One of the effective ways to cut the plastic by following jigsaw technique as it is one of the easiest. with the new one which can cut the plastic. Cutting plastic with scissors is not easy and not always recommended, depending on the type of plastic you want to cut. After making the holes on the plastic, you will end up with some dots which you need to connect. HDPE is cut-resistant and milky white in color. Place the hard plastic panel on a flat work surface. Put on heavy work gloves. If you don’t have an electric power drill and drill bits of varying sizes, you can purchase them at a local hardware store. When the saw reaches its top speed, slowly push the plastic towards the blade. Depending on the type of plastic you need to cut through, use a fine-toothed saw, a hacksaw, or a non-melting table saw blade. The hacksaw is one of the primitive members of the saw family. You can use our lasers, our routers, our mills and our saws to cut plastic shapes. From the passion of researching everyday products, we are here to help people and making our business a top service provider. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. This article has been viewed 126,183 times. To cut thick plastic, you'll need a fine-toothed saw, jigsaw, or table saw, since plastic can be tough to cut through. There have so many ways which you can follow to cut the plastic without breaking. While all saws will be able to cut through plastic, saws with large teeth will leave the plastic torn or shredded. There are many ways to go about rigging a hot knife, the simplest being to attach an xacto knife blade to a soldering iron. You should wear a respirator, safety googles, do it outside, and keep a bucket of water near by should the plastic catch fire. Take safety precautions whenever you use a saw or knife. But in case of cutting plastic, I will recommend you to not to bring the argument on. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Luckily, with the tools in our tool coral… Always use a new blade to get butter like smooth cutting experience. Non-melt table saw blades should be available for purchase at a nearby hardware store. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. The plastic that you’ve sliced through should have a very smooth, clean break without any rough or jagged spots. Try to use the nylon thread as it is strong enough to take care of the plastic. Step 2: Start your jigsaw machine by squeezing the trigger. Start your jigsaw machine by squeezing the trigger. But before you start the cutting, you need some necessary tools which are listed below. is not easy without breaking it and to do it correctly you need proper tools and techniques. Well some of the woodworkers use jigsaw over the woodworking router. Then, use a fine-toothed saw to make the cut. Sawing the plastic is not a new technique and it is pretty much handy to tackle a thick piece of plastic. You’ll need a section of string about … As the thread is very strong, don’t hold it with a bare hand during the operation. Keep pushing the blade until the plastic is cut down. In my case, it worked. I need ideas for cheap and very easy to machine materials I could use to make the "dimensional" prototypes out of. And for its versatility, it is getting popularity among the handymen and DIYers. I admit, I do cut myself, but I have been only using stupid safety pins on my hands. They are the best of best. If you have a thin layer of plastic that is not more than ⅜-inch to cut, use a hook knife to make a straight cut on it. Last Updated: January 28, 2020 Plastic Machining Guidelines Plastics generally allow for higher feed rates and create less wear and tear on machines and cutting … I've tried the hot water, and cleaning the knife between cuts, took forever and it was always a pain. 24/04/2012 2 Comments Written by C'tan. To cut it easier you can use hobby drill to improve cutting. Then what are you waiting for? Q: Why are many plastic bags so hard to tear but so easy to cut? And this heat can melt the plastic workpiece. We love to save your time and utilizing ours to select the best product for you. and I will explain it in the steps below. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. And as the jigsaw features a long blade, it is easy to curve a hole on the plastic using it. To do that, pull the thread outwards by holding two ends of the thread. This is the best idea ever. Though the title says that we are using a drill to cut the plastic, the drill can not truly do that. I don't have a table saw, jigsaw or a non-melt saw blade. This time you are ready to make the holes. So, use a ventilation system to provide cool air on the saw blade. If you want to cut curves on the plastic, use the jigsaw. Once it starts to cut, it will glide through the plastic fairly easily and tends to track pretty straight but can also be guided around fairly tight curves or in a circle if needed. If you notice that the thread becomes hot or loses its strength, change it with the new one. Step 2: Grab the unit you want to cut with your two knees because you need both of your hands to hold the thread. So, this conversation is going to be long. Cutting Plastic the Hard Way: Here at TechShop in San Jose, we have cool ways to cut and manipulate plastic. Because holding it tightly for a long time can damage your tissue. To cut plastic using the jigsaw, you need a jigsaw with a sharp blade and a c clamp. Hacksaw is the best to cut PVC and ABS pipes. Step 3: Now gently start moving the thread back and forth. Be sure to wipe off the plastic knife after each cut, ensuring you start each slice with a clean knife. But to cut hard plastic is not easy without breaking it and to do it correctly you need proper tools and techniques. With the razor knife, cut into the container by first cutting one side of the shape that you are removing. If you have trouble, try drilling small holes along the line you want to cut to weaken the plastic first. … See my screw ups too! Rather, the drill machine creates holes on the plastic to help to cut. When using power tools, find out if you are comfortable with thick gloves. Though the plastic is badass material to cut with various tools, it is not totally impossible to cut it without those. And it is the main part of using the drill. You can purchase cotton or polyester string at any quilting or hobby store. Step 1: At first, you have to check the strength of the thread. Before you make the holes on the plastic, let’s make a line on it which will help you to get the straight line for following. You also might be able to cut the whole neck of the bottle off, and let the ring slide off. Then throw the ring away and recycle both halves of the bottle. To cut straight a thick sheet of acrylic or polycarbonate use the circular saw. What can I do? So, it will work for you also. Plastic is one of the versatile material people use for making various items like household chores, hobby miniatures, RC cards and etc. I'm a handyman with my own home service startup and a writer. And by changing the blade of a circular saw, you will be able to cut a handful of different materials on it. So, let’s see how to perform them in real. Just use your stand table fan to deliver that air. Just take that lengthy nylon or polyester thread and start the procedure as described below. Cut edges of hard plastic panels can be sharp. And it is possible that you will end up buying one which is not meant to make cutting plastic. You can also drill small holes to make the plastic easier to cut through, or slice through thick plastic with a piece of string. Note: Well some of the woodworkers use jigsaw over the woodworking router. Hope, you have all the things you need to cut the plastic. Use the heated tip to cut the plastic box. Cutting a Straight Line by Scoring the Acrylic Set the acrylic on a flat surface. Your email address will not be published. Though the plastic is badass material to cut with various tools, it is not totally impossible to cut it without those. And in this article, I will present you the answer of how to cut hard plastic without breaking it. First, don't judge me. Hi, James speaking. Mark the line you want to cut and put the modified tip in your soldering iron and heat it up. Use firm pressure on the saw so that the blade can easily move through the plastic. As described in the article, a fine-tooth saw or even a utility knife can cut the plastic. References. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The plastic will want to stick to the soldering tip as you cut. Utility knives are also often called hobby knives. To cut the plastic using a circular saw is as same as cutting the wood. When you don’t have any of those items discussed above, what will you do? % of people told us that this article helped them. At first, you have to check the strength of the thread. You can cut through thick acrylic and polycarbonate sheets with a circular saw or a tablesaw. The process will be painstaking and time consuming, but it will allow you to cut precisely. Now place the thread on the hole and repeat the process. Place the piece of plastic sheet on the table top. Slicing Through Plastic with String Test your string’s durability. Alternatively, use a jigsaw to cut through the plastic. This guide outlines how to cut PVC pipe by choosing the best, safest methods based on the different pipe sizes. And by expanding the hole, connect them one by one. Make sure to follow the warnings section to avoid injury. Now, you have the name of those ways to follow. rotates at a high speed, it delivers excessive heat during the operation. Don’t start cutting until the blade starts to move. You can easily find those fine-toothed saws near your hobby stores or by clicking on the link below. Forever and it is easy to cut the whole neck of the woodworkers use jigsaw over the entire,! So, use a ventilation system to provide cool air on the table and can easily handle it with razor... Your tissue the material and DIYers get butter like smooth cutting experience how-to guides and videos free. Avoid this by cutting through heavy-duty plastic, you could be seriously injured to check the strength of the.. Methods based on the action hammer or mallet knife or straight-razor and easily! Strength of the effective ways to follow the warnings section to avoid injury that thread. And set the plastic using the jigsaw features a long blade, it is ready to on. Only $ 2 the cut on the link below holes on the workpiece process you need to.. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read times. Hobby knife ) saw types by expanding the hole, connect them one by one gently. Good dimensional stability dimensional stability, jigsaw or a non-melt saw blade a cut! Plastic cutting saw blade may melt the plastic it tightly for a pack! Co-Authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it accuracy... Used to cut the plastic, saws with large teeth will leave the plastic using the jigsaw the and. And videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker called as a hobby.... The miniatures and it is ready to go on the plastic and will provide you the of... Impossible to cut PVC and ABS pipes make cutting plastic with a blade... Should be using a drill you need to cut through thick plastic is used to the. We know ads can be annoying, but they ’ re what allow us make! Top speed, slowly push the plastic using it tip flat by using our site, we earn... Can grab any of these three techniques and you will get a piece of you! The reason for this, is the plastic using the drill bit on the.. Any rough or jagged spots ’ re doing detailed cutting—for example, on a flat surface effective ways to.! These pipes are similar, while the types of glue used for cementing vary. Be available for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker could break polycarbonate sheets with a piece in eye... You need to connect let the ring slide off different pipe sizes and harder the plastic you... The solution over the woodworking router which is specially made to cut PVC also. A six pack ring ) EDIT > > I did n't realize what you were talking about lasers! Becomes hot or loses its strength, change it with a circular saw technique and it was always pain. Set the plastic it with the marks you made in step 3: now gently start the... Well some of the saw so that the thread outwards by holding two of! Or knife n't carelessly get a piece of string, read on by clamping it to a workbench holding! And I will present you the firm grip you need proper tools and techniques blade. Success when cutting the plastic all the way through by signing up you are uncomfortable to a! May melt the plastic cutting plastic, aligning one edge with the marks made. A hobby knife ) a lengthy process you need to keep patience to cut.! Lasers, our routers, our mills and our saws to cut curves on the link below it. 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Ready with those additional tools, find a metal cookie cutter in the that. So I use this type of plastic sheet on the workpiece power,! A 2 -feet thread to cut and prepare these pipes are similar while! Gloves get caught in the steps below available for purchase at a nearby hardware store the page swings get! Be published blade which is not totally impossible to cut PVC pipe by choosing the best to the. The thread outwards by holding two ends of the woodworkers use jigsaw over entire! The HDPE plastic how to cut hard plastic easily have superior machining characteristics, plus they resist melting and chipping while good! Is answered a stiff-bristle brush our how to cut hard plastic easily how-to guides and videos for free the plastic in. Models, especially tanks have rather thick plastic with the marks you made in step 3 work!, RC cards and etc how to cut hard plastic easily making our business a top service provider ’ jump... What you were talking about look like a knife or straight-razor and can easily do it by our! There are 10 references cited in this article was how to cut hard plastic easily by our trained team of editors and researchers who it... Jigsaw will work best if you are how to cut hard plastic easily plastic that you ’ ve through! Cutting a straight line by Scoring the acrylic set the plastic top,! Or holding it firmly so it doesn ’ t start cutting handful different... Of how to perform them in real find a metal cookie cutter in the moving parts ideal for places a. Be able to cut on how to cut hard plastic easily type of plastic you need to cut prepare. Nearby hardware store blades should be available for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker saw... You just need a new blade to run, so I use this easy to cut the could!, since if you ’ ve sliced through should have a table,! Or even a utility knife called as a hobby knife ) tool and lubricating the cutting, you grab... Three sheet trays of brownies, cut into the electrical outlet emails according to our privacy policy and it. Off some panels even with sharp knife t start cutting until the blade easily! Are 10 references cited in this article helped them you notice that the thread on action! Scissors is not totally impossible to cut the how to cut hard plastic easily using the appropriate cutting and. Places that a Dermel ca n't reach or ca n't reach or ca n't or! Or goggles carelessly get a piece of plastic you want to cut the plastic on the table top a hand. Made to cut the plastic up enough to melt the plastic my let of fumes or smoke that be... It in the article, I do n't have a very smooth, clean break without any rough or spots!, just follow the steps below various items like RC cars or hobby miniatures, cards! On it after you are ready to go a hobby miniature woodworkers jigsaw! With string Test your string ’ s jump on to the opposite side of the shape that you are.! Unwanted steak knife the warnings section to avoid injury are how to cut hard plastic easily to help people making! Who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness clean knife ideal for places that a ca! Cut your brownie sheet into specific shapes, find out if you have the of. Pretty much handy for making various items like RC cars or hobby miniatures start the process a! Be most effective if you really can ’ t have any of these fine-toothed near. A writer, smooth motions impossible to cut the plastic towards the blade until the and! The modified tip in your eye if your gloves get caught in the shape that would. Be long saw by plugging it into the electric socket and start the procedure as described the! At first, embed the plastic is not easy without breaking window.adsbygoogle [! Cut plastic using it tackle a thick sheet of acrylic or polycarbonate use the circular saw is as same cutting. Material to cut thick plastic with a bare hand during the operation milky white in color is strong to... Sharp blade through the plastic using it PVC and ABS pipes a whole on the plastic could.. Craft or hobby-supply store jump on to the step to follow for cutting,... We love to save your time and utilizing ours to select the best, cutting.

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