Cutting text into plexiglass?

[Kiwiandapple]

Hello! 

So I am currently working on a mod. I luckly have a bunch of plexiglass I can practice on. But my initial plan is not working at ALL. 

What I want to make is this. 

 

Cut my PSU cover and place an orange or yellow plexiglass behind it and light it up. 

 

So I started with taping it off and drilling holes with a 2mm drill.  closely together and in a zigzag pattern, since the thickness is about ~3mm I couldn't drill the holes next to eachother. Then I went with my dremel, equiped with a diamond miller into it to remove the remaining parts. Here is where it goes terribly wrong. I am not able to get a straight line at all. Should I use a smaller drill? 

 

Help? I looked in youtube for this, but couldn't find any video where they cut text in plexiglass.  

 

Thank you for your time

[Sodisna]

By no means am I a expert, but wouldn't you use some type of stencil?

[Drown]

@Kiwiandapple

 

Of course if you search on Google/Youtube for "how to cut text in plexiglass" it's going to be harder to get good results, but it should be easy to find good information if you simply search for "how to cut plexiglass" or "how to precisely cut plexiglass". I tried a quick search and found good results, it's not PC related but it doesn't matter, they still show how to do a good job.

[Norwegiantweaker]

there are a few ways. im guessing you wanna etch letters into the plexiglass and then use RGB lights to make it glow ?

[xox]

Hire out laser time, the best £30 you will ever spend.

 

If not, get a Stanley knife and a stencil of what you want to cut, then make a deep groove with the knife on the plexiglass/metal/whatever. Keep going on both sides until finished.

Make sure the stencil is smaller than the actual thing otherwise you may damage the glass with your knife.

 

So much simpler to hire a laser though

 

 

 

Also worth noting: Frost the yellow Plexi with sandpaper so that there is an even glow

A dremel isn't ideal to yse unless you have a hefty file with you

[Hoppa]

If you want text bevelled in, you'd have to use a cnc router wouldn't you?

 

EDIT: ah wait don't worry about what I said lol didn't read all the text.

 

A dremel would be too messy. I'd recommend using a jigsaw or one of those small blade electric saws (bandsaw I think)

[Kiwiandapple]

Wow, thanks a lot guys! Didn't even tought about most of the replies you gave me. 

 

By no means am I a expert, but wouldn't you use some type of stencil?

 

Yes I looked into this, the problem is that it's pretty thick. But something I am considering. 

 

@Kiwiandapple

 

Of course if you search on Google/Youtube for "how to cut text in plexiglass" it's going to be harder to get good results, but it should be easy to find good information if you simply search for "how to cut plexiglass" or "how to precisely cut plexiglass". I tried a quick search and found good results, it's not PC related but it doesn't matter, they still show how to do a good job.

 

Right I am an idiot and bad with google. But I found a lot of video's of how to cut plexiglass. But not "precisely". Thank you! 

 

there are a few ways. im guessing you wanna etch letters into the plexiglass and then use RGB lights to make it glow ?

 

Nop, I want to cut away the black plexi, completely open and place a frosted colored piece of plexiglass behind it. Wich I will LED up, to make it pop out a little more. 

 

Hire out laser time, the best £30 you will ever spend.

 

If not, get a Stanley knife and a stencil of what you want to cut, then make a deep groove with the knife on the plexiglass/metal/whatever. Keep going on both sides until finished.

Make sure the stencil is smaller than the actual thing otherwise you may damage the glass with your knife.

 

So much simpler to hire a laser though

 

Also worth noting: Frost the yellow Plexi with sandpaper so that there is an even glow

A dremel isn't ideal to yse unless you have a hefty file with you

 

Yes this seems like my best option. Hopefully this is still possible to do, since my PSU cover is allready bent. 

And I have no idea WHO could do this. I have to go look around a bit to see if I can find anything nearby. Thank you! ^^ 

 

I know about frosting the yellow plexi to make it glow evenly, thank you! 

I do have a hefty file with me, but I was not able to even get remotely close to a straight line. 

 

If you want text bevelled in, you'd have to use a cnc router wouldn't you?

 

EDIT: ah wait don't worry about what I said lol didn't read all the text.

 

A dremel would be too messy. I'd recommend using a jigsaw or one of those small blade electric saws (bandsaw I think)

 

I have a jigsaw, will give this a shot for the straight lines and see how well I can cut the corners. I don't have a bandsaw. Or any other tools really, I only got a jigsaw and a dremel. 

[xox]

I have no idea WHO could do this

http://www.thelaserhive.com/

 

Yes, they ship to Belgium

[Scheer]

A dremel is pretty hard to control in plexi, you can try the drill thing again and then clean it up with jewelers files, but it will take a LONG time.

 

Just have it laser cut...

[Kiwiandapple]

Yes thanks guys, laser cut it will be. 

I just have a small problem. The shipping of the PSU cover. It is allready bend! 

 

 

So I have to find some stuff to be able to pack it in again AND ask them very carefully if they are able to cut something into this when it got that bend in it. Because the laser cut might be moving in the way of this cover! :]

[Scheer]

Yes thanks guys, laser cut it will be. 

I just have a small problem. The shipping of the PSU cover. It is allready bend! 

 

 

So I have to find some stuff to be able to pack it in again AND ask them very carefully if they are able to cut something into this when it got that bend in it. Because the laser cut might be moving in the way of this cover! :]

 

 

Yeah that looks like it is going to be an issue... Laser cutters need to be close to the material for the focus of the beam to be correct.

 

If they have enough room on the Z axis the could prop it up on a piece of wood or something. Basically the surface to be cut would be 5" or so off the cutting table.

[Kiwiandapple]

Yeah that looks like it is going to be an issue... Laser cutters need to be close to the material for the focus of the beam to be correct.

 

If they have enough room on the Z axis the could prop it up on a piece of wood or something. Basically the surface to be cut would be 5" or so off the cutting table.

 

Yes exactly! If only I tought about this before!

Oh well, challenge time. Always fun to learn new things. Albeit not so much learning for me here, if they cut it for me. But still! :]