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Thread: Is cutting acryllic tuff on your blades?

  1. #1

    Is cutting acryllic tuff on your blades?

    I usually cut acryllic/plexiglas on the bandsaw, but the other day I needed to cut something wider than the BS will handle. So I cut it on my tablesaw. The material was 1/8" thick and I made two cuts - both under 2 feet long. I was using my Woodworker-II blade. That mighr have been a dumb move. Because later in the day, I cut poplar and got a burn on the edge - that's unusual, especially since this blade was re- sharpened by Forrest just a few months ago.

    So I unplugged the saw and did a finger test on the teeth - they dont feel as sharp as I recall. But that can be a very subjective test. But that burn is bugging me. Tonight Ill go cut a few other parts to see what I see. In the mean time, can anyone tell me if the 2 cuts I made are actually likely to have significantly dulled this blade?

    Thanks guys,
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Fred, I would think that acrylic or any plastic might be generally harder on a blade than most woods, but it doesn't seem like it would dull a blade that quickly. I keep an inexpensive Dewalt blade around for cutting plastic, pressure treated... anything that might dull my good blade. When that gets dull, I just have it sharpened locally and still have a blade I can use for 'good' material.

  3. #3
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    I've never had any issues with it, other than it can melt and clog saw teeth. Not so much with carbide, but using a hole saw is a mistake. I think you should look elsewhere for the burning issue.

  4. #4
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    I don't think it would be harder on the blades, but I don't think the WW2 was the ideal blade choice. I think you want to use a high tooth count triple chip grind blade, and some companies like Amana make a wood & plastic blade.
    http://www.tapplastics.com/product/s.../saw_blade/363

    I just bought a sheet of Acrylite (Tru-Vue, plexiglass, whatever) to cut up for picture frames and plan to use an older plywood blade.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    I have cut a lot of plastic, acrylic and Corian on my table saw over the years and haven't noticed it to cause my blades to dull. If your concerned you might consider using a cheap seven and a quarter inch blade from your skill saw on your table saw. You don't need a large diameter blade to cut plastics and you can throw the cheap blade away when it gets dull.
    .

  6. #6
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    The acrylic will not likely cause wear on your blade, but it might cause a deposit of melted plastic on the blade, accounting for the burning. That's the challenge with cutting this stuff. So Keith's suggestion to use an "inexpensive" blade to cut the acrylic is a good one and yes, you can use a small blade as long as it has the correct arbor diameter for your saw.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Thanks guys. I'll check that blade for "deposits" tonight AND use a different blade next time. Im so used to using that WW-II for everything that it just never occurred to me to change blades. (For me, that Forrest is a GREAT all around blade! Best $100 Ive spent.)

    Merry Christmas!
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  8. #8
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    I hate cutting plastic on my TS. The plastic sawdust sticks to everything. As others have noted, I suspect that your blade melted some of the plastic and it has stuck to your blade.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    The acrylic will not likely cause wear on your blade, but it might cause a deposit of melted plastic on the blade, accounting for the burning. That's the challenge with cutting this stuff. So Keith's suggestion to use an "inexpensive" blade to cut the acrylic is a good one and yes, you can use a small blade as long as it has the correct arbor diameter for your saw.
    This was my though exactly. Sometimes it's more of a film than deposits like you get from wood pitch buildup, sort of clogs the sides of the teeth. It's difficult to clean with standard pitch cleaners that work based on the chemistry of wood pitch. There are blades made which are optimized for cutting plastics, usually triple chip ground to handle the brittle nature of the surface and non stick coated. Maybe try spraying static guard from the dryer the blade pre cutting? I have one blade I use for cutting plastics and urethane trim, I keep the wood blades for wood only.
    "A good miter set up is like yoga pants: it makes everyone's butts look good." Prashun Patel

  10. #10

    Follow-up

    There was a bit of plastic residue on that blade. I got it off and no more burning!

    Thanks for giving me a hand guys!
    Fred

  11. #11
    If you want to continue to cut acrylic/laminates on your table saw then buy a Freud laminate blade. It makes perfect cuts every time. The WW2 is the wrong blade because of the aggressive rake of the tooth and the set of the teeth as well as probably being a 40 tooth blade versus an 80 tooth blade. The rake is very important and should be minimal for acrylic.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
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    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
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  12. #12
    I cut seemingly acres of it. I have a specialty acrylic blade (Freud?) I usually use, but I will do quick cuts with my usual 50T combination blade. No issues with the blade other than some formulations melting quicker and leaving a residue on the blade.
    Bill R., somewhere in Maine

  13. #13
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    Many companies make triple chip grind blades for reasonable prices to dedicate for cutting plastics.

    I had bought the Freud blade made for plastics and laminates. It does make a considerable difference in edge quality and no blade cleaning. My crosscut sled on a previous last table saw was so accurate, it would give Woodpeckers run for their money. So I cut multiple one foot triangles from 1/4" acrylic and use them for tool setups. After doing many glue-ups of cutting boards and other projects, I can see that the triangles were the best shop made items to date and didn't cost $100 each.

  14. #14
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    FWIW acetone will melt acrylic on contact.
    .

  15. #15
    We cut alot of this stuff in the navy, including 1/2" lexan. Our trick was to always leave the protective paper or plastic on the material for the cut and layout a THIN LINE (it does'nt take much) of WD40 or similiar product along the cut line. This kept the fine stuff out of the air and nothing ever suck to the blades. It seemed to make the cut go smoother as well. A quick wipe down of the machine when completed is the only rule we came up with. Works well for both bandsaw and table saw. To keep if from being messy I sprayed some in the cap and use a small brush to apply to the line.
    When in doubt, ask a Creeker.

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