First Time Cutting Acrylic

[DobiePaws]

I wanted to make a mailbox topper for a friend and I tried cutting it out of the standard (cheap) home supply store 'plywood' but the back splintered a lot and the thin pointed areas were very weak with the inner piece of plywood often falling out........So I get to keep that one and hang it on my wall - Yeah.

Anyhow I always wanted to try cutting acrylic, but was a little unsure of the medium. I ordered some 1/8" black sheets and the blades recommended (they were here in 3 days!) and I watched Steve's tutorial.  The sheets were covered in brown sticky paper, all I did was spray glue the pattern to the paper, used a #3D Olson Double skip tooth blade at a slightly lower spead than normal and I was very delighted with the results - no melting, smooth cutting.

Question?? Why do many people wrap the wood in shipping tape??? I don't understand the purpose of the extra step.

Deanna

[julief]

Deanna, Many people wrap the project in packing tape to lubricate the blade and keep it cooler so it won't burn the wood.  I only do it when cutting a wood that burns easily like purple heart.

[Danny]

Happy to make your acquaintance Deanna....
     I DO NOT EVER use packing tape on ANY of my projects.  One I did experiment with.  Fretwork portrait with over a 50 inside cuts.  The back of the bottom piece looked TERRIBLE with frayed tape and some lil fuzzies!
After spending some time trying to get the PACKING TAPE off I just gave up and like you its hanging on my shop wall as a reminder. 
     Using the Flying Dutchman blades and cutting even Lowe's 1/4" Red Oak.
or preferably 1/8 or 1/4 BB the bottom piece had VERY LITTLE lil fuzzies.
     I ALWAYS use the blue painters tape on the top piece with the pattern spray glued to it.  Never was happy using the mineral spirits to desolve or as I see it melt the sticky glue. 
     Anyway this be my opinion and I hope we have many more posts concerning this subject.  Later....  Danny  :+}

[Rapid Roger]

Well, at least you have learned a lesson about cheap plywood. I'm not sure what that is between the top and bottom layer but, it sure isn't WOOD!!! You need to use Baltic birch with several layers of wood in the center. The more layers the better.
As far as your question, I have applied patterns to wood in just about every way there is to do it and I still go back to spray glue and packing tape on top of the pattern. Everyone has their favorite way of doing things. The clear tape is suppose to add some lubrication to the blade and prevent burning of the wood and tear out but for me, it also helps to remove the pattern from the wood also. It gives a little more strength to the paper when pulling it off the cutting and is stronger than the spray glue.
Just my "dos centavos" worth.

Rog

[tux_linux]

right - there are different poplar woods available at the home store. The cheapest ones are not recommended.
I have switched to beech ply, it#s a bit harder an cuts much nicer - an extra $ well spend.

The tape:
I use it always. It simpler if you sand your ply first and not dust off completely. The tape comes off really simple. Also can you leave the tape on the wood for several days without problems - so a break while cutting is no problem at all.

[spiderman]

get lots of plywood  hard plywood  batic brich plywood......   get lots of it  like 1/8 and 1/4 thick... that what i use for most of steve good patterns........  and smells great.....

enjoy...
make sure after you are done that you still have ten fingers...  you could cut off your toes.... really don't need them...

 

[mrsn]

The tape reducing burning and make cutting easier. I used to not believe it but used the tape because all the "old guys" said it was a good idea. Then I one day I was cutting a clock out of cherry, the whole clock cut really really well no burning or difficulties at all. after the clock was all cut out I decided I wanted to change the base design a bit, with a couple of straight line cuts. I didn't see any need to use a pattern so simply drew a couple of light lines on the wood and took it to the saw. The piece was almost impossible to cut, it burned really baddly and was awful. I thought maybe the blade was dull so changed the blade, but it did't help the cutting at all. Then the words of the "old guys" came back to me. I stoped the blade in the middle of the cut and stuck a piece of tape down. It was like cutting butter again, I didn't change anything but the tape and it made all the difference.

[dgman]

Old Guys!!! Who you calling an old guy? Jeez, I guess if i'm old enough to be your father, I must be an old guy!!

[mrsn]

"old guys" is a loving term

[dgman]

She loves me!!!!