Modding Plexiglass

[atiVidia]

Ive modded metal cases with a dremel, but ive never done it to plexiglass.

what do i use?

[Samurai]

I believe a dremel should work on this too, after all, plexiglass is really a plastic, correct me if I'm wrong. You will however need to choose a slow-to-medium setting and place masking tape over the area you wish to drill. prevents it from causing damage. Hope this helps.

[atiVidia]

Originally posted by Samurai@20 December 2003 - 00:43
I believe a dremel should work on this too, after all, plexiglass is really a plastic, correct me if I'm wrong. You will however need to choose a slow-to-medium setting and place masking tape over the area you wish to drill. prevents it from causing damage. Hope this helps.

thats cool

yes you are right. plexiglass is a type of plastic

i will also wait until i get 2nd and 3rd opinions, but ur op. was helpful.

[Samurai]

Cool, no problem. I think I used this sort of material when I was in school during technology classes. I had to put the material in a vice and do as I stated above. Wise to wait for further opinions though... might be a better way.

[clocker]

This will explain the differences in the various materials.
I hate Dremels and don't understand why they are so popular for case/window modding. They are the wrong tool for the job.

There are special drill bits for use on plastics. They have a shallower cutting angle and won't grab and fracture the material. This is increasingly critical the closer to an edge you are working.

As far as cutting goes- heat is the enemy. As your blade (typically a jig saw) heats up, so does the plastic and it will remelt behind the cut. Either get the special blades and use a slow cutting speed or flood the cut with water.

Either way, after you're done shaping, you can file, sand and flame polish the edges to finish.

Hole saws work well if you are mounting fans.

Make sure you know what material it is that you are working with, from there Google is your friend.