PolyCast Acrylic -- Material of a thousand uses. Polycast acrylic sheet is a material with unique physical properties and performance characteristics. What is the best white paint to use for opaque acrylic painting. A simple beginners guide. How to Oil Paint. Do you want to paint beautiful, expressive paintings with oils? Here are some basics to guide you into the wonderful world of oil paints. Once you.
POLYCAST ACRYLIC SHEET | SAN DIEGO PLASTICS INC. Poly. Cast Acrylic - - Material of a thousand uses. Polycast acrylic sheet is a material with unique physical properties and performance. It weighs half as much as the finest optical glass, yet is equal to. It can be worked as easily. Polycast sheet is made in over 2. Aircraft. manufacturers use Polycast sheet in jets and helicopters.
Bullet- resisting Polycast. Because of its light and. Polycast ideal for skylights, sun. Polycast material is a favorite medium. Retailers show off their merchandise in displays. Polycast sheet, while signs made from Polycast sheet light up the nation.
Its impact resistance makes Polycast sheet an outstanding glazing material. It is. used in home furnishings, chair mats, lighting fixtures, safety equipment, decorating.
And it's a favorite material. CHARACTERISTICS: Weatherability: Polycast acrylic sheet has exceptional weathering characteristics. Clear sheet will not yellow even after long years of exposure to sunlight, and. EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION: Like most plastics, Polycast acrylic sheet responds to temperature changes by expanding. When using Polycast acrylic sheet for.
FLEXIBILITY: Polycast acrylic sheet is much more flexible than glass or many other building materials. When using large sheets for windows, it is important that rabbets. CHEMICAL RESISTANCE: Polycast acrylic sheet has excellent resistance to attack by. It is affected, in varying degrees, by benzene, toluene, carbon. ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES: Polycast acrylic sheet is an excellent insulator. Its surface. resistivity is higher than that of most plastics. Continuous outdoor exposure.
LIGHT TRANSMISSION: Colorless Polycast acrylic sheet has a light transmittance of 9. It is clearer than window glass and will not turn yellow. Translucent white Polycast. Polycast acrylic sheet is also available in a large. FIRE PRECAUTIONS: All acrylic sheet is combustible. Self- ignition temperature range. F. Protect it from flames and high heat.
CLEANING: Wash Polycast sheet with a mild soap or detergent and plenty of lukewarm water. Use a clean soft cloth, applying only light pressure. Rinse with clear water. Grease, oil or tar may be removed. These solvents may be.
Any oily film left behind by solvents should be. DO NOT USE: Window cleaning sprays, kitchen scouring compounds, or solvents such. Static electricity can attract dust to Polycast acrylic sheet.
To reduce it, use. San Diego Plastics. Or consider using an. Audio stores for removing. MASKING: Polycast acrylic sheet comes covered on both sides with a low- tack masking paper.
It is also available with a thick- polyethylene film with a low- tack adhesive. Polymask) or with a thin polyethylene film without adhesive (unmasked). The masking. protects the sheet from scratching during storage and handling. Be sure to leave the. Except for intricate. You can remove the masking paper with a cardboard tube - - rolling the paper around it.
All papermasked Polycast sheet should be kept away from heat, sunlight and water. This is not true of Polymask sheet. Masking should be removed soon after installation.
Important Do's and Don'ts: Do's: * Keep meshing on as long as possible through fabrication operations.* Always wear safety glasses when working with power tools.* Use metal- cutting saw blades and drills which are ground for acrylic sheet.* Make certain all your tools are sharp.* Use water or an appropriate drilling oil as a coolant when cutting sheets. Use the proper thickness for glazing blanks.* Allow 1/1. Wet the surface of Polycast acrylic sheet before cleaning.* Ask San Diego Plastics for detailed information. Dont's: * Don't store Polycast acrylic sheet near radiators or steam pipes or in direct sunlight.* Don't remove the masking until all work is finished.* Don't install large sheet with bolts. Frame them.* Don't mark with a punch marker.* Don't use saw blades having side- set teeth. Saw teeth ideally should be ground.
Proportions vary, but the basic ingredients that go into most exterior paints remain the same. Solvents: Quick-to-evaporate liquids keep binders and pigments in.
Don't bring the material in direct contact with heaters.* Don't subject sheet to high surface temperatures during polishing.* Don't use glass- cleaning sprays, scouring compounds or solvents like acetone, gasoline. Don't heat Polycast acrylic sheet in a kitchen oven.* In hot weather, don't store masked acrylic sheet in direct sunlight.
CUTTING: Polycast acrylic sheet can be cut in many ways with hand tools or power tools. The method you choose will likely depend on the tools available to you. But all. tools cannot be used in all cases. Your choice of tool and technique should also. This section, though not comprehensive, gives some guidelines for choosing the right. Polycast acrylic sheet.
CUTTING WITH KNIFE OR SCRIBE: Polycast acrylic sheet up to 3/1. Use a scribe of some kind - - a scribing knife, a metal.
Draw the scriber. It is best not to remove the protective masking. Make the cuts carefully using. For best results make each stroke cleanly off the edge of the sheet. Then, clamp the Polycast acrylic sheet or hold it rigidly under a straight edge with the. Protect your hands with.
It will. break along the scratch. Scrape the edges to smooth any sharp corners. This method. is not recommended for long breaks or thick material. CUTTING WITH POWER SAWS: Blades used to cut Polycast acrylic sheet should be sharp, and free from nicks and burrs. Special blades for cutting acrylics are available for most types of saws. San Diego. Plastics has them in stock.
Otherwise, use blades designed. Teeth should be fine. Table saws and circular.
Use hollow ground, high- speed blades with no set, and at least 5 teeth per inch. If you intend to do extensive cutting, carbide. They also tend to give a cleaner cut in acrylic sheet. Set the blade to project approximately 1/8" above the surface of the sheet being cut. This will reduce edge chipping. When cutting with a hand- held circular saw, clamp the sheet.
A wood block 1" x 3" clamped on top of. No matter which type of saw you use, the sheet must be held firmly and fed slowly and.
Lubricating the blade with beeswax or a bar of soap will help. Be sure the saw is up to full speed.
Water- cooling the blade is suggested for thicknesses over 1/4". Saber saws: Use blades which have a slight set, such as the blades recommended for cutting. Be sure they are sharp. The blades you use for cutting acrylic. Set them aside. Use them only for acrylic sheet. High speed is best for cutting Polycast acrylic sheet with a saber saw.
Always be sure the. Press the sawshoe firmly against the material. Water cooling is suggested for cutting acrylic sheet over 1/4" thick. Band saws or jig saws: Band saws and jig saws are excellent tools for cutting Polycast. But because of their relatively thin blades they are not recommended for. Use blades with a slight set and about 1.
Feed acrylic sheet at a rate 1. Blades may. break easily in acrylic, so operate accordingly. CUTTING WITH HAND SAWS: Almost any type of hand saw may be used to cut Polycast acrylic sheet. And while good. results are possible with hand saws, the techniques involved are considerably more difficult. Practice on scrap material before attempting to make critical cuts. With any hand saw, it is most important that the blades be kept sharp.
For best results, the. Every effort should be. Flexing at the point of the cut or.
Clamp the material securely. Keep. the saw straight when cutting, and apply very little pressure. Let the blade do the work. With practice and proper care, you can get good results. Straight Saws: Straight saws or crosscut saws may be used for long, straight cuts on. Polycast acrylic sheet of almost any thickness.
The saw should have a hollow- ground blade. Make certain the material is firmly. Hold the saw at an angle of about 4. Coping Saws: Coping saws or scroll saws are good for shorter cuts, curved cuts, or even. Use very narrow blades with only a slight set. Hacksaws or Keyhole Saws: These hand saws for cutting metal may also be used for short.
Polycast acrylic sheet. Choose a blade with approximately 1. Use a smooth, even stroke. Apply very little pressure. ROUTING AND SHAPING: Polycast acrylic sheet can be machined with standard woodworking routers in much the. You'll find many uses for portable hand routers and small table routers. Use them to cut patterns into edges, or larger holes out of pieces of Polycast.
For best results, use single- fluted bits for inside circle routing and double- fluted. Routers are designed to operate at high speeds. Polycast acrylic sheet. And because routing.
Even small vibrations can. San Diego. Plastics sells router bits for plastics!