper than the Dremel?


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Hilde said:


> That seems the safe way to go. Are you certain you can't pick up the pieces you need on amazon or ebay cheaper than the Dremel?


Not in a timely manner at least, I need a Dremel in my tool chest anyway. I also have power sanders so the melting shouldn't be a big problem. I'll probably cut a little wider than I need and file and sand down to size. 

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## Redneck13 (Jan 3, 2016)

Depending on length of cut and as long as you are going in a straight line I have used a circular saw with a high tooth count and reversed the blade! Just make sure you use tape on both sides of piece to be cut! I have done this on both thin acrylic and plexi glass with only one mishap


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Purchased a Drexel 3000, felt more sturdy than the 4000. Am I wrong in assuming that

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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

So the 3000 worked amazing, got some cuts done and I'm impressed with the wood cutting blade for acrylic, it was butter and no melting.

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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

shrimpNewbie said:


> So the 3000 worked amazing, got some cuts done and I'm impressed with the wood cutting blade for acrylic, it was butter and no melting.


Very nice! Thanks for the info / update.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Will post pictures of the project once I'm done with this. It's a lot of planning before I actually cut but I'm working on a sealedish sump

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## essabee (Oct 7, 2006)

I use a tile/marble cutter with a water pipe instead of scoring - does the job quite efficiently even with thicker than 1/4" acrylic. You would need a dremel for curves though.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

Hilde said:


> I too do that a few times on both sides. Then I put it under a door and pop it at the score. Works 90% of the time.


Thanks for this tip! I cut 6 pieces of 1/4" thick acrylic last night (to make covers for my tanks) and it went much faster thanks to your door tip.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I used a jig saw and a wood blade. Run it without melting. Much easier to set up a guide to keep it square and true.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

randym said:


> Thanks for this tip! I cut 6 pieces of 1/4" thick acrylic last night (to make covers for my tanks) and it went much faster thanks to your door tip.


Glad it worked. I have seen acrylic tops bow from the moisture. Perhaps you can make a frame to keep it straight. Perhaps a screen frame would work


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

I don't mind if it bows. I just want to keep things from falling into the tanks accidentally, and reduce evaporation a little. (Though maybe if I flipped them from time to time, it would straighten out any bowing?)

Tonight's project is making risers for my LED fixtures. I got scared by the PAR readings posted for Finnex fixtures in that other thread. Since I just sit my light strips on the acrylic top, I don't need fancy risers like Fuze makes. I'm just cutting 3" x 5" rectangles that I can clamp the light strip to. Depending on which way I turn them, I can raise the light 3" or 5".


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Hilde said:


> Glad it worked. I have seen acrylic tops bow from the moisture. Perhaps you can make a frame to keep it straight. Perhaps a screen frame would work


It's getting glued to the frame of the tank with added support for the actual lids to cover the cut outs. It shouldn't bow down enough to be a problem

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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

shrimpNewbie said:


> It's getting glued to the frame of the tank with added support for the actual lids to cover the cut outs. It shouldn't bow down enough to be a problem


Can't wait to see the finished project.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Hilde said:


> Can't wait to see the finished project.


Most of it is going slow, a lot of cap going on, the overall frame is cut but haven't cut any baffles or the filter sock compartment 

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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

randym said:


> maybe if I flipped them from time to time, it would straighten out any bowing?
> 
> Tonight's project is making risers for my LED fixtures. Since I just sit my light strips on the acrylic top, I don't need fancy risers like Fuze makes. I'm just cutting 3" x 5" rectangles that I can clamp the light strip to. Depending on which way I turn them, I can raise the light 3" or 5".


Yeh I didn't think of flipping them. Flipping them should at least keep the bowing to minimum. 

I hope you make a thread on the risers. At present I have my light strips sitting on pcv tubes on the glass top.


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## eklu65 (Mar 3, 2011)

So you guys recommend using a dremel to cut inner angles, or even straight cuts for 3/8th" acrylic? I've been trying to find someone with a laser cutter to cut out the eurobrace for my acrylic tank, but no luck so far. I have a dremel, but I'm worried the cuts would be messy and not straight. I have to cut the eurobrace, then I also have to cut out horizontal lines in the back wall of my tank for the weir.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

eklu65 said:


> So you guys recommend using a dremel to cut inner angles, or even straight cuts for 3/8th" acrylic? I've been trying to find someone with a laser cutter to cut out the eurobrace for my acrylic tank, but no luck so far. I have a dremel, but I'm worried the cuts would be messy and not straight. I have to cut the eurobrace, then I also have to cut out horizontal lines in the back wall of my tank for the weir.


I would use a saw or a thin wood bit with a higher powered rotary tool like a Dewalt die grinder, there are other brands but this comes to mind first. The Dremel worked well enough for me with 1/4" but I would use a 90° adaptor and the plastic/wood blade.

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## Seemansh Gangwar (Sep 26, 2019)

I want to cut a rectangular shape piece from 5mm acrylic sheet. Please suggest me best way. Is dremel tool a best solution for cutting the sheet at home as I don't laser for cutting. ???

Kindly, assist me on this.

Thanks in Advance.


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