Advice for cutting acrylic sheet

[Hillbilly52]

Hi,

I'm having real problems machining acrylic sheet, i've been routing 3 & 4mm thick A4 acrylic sheet, and am really struggling to hold it down securely, whatever I do the sheet gets pulled up by the bit ( i've been using 3 and 4mm end mills), i've even tried using a vacuum table unsuccesfully. I'm doing shallow cuts less than 1.5 mm and slow feed rates.

Any suggestions would be appreciated as at the moment i'm wasting a lot of acrylic.

Cheers

Alan

[A_Camera]

Double sided tape is the solution but make sure it is removable. Also high spindle rpm so that the cutter is cutting and not digging and pushing forward, pulling the sheet up.

[Chaz]

Look at NYC CNC's superglue vid on Youtube. Im using that for alu and it works well.

[cropwell]

Single flute cutter (preferably an open architecture one), high rpm, compressed air to clear the chips and water spray to keep the cutter cool and stop clagnuts.

Double sided tape is the easiest hold down solution, and if you can cut a pocket in the sacrificial board to fit the acrylic in it stops it moving sideways.

[Toddy]

If i cut acrylic i use a straight single fluted bit,it seems to work well and throw chips out the groove better

[Ger21]

I cut 3mm acrylic with a 1.5mm single flute spiral, using double faced tape.

[magicniner]

I use single flute spiral EM with lots of air for cooling & chip removal, facing cuts give me parts which flame polish (Very carefully) to a good level of transparency.

[Hillbilly52]

Hi,

thanks for all your replies. I think i'll try a single flute cutter with my vacuum table, failing that i'll move on to the double sided tape and if that fails i'll crack out the superglue.

Many thanks for your suggestions, it's appreciated, i'll post how I get on.

Cheers.

[Robin Hewitt]

If you want to cut through acryllic then you want the cheap Chinese K40 laser. A 40W laser converts acrylic to vapour, it simply disappears at an amazing rate of cut. To glue acrylic you need chloroform. I bought a litre from Italy on eBay, it may not be so easy to get once we leave the European free trade thingy so get some while you can.

[A_Camera]

If you want to cut through acryllic then you want the cheap Chinese K40 laser. A 40W laser converts acrylic to vapour, it simply disappears at an amazing rate of cut. To glue acrylic you need chloroform. I bought a litre from Italy on eBay, it may not be so easy to get once we leave the European free trade thingy so get some while you can.

What are you using the chloroform for? Cooling? Isn't that very risky? Or are you using it outdoors? Even so... is it worth the risks?