If you need to cut plexiglass or acrylic, one of the best tools that you have at your disposal is the Dremel. The Dremel is a very convenient multipurpose tool, and there is an attachment that you can use to cut plexiglass.
However, today we want to figure out whether or not this tool is indeed the best tool to cut plexiglass. After we do that, we will be providing you with a step-by-step tutorial on how to cut this material with a Dremel. As you are about to find out, this task is actually quite fast and easy.
Is a Dremel the Best Tool for Cutting Plexiglass?
Indeed, the Dremel is one of the very best tools that you could use for cutting plexiglass or acrylic. The reason for this is that it’s a very small, lightweight, and simple tool that is extremely user friendly. you could easily put an attachment on it that is easily able to cut through materials such as plexiglass.
Moreover, this tool is ideal for cutting both straight lines and irregular shapes, as well as curves. The small cutting blade it features is very versatile and able to make tight turns. With that being said, a Dremel is not the only tool that you can use, and it’s certainly not the fastest either.
Now, if we are talking about very thick sheets of plexiglass, you may actually want to use some sort of power saw. To cut plexiglass, you could use a circular saw, a table saw, or a Sabre saw, which is especially the case if we are talking about straight lines. However, if you want to cut irregular shapes and curves into thick sheets of plexiglass, then a jigsaw is the best tool to use.
Remember, while Dremels do work well for both thin and thicker sheets of plexiglass, they are generally ideal for thinner materials.
If you don’t want to work with power tools at all, and you have a thin sheet of plexiglass, you can always try scoring the plexiglass and snapping it, just like you would with regular glass. For this, you could use a box cutter, a glass cutter, or even a utility knife. However, today we are here to talk about Dremels, so let’s move on and figure out how to cut plexiglass with this tool.
What Type of Attachment Should You Use for Cutting Plexiglass?
Of course, the Dremel is a very versatile multipurpose tool that can handle literally dozens of different attachments. Yes, you do need to use the right type of attachment when cutting plexiglass or acrylic. Generally speaking, this is going to be the 561 bit, which is a standard Dremel bit.
This is a very special type of cutting wheel designed specifically to cut acrylic and other similar materials. This cutting wheel is designed to easily cut through dense materials and has special properties designed to prevent it from overheating and melting the materials being cut.
However, even with this special attachment, plexiglass may still overheat and melt, which is why you will need to take additional steps to dissipate heat and prevent the plexiglass from melting or being damaged during the cutting process.
How to Cut Plexiglass With a Dremel
Now that we know that the Dremel is indeed a great tool to use to cut plexiglass, let’s go through a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to do it.
1. Prepare the Dremel and Yourself
First, you need to prepare the Dremel for cutting plexiglass, which means that you need to insert the proper attachment. As we have covered above, this means using the Dremel 561 attachment designed specifically for cutting plexiglass.
Loosen the collet of your tool, take out the existing attachment, insert the Dremel 561 attachment, and then tighten the collet. If properly done, a Dremel 561 attachment should be properly secured within your tool.
Once that has been done, you do want to set your Dremel to either level 6 or 8, which is the speed. Remember, you don’t want your Dremel moving too fast when cutting plexiglass, because this risks causing damage. If the Dremel is moving too fast, it may tear the plexiglass and cause uneven cuts, or it may even produce excess amounts of heat and cause the plexiglass to melt. Therefore, when cutting this material, keep the RPMs well under 20,000.
You do then also want to prepare yourself for cutting plexiglass with a Dremel, which mainly means wearing proper eye protection. Small pieces of acrylic may fly up towards you when performing this task, so you do want to keep your eyes well protected.
2. Measure and Mark the Plexiglass
Now you need to measure and mark your plexiglass according to the design or cut that you want to make. If you are making a simple straight cut through the material, you can use a ruler or any other straight edge as your guide, and you can then use a utility knife or glass cutter to score a line into the plexiglass that you will then follow with your Dremel to make the cut.
If you don’t want to use a utility knife or a glass cutter to score the plexiglass, you can always use something like a dry-erase marker or a grease pencil to make your line. However, if you’re cutting curves or shapes into the plexiglass, then you will want to cut and print a pattern or stencil that you can then trace onto the material. Once again, something like a grease pencil will work just fine for this.
Do keep in mind that if you are making curves or irregular shapes, you don’t want to use a box cutter, glass cutter, or utility knife, as these are only ideal for scoring straight lines. With all of your measurements taken and the plexiglass marked, you can move on to the following step.
3. Cut the Plexiglass
Now is the time for you to actually cut the plexiglass using your Dremel. So, start up your tool and get it up to full speed according to our directions as provided above, which means keeping the level of speed under 8.
With your Dremel moving as it should, slowly touch the cutting wheel to the start of the line that you marked in the previous step. Apply a moderate amount of pressure from the top down until the cut has gone all the way through the plexiglass. Once you have gone all the way through, you can then start moving along the line to make a cut along your mark.
Always move slowly when doing this and never apply too much pressure, as you may cause the plexiglass to crack, tear out, or potentially shatter. All the while you are doing this, you want to continuously pour small amounts of cold water over the Dremel acrylic cutting attachment.
Pouring water over your tool and the plexiglass will help prevent the material from overheating and melting, while also helping to smooth out the acrylic for a much smoother and straighter finish. Never use a Dremel to cut plexiglass without also cooling it down with water during the process.
4. Sand the Plexiglass
Once the cut has been made with the Dremel, you might notice that there are some rough edges. If this is the case, you are going to want to use some very fine grit sandpaper to sand everything down. Once your plexiglass has been sanded down, the process is complete.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Let’s quickly go over some tips and tricks to help make this process as easy, successful, and safe as possible:
- Never use a wood cutting or metal cutting attachment to cut acrylic, as both are not ideal and will likely damage the material
- Don’t have your Dremel running at full speed when cutting acrylic or plexiglass, as you may melt or damage it
- Try to work in a well-ventilated area, as cutting acrylic or plexiglass may produce smoke or fumes that are not healthy to inhale
- Never forget to use cold water when cutting acrylic or plexiglass, because if you don’t, it may overheat, melt, and be damaged
- If you are cutting very thin sheets of plexiglass and your cuts need to be straight, then using a scoring tool is best
Summary
As you can see, a Dremel is an ideal tool to use for cutting plexiglass, and you should now know exactly how to do it.