Can You Cut Plexiglass With a Jigsaw?

Plexiglass is a cheap and durable material used mainly as a substitute for glass. As it is not like many materials you encounter daily, you might be stumped when deciding on the kind of tool you can use to cut it.

You can cut Plexiglass with a jigsaw. However, this is only advisable when you are not cutting in a straight line. If you want to cut Plexiglass in a straight line, use other alternatives like the table saw or saber saw.

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use a jigsaw to cut plexiglass and the situations where the jigsaw works perfectly. Also, we’ll look at other alternatives to the jigsaw and where each is ideal.

Cutting Plexiglass With A Jigsaw

Whether you can cut a piece of Plexiglas depends on two things—the thickness of the glass and the type of cut you want to make. If the plexiglass isn’t thick enough, you should avoid cutting it with a jigsaw.

Furthermore, jigsaws aren’t ideal for making straight cuts into the plexiglass. However, if you want to make a designed cut or Circular cut on thick plexiglass, a jigsaw is the perfect tool for you. Although you can also use a jigsaw to make a straight cut on plexiglass, it is best if you use more suited tools like the table saw or chainsaw.

Of course, you have to know how to use it and the things you should avoid so the plexiglass won’t break while you are cutting it. This will be discussed in the next section.

How To Cut Plexiglass With A Jigsaw

Knowing that you can cut your Plexiglas with a jigsaw is but the first step. Knowing how to properly use the tool for the purpose is another thing you have to keep in mind. To cut plexiglass with a jigsaw, follow the steps below:

Get The Surface Ready

The first thing to do before you start cutting is to clear the work table. Get rid of any foreign objects that might interfere with your cutting. One thing to note is that you can’t cut plexiglass on a regular work table that you use for wood because you need to secure both ends of the plexiglass. This is to prevent it from breaking while you are cutting. The best tool you can use for this is the sawhorse and a few clamps to hold the ends of the plexiglass.

Measure And Mark The Plexiglass

The next step is to use a metal rule or any other measuring tool to measure out the part you want to cut off the plexiglass. As a normal pencil or pen won’t show well on plexiglass, you need a grease pen to make the mark. After making the cutting line with the pen, cover the line with masking or painter’s tape and redraw the line over the tape. This will prevent the plexiglass from breaking or cracking while you are cutting.

Ready The Jigsaw

You need a different type of blade on your jigsaw from the blades used to cut wood. Any blade that is designed to cut plastic can also cut plexiglass, but the ideal is a 10 TPI carbide blade. Ensure that the blade is properly fitted into the jigsaw to avoid it coming off while you are cutting.

Mark the pipe on one side and use a string or tape to ensure that the mark is straight around the pipe.

Apply Lubrication

A lubricant will always do wonders for you when you are cutting. Although they aren’t considered strictly necessary, applying one will make your cutting easier and neater.

Secure The Plexiglass In Place

Afterward, secure the plexiglass in place on the sawhorse. Do not tighten the clamps too much so that the plexiglass won’t break. Ensure that all ends are secured to avoid the material breaking off while cutting.

Prepare The Plexiglass If You Are Making A Plunge Cut

If you are making a circular or more complicated cut on the plexiglass, you have to make a hole for the jigsaw. You can make this hole using a drill with a tip made for materials like plexiglass. Make the hole in the inside of the cut you intend to make so the material won’t be ruined.

Cut

Start the cut from the top of the PVC closest to you. After going a third of the way, unfasten the PVC from the clamp and turn it to cut the other side. This is to ensure that the cut doesn’t come out rough.

Finish The End

After you have cut off the piece you want to cut, use a sanding tool to smoothen the end of the pipe. You can use 120 or 180 grit waterproof sandpaper and a sanding block for this purpose. Once the end starts getting smooth, switch to 600 grit sandpaper to get the perfect sanding and buffing.

With all these in mind, you can cut your PVC pipe with a jigsaw without any problems. However, there are still safety precautions you should keep in mind at all times.

Safety Considerations In Using A Jigsaw

There are some safety precautions you have to take when using a jigsaw to cut a material like PVC pipe. These are:

Always clamp the pipe

This is an important point to note because some people use the alternative of holding the pipe while cutting it. However, this is very dangerous as the saw can slip easily and lead to serious injuries. Use a proper clamp on a work table to hold the pipe down before starting any cut.

Leave the plastic film on

Plexiglas always comes with a plastic film that is meant to protect it from scratches during transportation. Do not remove this film throughout the cutting process as this will protect it from any scratches that could ensue.

Wear protective covering

Although cutting plexiglass is not as dangerous as cutting metals or ordinary glass, the fragments can still cause harm if they fly into sensitive parts of the body. This is especially so with thick plexiglass sheets. The most important part of the body to be protected from these fragments is the eyes and you should use safety glasses or goggles for this purpose. Also, prevent these fragments from getting into your mouth and lungs by using facial masks or respirators.

Use the right blade

The blade that works very well in cutting wood doesn’t work as well in cutting plexiglass. Ensure that the blade you are using is ideal for the task.

Avoid overheating

Plexiglass heats up while cutting, so you should be careful while doing the cutting. Overly hot plexiglass can easily break while you are cutting it so you should be careful. If the cutting area is heating up, you can pour cold water on it to cool it off.

Don’t force the blade

 Plexiglass is quite fragile so you should force the blade into it while cutting. Doing this could lead to irreparable damage to the material.

Other Tools For Cutting Plexiglass

There are other types of tools you can use to cut plexiglass. The tool that will best do the task depends on the kind of cutting you want to do and the qualities of the plexiglass. Some of the tools you can use are:

Utility knife

If the plexiglass you are cutting is thin, you can use a utility knife to cut it. You can do this by clamping down the plexiglass, making the mark of the intended cut, and just using the knife to cut the plexiglass. It is ideal for making straight cuts on thin plexiglass materials. The glass cutter also works perfectly with cutting Plexiglass due to the similarities between both materials.

Hand saw

Faster than the utility knife and glass cutter is the hand saw. If you are dealing with a few pieces of medium-sized plexiglass, using a handsaw is perfect for the task. The types of handsaws you can use are hacksaws, coping saws, and straight saws. To use them, you only have to apply the right amount of pressure to cut the plexiglass. Also, the saw has to have small, uniform teeth that are still in good condition to cut plexiglass.

Circular Saw

A Circular Saw fitted with a carbide tipped saw blade is another convenient way of cutting plexiglass. You can only use circular saws to cut medium and thick plexiglass, as they are too strong for thinner sheets. Also, they are best used for straight cuts and you should keep the operation speed low so it doesn’t melt the plexiglass.

Table Saw

If you have to cut straight and accurate lines into a relatively high number of plexiglass pieces, the table saw is the ideal tool of choice. They move at very high speeds and can cut plexiglass of any thickness above medium. Like the circular saw, they are too powerful for thin sheets of plexiglass.

Conclusion

You can use the jigsaw to cut plexiglass of medium to thick sizes. Jigsaws are best for making circular and complicated cuts into plexiglass but you can also use them to make straight cuts. However, there are some precautions you have to take to ensure that you don’t run into trouble while using a jigsaw to cut plexiglass.