Acrylic Sheets - Frequently Asked Question (FAQ's)

What are the difference between extruded and cast sheets?
How to clean acrylic sheets?
What is the softening temperature of acrylic sheet?
What type of coolants can be used to prevent heat buildup in acrylic?
What cutting tools can be used on acrylic sheets?
What types of saws are recommended for cutting?
Can you laser cut acrylic sheets?
What is recommended when drilling holes in acrylic sheets?
What is recommended when screwing and tapping acrylic sheets?
What type of polishing services are available?
Can you remove scratches from acrylic sheets?
Does your acrylic sheets go yellow in the sun?
What fire rating is acrylic sheets?
What can you use to bond acrylic onto acrylic?
Can I purchase custom size acrylic sheets online?
Can I purchase special / bespoke acrylic cut shapes?

What are the difference between cast and extruded acrylic sheets?
There are few differences between the physical properties of Cast Acrylic and Extruded Acrylic sheets. Both show excellent resistance to natural ageing. The main differences lie in their thermal and chemical properties and the way they are processed and used. The two materials are different in nature and respond differently to certain processes.

The Cast manufacturing process leads to slight variations in the thickness of sheets whereas the thickness of Extruded sheet varies very little, if at all. Cast has an isotropic response to temperature with a maximum shrinkage of 2 % in all directions. However, the extrusion process applied to Extruded sheet leads to differences in shrinkage depending on the thickness and direction of extrusion.

Extruded acrylic sheet has reduced mechanical properties, however it does give process advantages when heating, bending and vacuum forming, and has a better thickness tolerance than cast acrylic sheet. Extruded sheets are ideal for general glazing applications and the much lower viscosity when hot, makes it more ductile than Cast Acrylic.

Cast Acrylic sheets offer greater thermal stability and better resistance to crazing when exposed to solvents. The thermoforming range for cast sheets is wider. They can be reworked hot, which is not always possible with extruded sheets. The surface finish, flatness and optical properties of Cast Acrylic are all superior to those of Extruded Acrylic sheets.

How to clean acrylic sheets?
The surface should not generally require cleaning until after fabrication. For general purpose cleaning, the sheet should be washed simply with clean cold water to which a little detergent has been added. The use of any solvents such as methylated spirits, turpentine, white spirit or proprietary window cleaning products is neither necessary nor recommended.

Before screen printing it is advisable to wash the sheet surfaces to be printed on with clean fresh water using a chamois leather or soft cloth. This has the advantage of removing all traces of static charge from the sheet after removal of the film which might otherwise attract dust.

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What is the softening temperature of acrylic sheet?
It will soften if heated above 80°C. Considerable heat can be generated by machining, causing stress, so it is therefore very important that heat build-up is kept to a minimum.

What type of coolants can be used to prevent heat buildup in acrylic?
Various coolants can be used including water and water/air mists, soluble oils and compressed air. Soluble oils must be oil-in-water emulsions and must not contain solvents which may cause stress cracking.

What cutting tools can be used on acrylic sheets?
To achieve a good finish all cutting tools must be kept sharp. Most hand tools designed for use with wood or soft metals are suitable for use with acrylic except laminate cutters, guillotines and blanking dies. Most power tools can be used and HSS tools bits are suitable to achieve a good cut finish. For lengthy runs, tungsten carbide tipped blades and tool bits are recommended for long life.

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What types of saws are recommended when cutting acrylic sheets?
For small jobs fine-toothed hand saws such as fret saws or hack saws are recommended. The work must be securely fixed and only light pressure applied. Powered saws with blades having alternative teeth beveled, as for aluminium, are particularly recommended for sawing acrylic as are band saws, jig saws and fret saws. For further recommended conditions for sawing acrylic, please download the Perspex Acrylic Sheet Workshop Handbook.

Can you laser cut acrylic sheets?
Yes, they may be laser cut and very complex and intricate shapes can be achieved.

What is recommended when drilling holes in acrylic sheets?
Standard woodworking twist drills can be used for all normal drilling work with acrylic. Whenever possible, the work should be supported by a back stop made from either scrap acrylic or hard wood to prevent splintering the exit hole. Under no circumstances should a centre punch be used before drilling. A small pilot hole should be drilled first to locate the drill. Coolants are strongly recommended for any deep drilling into acrylic and time must be allowed to remove swarf from the drill at regular intervals. Alternatively, we can do the drilling for you.

What is recommended when screwing and tapping acrylic sheets?
Standard taps and dies may be used for cutting screw threads in acrylic but whenever possible, coarse threads are preferred as they are less liable to damage. Threads must not be overstressed and it is not advisable to thread acrylic if frequent dismantling is likely. In such conditions, threaded metal inserts are recommended.

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What type of polishing service are available for acrylic sheets?
We can offer Power Buffing, Diamond Polishing and Flame Polishing services. Diamond Polishing can be used for straight edges and gives excellent results without the rounded edges often produced by buffing. Flame Polishing is ideal for polishing thin edges of acrylic, especially clear extruded sheet for point-of-sale items because its fast and effective. For a ultimate high gloss finish and for bespoke acrylic shapes we can also hand polish the acrylic parts.

Can you remove scratches from acrylic sheets?
For minor scratches you can purchase Novus 2 or Novus 3 scratch remover polish from us which can restore the finish. Please click on the link for further information on Novus Polishes.

Does your acrylic sheets go yellow in the sun?
Our Perspex acrylic sheets does not go yellow in the sun and Perspex offers a 10 year guarantee on discoloration. Perspex is an international brand which stands for quality, innovation and design. Perspex has an unrivalled reputation for product performance and are regarded as the leading acrylic sheet material in the world.

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What fire rating is acrylic sheets?
Acrylic sheets achieves a UK Class 3 fire rating.

What can you use to bond acrylic onto acrylic?
Tensol 12 is a single component cement which hardens due to solvent evaporation to produce a clear bond in cast acrylic sheets. Tensol 12 is only recommended for internal signage and low strength bonds.
Tensol 70 is a two part catalyst cement which cures at ambient temperatures to produce high strength bonds to acrylic sheet and offers excellent weathering resistance. You can purchase both tensol adhesives from us.


Can I purchase custom size acrylic sheets online?
You can purchase custom size acrylic sheets 24/7 from www.plasticstockist.com, Bay Plastics online ordering web site. Alternatively, you can place orders direct via telephone during office hours 0191 2580777.

Can I purchase special / bespoke acrylic cut shapes?
Yes, our fabrication department can provide bespoke cutout shapes to your specification. You can e-mail us drawings in various computer drawing formats (jpg, ai, dwg, dxf, etc. See fabrication pages for more detail) or even provide hand sketch drawings and our in-house design team will do the rest.

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