My Tip for the Day

[Scrappile]

I had a need to cut a piece of this white plastic like stuff that I cannot remember the name of..... It is hard to cut because it melts so easy and a little heat from the blade and it melt together solid.... I worked at it with different blade, scroll saw running as the slowest speed, and was getting no where.... I finally got a thought,,, I connected my dust collection to the blow side of my shop vac and blew on it  as I was cutting... Worked great... I also moved up to a #12 Pegas MG blade,,, going the slowest speed,,, The blowing was just enough to keep it from melting..... So there you go, if you ever have to cut this stuff,,, what ever it is called.... give blowing a try....

[Rockytime]

Thanks for the tip. Now just need to wat it is and how thick.

[preprius]

nice tip.

 

Okay for discussion purposes... how about dripping water or ice cubes?

 

[Rockytime]

3 minutes ago, preprius said:

nice tip.

 

Okay for discussion purposes... how about dripping water or ice cubes?

 

You would consider water around your machines?

[DME72]

every time i have cut plexi or any plastic i always use a crown tooth blade. works great. i dont care for the smell it makes so i dont cut that anymore.

 

doug

[preprius]

34 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

You would consider water around your machines?

When I was cutting aluminum I did drip cutting oil every so often.  Not a constant drip.  

Also I did put the dust collector funnel under the blade.  So a small bit of oil did not hurt or make a mess. 

[kmmcrafts]

54 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

You would consider water around your machines?

Hawk and I believe Hegner also has a water tank system for cutting metals etc.  where you would need cooling. I don't have any experience with them just noticed them on the accessories page.

[Scrappile]

I rarely cut any kind of material like this or plexiglass, so I do not want to worry setting up for it.... Such as  fluids to cool things.... Maybe oil on the cut would keep it from melting together, I don't know... But it only took a second to switch the hose to blow.... and it did the trick..

[Denny Knappen]

The Pegas Super Skip blade works perfectly on Acrylic at a reduced speed.

[crupiea]

Good info.

I tried once to cut a piece of pvc and it melted back together as fast as i cut it so once I was through it was sealed shut again.  really mystified me until I realized what was going on. 

[munzieb]

This look like a plastic cutting material my wife uses. She throws it out (gives it to me) if it get too chopped up. I have a few and they are about 1/2" thick and I will cut them close to the shape I need with the band saw and shape it with either a belt sander or oscillating sander.  I've used it for my band saw insert and an elevated stand for our Zero Water filter.  

[flarud]

It looks like UHMW. 

[Scrappile]

30 minutes ago, flarud said:

It looks like UHMW. 

Thank you.... that would be it...

[spirithorse]

Thanks for the tip, Scrappile!
God Bless! Spirithorse

[lawson56]

Well I am going just the reverse, I was making some signs for my Son in Law out of Plexi Glass, I started slow, same problem melting back together, I sped up my saw, end of problem. I couldn't tell you what blade  I was using. to many yrs back. The Plexi was 1/4 thick.

[bandaideman]

I have cut Plexiglass years ago and there was someone in Tenesee who sold supplies for scroll saw folks and had picnics back in the day. Can not remember the name but got stuff from them but they are closed up now. Any way he used duct tape over the Plexi then pattern and very slow speed. I did this and it worked well unless speed increase then you would have melt and stick to gather. Made ornaments, birds, etc.