Sanding Acrylic Sheet

When using the acrylic as a window on a speaker enclosure or for an amp rack you ll probably want to polish the edge.

Sanding acrylic sheet.

With the foam block and sand paper cup the edge to smooth it round. The cut line may be sharp and uneven after snapping the acrylic sheet. How to cut acrylic with a jigsaw. Since it will be nearly impossible to keep the edge perfectly square i ll usually round it off.

With a foam sanding block start with rough paper 180. When using 360 grit start wet sanding. Rinse the acrylic after each sanding section. If the cut was deep enough into the sheet there will be a clean edge.

Once the sheet has been scored clamp the acrylic on a table edge so that the table edge aligns with the scored line of the sheet. Sand until the edge is uniform and relatively smooth. Sanding acrylic takes time so don t get frustrated if the material doesn t get polished right away. To make things easy use a rubber or foam block and waterproof sandpaper.

Step 7 continue moving up to 800 grit wet sandpaper. Wear a respirator mask as well to avoid inhaling any particles as you work. Sand the cut line. Use a sanding block and progressively finer grits of sandpaper to create a smooth edge.

How to sand an acrylic sheet by kenneth coppens. An important point that you should take note of is that the way in which you machine and cut your acrylic sheet will have a profound effect on the time taken and the ease with which you can clean and polish the acrylic edges. For best results use 600 grit 700 grit and then 800 grit rather than skipping right to 800. Rinse the acrylic with water after sanding.

Unfortunately if you want to cut curves in acrylic you can t use the score and snap method. Using a higher grit of sandpaper will make the acrylic shine even more than it already did. Always also wear gloves and plastic goggles to protect your eyes and hands from the plexiglass. Make sure you sand your plexiglass in a clean room on a drop cloth to catch the small pieces of plexiglass that you will be sanding off.

The higher the grit of the sandpaper the finer it is. Once you confirm the clamp is secure apply pressure to the piece of sheet that is hanging off of the table until it breaks off. Finish sanding with 600 grit paper to give the acrylic a lasting shine. Switch to fine then finer paper 360 and 600 grit to get a satin finish.