Modding Shiny Clear Finish using plexi

I was planning on making a new shell for my monitor out of plexi. I was wondering if there's anyway to make the plexi finish real clear and shiny like a mac keyboard? I know heating it will do it but i'm not sure how to do it exactly. i doubt you can use any old blowtorch. And i really didn't want to go through 15 shells trying to get it right. Any ideas?

 

Silicon carbide paper (car body sand paper) (wet n dry paper) going thro the grades to a very fine grade, then T-Cut and alot of elbow grease.

I think there might be other products in the US, im sure someone will have the knowledge.

 

heating it causes it to get very weak, so I wouldn't
recomend that!!

 

I use a buffing wheel and brasso metal polish to get a smooth finish and then I clean it up good and buff a coat of carnuba wax on.

Now I have been slammed for this method and would certainly like to know SPECIFICALLY, why it is so wrong yet always looks so dang good?

 

I don't know why you would get slammed for it. It sounds logical to me. I used to detail cars and if your using a high speed buffer the heat that it creates should definately help smooth out the plexi and create a nice shine. i'm can't beleive i didn't think of doing that after 5 years of detailing.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

That's using 220 grit sandpaper, a buffing wheel in a drill, and jewelers rouge (the truckstop stuff)

Sounds like a good method to me, and I've had nothing but success...

 

Not really. I've bent plenty of plexi and have had no problems. It does make it really shiney . But if you are heating it just to gloss it I wouldn't recommend it as it warps the surface. If you want a really smooth surface you will end up sanding it down to get it smooth and flat; then you won't have a glossy surface and you are back to square one.

 

Is Acrylic different or the same as Plexiglas?

Is Acrylic different or the same as Plexiglas?

What is jewelers rouge?

What is the best tool to cut Acrylic?

I have read the best way to drill holes are with special drill bits just for Acrylic, but I would like to know what is the best to cut curves and long straight cuts.

Sportbilly, Looks like you have had great success in cutting out curves and straights. What tools do you use? Your project looks like you purchased it off the shelf. "Perfect"

 

1. No difference. Plexiglas is a trade name for acrylic. Not to be confused with Lexan, another beast altogether.

2. A polishing compound, comes in bars that you buff before buffing your plastic. Look at truck stops.

3. You can use anything sharp, except maybe wit. Many methods, including score and snap for straight lines. I use a jigsaw for round cuts, you have to take it in small steps, and pull away your offcut quickly, because it tends to melt together. Table saw rules for straight cuts.

4. They're called plexi-point bits, and they're the s*** for plastic.

That little rack was cut with jigsaw and table saw, and then filed, sanded and polished..

With respect to flame-polishing. It can ruin the annealing of the plexi, meaning that when exposed to stress, even the wrong cleaning chemical, it can craze and/or crack badly. Not to say it can't be done, I just prefer not to. fyi, Plexi can be treated again to fix the problem, but it's a pain.

 

AFAIK, it doesn't help. Once it's sanded to 220, the compound should, and is, able to take care of the rest, the heat would tend to have the same effect as with flame-polishing...

 

Thanks Sportbilly, you have been a lot of help. I have done a lot of modding, but not anything with Acrylic. This should get me going.

Thanks again.

 

you can also get the polishing rouge (diffferent grades too) and buffing wheels pretty cheap at home depot

 

I used 220 grit, then 1000 and then Novus heavy and light scratch remover.

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