Custom cut printed acrylic

[sortedradio]

Asking for a friend, "does anyone know where I can get a custom cut piece of acrylic printed on, so it can be used as a front glass on a Lyric jukebox?" Thank you!

[Richard_FM]

Maybe a company that makes signs for shops or similar displays?

[Gabe001]

There are a few on Etsy but the acrylic sizes tend to be fixed. You may need to cut it to size yourself if you get your artwork printed on a larger piece of acrylic than you need.

Cutting acrylic tends to be tricky, as it shatters easily, particularly of it's less than 3mm thick. I use a fret saw and go slow

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by Gabe001

Cutting acrylic tends to be tricky, as it shatters easily, particularly of it's less than 3mm thick. I use a fret saw and go slow

Has anyone experimented with a hot-wire or hot-knife for cutting thin acrylic?

Mike

[David G4EBT]

I've mostly used 2mm clear glazing sheet for covering the front panels of homebrew projects, which as Gabriel says, is easy to shatter. I've found that shattering can be avoided by using a 'pull saw' as the blade is always under tension, so is less likely to stick as would say a hacksaw or fine-toothed handsaw. This sort of thing:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314162810...EaAgL3EALw_wcB

I also put masking tape on the bottom and top of the acrylic sheet, draw the cutting line on the masking tape and cut to the line.

It works for me, but of course you can by acrylic sheet online in various colours and thicknesses cut to your size, so you don't have to buy a sheet and cut it yourself.

To drill holes in acrylic I always use a step drill which never 'snatches' and unlike a twist drill, which risks snatching, there's no risk of the acrylic being pulled up the flutes of the bit, as there are no flutes.

I can't comment on printing on acrylic - I guess it would have to be screen printed. Most reasonable sized towns will have companies that make acrylic display signs, but I suspect you'd need a deep pocket. As a first step your chum would need to specify what he wants doing and discuss it with someone like this outfit:

https://uksignshop.co.uk/commercial/...AaAsBuEALw_wcB

Hope that might help a bit.

Good luck in your quest.

[Simondm]

Originally Posted by Boulevardier

Has anyone experimented with a hot-wire or hot-knife for cutting thin acrylic?

Mike

Not exactly, but I once tried to trim several inches off the top of my bike's screen with a Dremel, only to discover that, not only was I not getting a clean cut, it was sticking itself together again after the Dremel wheel had passed by.

The best results I've had (and now it's my default method), is to use my wood bandsaw with a fine tooth blade. Speed matters - too fast and it splinters, too slow and it overheats, with a gummy, messy cut. I find thicker harder to cut than thinner stock, because of the heating/melting effect.

If you can, sandwiching thin stock between two bits of MDF or ply will help, and you can mark the outline on the top piece. Actually you probably only need the one underneath, but it's easier to clamp (with countersunk screws) with a pair of boards top and bottom.

To the OP: get several pieces printed, in case!

[sortedradio]

Thank you all for your replies, which I have passed on. Thank you David for the link for custom acrylic signs, I think this is just what he is after. If not they may be able to point him in the right direction.