Working with Plastic

More and more items are being fabricated out of some type of plastic. Choosing the right plastic for the job is challenging as there are so many types of plastics but there is also the challenge of knowing how to drill or cut these plastics. We have pulled a few resources together for you.

[We are building the information on this page. If you have good resources  on this topic please send to schmi071@umn.edu.]

The problem with cutting plastics is the melting and re-forming behind the cut. Slowing down the blade (works on a saber saw but not possible on table saw or mitre saw), using a blade with fewer teeth per inch or pushing the material through faster helps. Recommendations are a 50 tooth blade (ATBR Links to an external site.) or 3 teeth per inch. Some recommend a triplechip cut carbide tip blade with alternating bevel.

 

Go through the articles and videos in this section to find one which suits your needs!