Cutting Plastic

[Pete132]

Whats the best way to cut plastruct/evergreen strips?

I have tried the chopper II from Ema and found that when you pass over halfway through the strip that it will shear off and cause a cut that is not 90 deg.I was hoping that it would have been the answer to my cuts of various angles.

What is the best way that you find to get a nice clean straight cut?

Anybody use a circular saw like one for cutting tiles?

[FB]

personally i just use a small blade, Sean has a cutter, i'm still looking into other ways to achieve the desired angles \ \ \

[Murray]

i have that little cutter from ema i think it works good cant fault it

[Pete132]

i have that little cutter from ema i think it works good cant fault it

Do you let it cut the whole way through Murray or just half way and then snap it?

[IH885XLMAN]

can i see pictures of these cutters as im looking into tooling my workshop up snd if they are good and recomended off this forum i will invest in one and whats the price for them aswell

[Mike R]

The Exacta saw fro JML

[PDH]

I use an Olfa P-Cutter P800 for sheet/flat cuts. Cuts a grove in the plastic and you can then just snap for a clean edge. They have a smaller version P450 as well.

For strip/rod etc and angles I use an X-Acto razor saw and as required an aluminium mitre block.

See here http://www.olfatools.eu/category.php?id_category=21 for the P-Cutters

Olfa also have a Compass cutter which is great for circles. Pic on the same page.

[Tractorman810]

i have a cheap 7 quid one of ebay, works fine for me, used it for all the frames on the current trailer build, as angle cuts are one of my problem cuts, this cured that no worrys

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MULTI-ANGLE-CRAFT-AND-HOBBY-GUILLOTINE_W0QQitemZ350288626620QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Crafts_PapercraftTools_RL?hash=item518ed443bc

[jakescot]

just in case you are gonna go and buy one, i have a jml exakt saw and it looks an impressive machine.........................however!!!!.........

I havent used it much and found it quite difficult to use if I had got to try it before I bought it I wouldn`t have done so........perhaps with practise I will improve however.

My old male brain was struggling with the 3 things,........keeping one finger on the safety lever for the blade guard, working the switch  and pushing down straight on the saw body to let the guard  come up clear of the blade to allow it to work  wasn`t easy. \

[Mike R]

just in case you are going to go and buy one, i have a jml exakt saw and it looks an impressive machine.........................however!!!!.........

I havent used it much and found it quite difficult to use if I had got to try it before I bought it I wouldn`t have done so........perhaps with practise I will improve however.

My old male brain was struggling with the 3 things,........keeping one finger on the safety lever for the blade guard, working the switch  and pushing down straight on the saw body to let the guard  come up clear of the blade to allow it to work  wasn`t easy. \

Yes I agree but with a couple of hours practice I am finding it very useful to cut out the building shapes

 

[Deere-est]

Craft knife. Easy as you like. Styrene is so easy to shape if you get an inaccurate cut you can soon trim it up. I also have the snips with the protractor oin the bottom blade, ideal that is and quick too. An aluminium mitre block is a must to use with a razor saw though mine only has 90 and 45deg cuts, could do with one with more options like the big ones carpenters use.

[Murray]

Do you let it cut the whole way through Murray or just half way and then snap it?

all the way through 

[Jez]

Personally I used to use a small saw.

This cut brass and plastruct, it was very thing and was great. As for getting angles..... I used to have to file the final angle using sand paper....

I know Blake (TM190) used a hot wire cutter.... Maybe PM him?

[Fenside MF]

I use a stanely knife for cutting the sheets with a steel ruler or set square to keep the knife straight,a tenon saw,junior hacksaw with with mitre box for cutting square tubing etc.

Was wondering if anyone knew of a tool that could or can cut angled bevels on plasticard,its hard to explain.

For example like when you use the sideways angle on a circular saw you tilt the sideways to your desired angle.Maybe I could try a cordless circular saw as its less powerful  \ 

[jdc]

I'm a bit 'old skool' - just a v. sharp knife(break off blade type) and a cutting mat with angles and squares marked out.  After a while you get quite good at 'guessing angles' 

For sheet just cut & snap, then tidy with files, fine sandpaper or wet & dry used dry.

[Stuarty C]

for sheet plastic i use a heavy duty paper guillotine (1.5mm sheets about its limit  ) , its fine for large pieces but tends to curl up smaller strips. had to make my own tool for the small strips (like a guillotine). to put an angle on the edge of a sheet i just run the edge of the knife along at desired angle, works pretty well. 

as for cutting rods and box, i have one of them chopper II's but they leave a bad shape, just have to buff it of  \

 

[masseyjack590]

i just use a hacksaw or a stanley knife

[CMB]

Novice question: how easy is it to cut through Britains plastic and would a junior hacksaw be suitable?