What do you guys use to cut thru 25 mm sheet of styrene. I am trying to cut a circle. My dremel scroll saw cuts its at slow speed but it melts back together. So any suggestions ?. Thanks
I usually use a hobby knife, backward. Meaning the edge I use isn’t the sharpened edge. Using it that way, it plows the plastic out of the cut.
Travis Dague said:
What do you guys use to cut thru 25 mm sheet of styrene.
That’s some pretty thick stuff. I use a hole saw but I’m not sure how big of a circle you are cutting. I have a suspicion it’s water wheel size? They do make hole hawgs that size. When I use a jig saw and it melts like that I just go back through the cut with a utility knife or coping saw blade.
Yea, that is some pretty thick stuff. I’d use a bandsaw, if ones available.
I am with Rooster on this one but just to add to the options what about one of those hole saws used to cut sheet rock
Harbor freight sells them and then it would be adjustable. Not sure it would do the job though.
I trace the circle, then cut it to a rough square with a hobby knife, snap off, then cut down the corners progressively (with the knife) until the circle is pretty close to round. Then I sand the edges to finish. But I’m not usually trying to make a “perfect” circle–just something close enough. I’m also not working with anything as thick as you are, but I think this method would still work for you.
" Rooster " said:
Travis Dague said:
What do you guys use to cut thru 25 mm sheet of styrene.
That’s some pretty thick stuff. I use a hole saw but I’m not sure how big of a circle you are cutting. I have a suspicion it’s water wheel size? They do make hole hawgs that size. When I use a jig saw and it melts like that I just go back through the cut with a utility knife or coping saw blade.
Yes It is for my water wheel. the size of the circle is 7 1/2 inches diameter…
Are y’all sure it is really 25mm styrene? That’s 1" thick. I’ve seen foamed PVC board in 25mm, but styrene??? Perhaps .025 inch.
EDIT to add - We are all probably thinking of rigid styrene. Are you talking about foamed polystyrene? I can find that it 1" sheets…
Travis Dague said:
" Rooster " said:
Travis Dague said:
What do you guys use to cut thru 25 mm sheet of styrene.
That’s some pretty thick stuff. I use a hole saw but I’m not sure how big of a circle you are cutting. I have a suspicion it’s water wheel size? They do make hole hawgs that size. When I use a jig saw and it melts like that I just go back through the cut with a utility knife or coping saw blade.
Yes It is for my water wheel. the size of the circle is 7 1/2 inches diameter…
Travis, if you think of going this route be fore warned. there is a learning curve for using those saws. We just used one to cut 6" holes in plywood.(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
David Maynard said:
I usually use a hobby knife, backward. Meaning the edge I use isn’t the sharpened edge. Using it that way, it plows the plastic out of the cut.
Sounds like a plan to me !
He should be finished in a few years .
On top of what Dave M is eluding to, a fly cutter (what Devon pictured) is much safer used in a drill press or vertical mill. Using on free hand with a drill motor could be dangerous to the user. That said, I am trying to visualize where you would be using a ‘2 foot thick’ piece of material on a water wheel.
Bob I have to agree that if I was going to cut sheet materiel with one of those a drill press would be ideal. I know I have used them on dry wall freehand but that is a much different situation.
25mm, whoa, that’s thick! Ya know, might it be that this item is a candidate for building up in laminations of thinner stock?
Ok I think I miss stated the thickness or the label is wrong…the styrene sheet is close to or less than 1/8 thick… Ya’ll crack me up…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
Daktah John said:
Are y’all sure it is really 25mm styrene? That’s 1" thick. I’ve seen foamed PVC board in 25mm, but styrene??? Perhaps .025 inch.
EDIT to add - We are all probably thinking of rigid styrene. Are you talking about foamed polystyrene? I can find that it 1" sheets…
I think it says on the very fine print of the label .025 LOL
So I figured out how to cut my .025 thick styrene…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif) . I still used my dremel scroll saw, it is variable speed so I ran it as slow as possible and it cut very nice!.. Little sanding to do…
For thickness, 1/4 inch = .250 and 1/8 = .125
.025 is really quite thin, about like high quality poster paper, or some lighter weights of Strathmore art board, but substantially thinner than mat board.
What the .025 means is no tenths of an inch, two hundredths of an inch, five thousandths of an inch.
That’s pretty thin.
And 1 inch = 25.4mm, or 2.54cm; mm being millimeters & cm being centimeters.
1/8 inch is just a hair different from 3mm, on the larger side I think - it’s only 06:25 AM here, there’s a limit to how much thinking is possible before sunrise.
" Rooster " said:
David Maynard said:
I usually use a hobby knife, backward. Meaning the edge I use isn’t the sharpened edge. Using it that way, it plows the plastic out of the cut.
Sounds like a plan to me !
He should be finished in a few years .
Rooster, he was mistaken on the thickness, as I suspected when I posted.
This is what I am using …