Tips on working with plexiglass?

If you have a DIY fishroom project, the NANFA Forum is about the best place on the Web to start.

I have a lot of tanks that need covers. I'm thinking the best way to go is to get a big sheet of plexiglass and cut it up into individual covers.

My hardware store has offered to do this for me, provided I give them the measurements, but the plexiglass sheets they sell is kind of thin and bends after awhile.

I'm thinking that I'd be better off going with thicker plexiglass.

Before I start my search, I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has gone the same or similar route.

I'm interested in finding out where to order plexiglass sheets and what kind of tools/equipment I'd need to cut it to size.

Thanks!

Will you be using any kind of intense lighting over them?

If you have a DIY fishroom project, the NANFA Forum is about the best place on the Web to start.

I have a lot of tanks that need covers. I'm thinking the best way to go is to get a big sheet of plexiglass and cut it up into individual covers.

My hardware store has offered to do this for me, provided I give them the measurements, but the plexiglass sheets they sell is kind of thin and bends after awhile.

I'm thinking that I'd be better off going with thicker plexiglass.

Before I start my search, I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has gone the same or similar route.

I'm interested in finding out where to order plexiglass sheets and what kind of tools/equipment I'd need to cut it to size.

Thanks!

Something I have had great success with in cutting plexi-glass/acrylic is a table or bench saw using a plywood/panel blade. I do spray the blade with vegetable oil(Pam) to keep the acrylic from sticking if you happen to stop. I had acrylic melt and build up on the blade until i started to spraying the blade.

Bill F.

No, just spiral flourescents.

If you have a DIY fishroom project, the NANFA Forum is about the best place on the Web to start.

I have a lot of tanks that need covers. I'm thinking the best way to go is to get a big sheet of plexiglass and cut it up into individual covers.

My hardware store has offered to do this for me, provided I give them the measurements, but the plexiglass sheets they sell is kind of thin and bends after awhile.

I'm thinking that I'd be better off going with thicker plexiglass.

Before I start my search, I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has gone the same or similar route.

I'm interested in finding out where to order plexiglass sheets and what kind of tools/equipment I'd need to cut it to size.

Thanks!

Oh, OK. So I would need some kind of stable, mounted saw, rather than the handheld gadget that they sold me at the hardware store. Which didn't work very well when I tried it.

Something I have had great success with in cutting plexi-glass/acrylic is a table or bench saw using a plywood/panel blade. I do spray the blade with vegetable oil(Pam) to keep the acrylic from sticking if you happen to stop. I had acrylic melt and build up on the blade until i started to spraying the blade.

Bill F.

I use a glass cutter to score my plexi and just snap it. I've had decent luck with that, but I was mostly doing small pieces that I didn't care much what they looked like in the end. Also, I've found that the stuff I bought, which is probably thinner than you're thinking, will sag pretty badly over heated tanks (into the 70's and higher) if not supported on all four sides but generally stays stiff over unheated.

I use a glass cutter to score my plexi and just snap it. I've had decent luck with that, but I was mostly doing small pieces that I didn't care much what they looked like in the end. Also, I've found that the stuff I bought, which is probably thinner than you're thinking, will sag pretty badly over heated tanks (into the 70's and higher) if not supported on all four sides but generally stays stiff over unheated.

I have used other saws to cut the acrylic, but the table/bench saw will give you straighter and cleaner cuts. At least it did for me.
Several years ago I had contacted an industrial acrylic store about buying large sheets to make tops for my aquariums. The fellow I talked to told me that acrylic will absorb moisture over time and sag from the weight. Not sure I believed him but decided to use glass for my tops instead. I got all of the glass I wanted for free. I used broken tanks and just took out the good glass. Ten gallon tanks are especially good for this. By the way you can cut glass with a wet saw used for cutting ceramic tiles. Just throwing that idea out there.


Bill F.