Drilling PLEXIGLAS® (2024)

FAQs

Will plexiglass crack when drilled? ›

Plexiglass is a great substitute for glass, but it has one limitation. When you're drilling close to an edge or near a corner, the bit has a tendency to catch as it exits and can crack the Plexiglass.

Conical drill bit

Conical drill bits are perfect for use with thin PLEXIGLAS® sheets and PLEXIGLAS® corrugated sheets and tubes. These result in slightly conical holes, which prevent chipping on the exit side of the hole.

specially modified twist drill should be used. When holes are drilled completely through Plexiglas, specially modified twist drill should be used.

If this is the case, you'll need a screw that is less than 5mm in thickness and the Pinnacle 3.5 x 20mm Black Countersunk Timber Screw - 30 Pack or Pinnacle 3.5 x 20mm Black Round Head Timber Screw - 30 Pack would be suitable. I would advise pre-drilling the acrylic sheet and timber before inserting the screws.

“Plastic drill bits can drill through plastic. These metal drill bits have ground flukes with 90 degree points and 0 degree rake. Plastic drill bits shave or scrape plexiglass, acrylic or plastic away layer by layer. These bits come in a variety of diameters at home improvement or hardware stores.”

060" diameter hole generally requires drill speeds of 3,000-4,500 rpm; a . 375" diameter hole would be drilled at 1,500-2,000 rpm; and a 1" diameter hole would be drilled at approximately 500 rpm. In general, use a slow feed rate when drilling acrylic, e.g. .

Standard taps and dies may be used for cutting screw threads into Perspex. The use of lubricants is essential. If an item is only being assembled once then self tapping screws may be used at your own risk. Wherever possible, coarse threads are preferred as they are less liable to damage.

Plexiglass is a type of acrylic. You may know it as Plexiglas, but plexiglass itself is not a trademarked term. Because standard acrylic and plexiglass are so similar, you can often use them for the same applications. The main differences are in the way that companies manufacture plexiglass and acrylic plastic sheets.

For cutting plexiglass 1/8” thick or thinner in straight lines, a utility or scoring knife should work well. For more intricate cuts, a Dremel or jigsaw would be a better choice. For thick sheets of plexiglass, you need to use power tools like a table or circular saw.

How do you drill acrylic sheets without cracking? ›

Make sure the surface is clean and free of sharp objects that may damage the sheet. Set the drill to a low rotational speed. The larger the diameter of the hole, the slower the drill speed should be. Check the shavings produced while drilling to ensure the drill speed is correct.

When you use acrylic sheeting as your window panes, you no longer need to worry about someone getting injured if a pane is to break. Plexiglass sheeting is unique in that while it is extremely difficult to shatter, it can be broken, however, it doesn't break into a thousand tiny, dangerous shards.

In general, plexiglass is going to be a little less expensive than safety glass, weighs much less, and can also help reduce glare. It's also incredibly strong, taking about 10,000 pounds of pressure per square inch (psi) to shatter.