Several manufacturers offer drill bits designed especially for plastics.
Drilling plexiglass sheets.
Acrylic or acrylate is available in two types.
With the necessary equipment ensure you practice the drilling process on smaller pieces of plexiglass sheet before you work on the main sheet.
Designed specifically for plexiglass and polycarbonate lexan these drill bits are great tools for drilling through plastic sheets.
These bits have a different geometric structure that is designed to puncture acrylic more easily and they are less likely to melt plexiglass.
Drilling holes in acrylic requires the use of a drill bit specially designed for use with plastics.
Plexiglass is a clear plastic lightweight alternative to glass.
To drill your plexiglass sheet you may consider acquiring a plexiglass drill to simplify the process.
Lay the sheet on a flat surface and.
Drill bits for plexiglass lexan and other plastics.
This includes portable drills drill presses lathes automatic multiple spindle drilling units cnc routers and machining centers.
Many diy plexiglass and lexan sheet projects require a hole or two.
For a thin sheet of plexiglass that is material up to about 3 16 inch thick use a scoring method not dissimilar from a technique used to cut actual glass.
Standard metal drill bits will work but without extensive modification the metal drill bit will crack and chip the brittle acrylic sheet.
While you are drilling through the plexiglass sheet the friction would produce intense heat and the bits would cause lots of plastic shavings around the hole especially if the sheet is thick.
The extruded type is in fact unsuitable for drilling.
Any commercially available power driven equipment is acceptable for drilling acrylic sheets.
Buy a plexiglass drill or plexiglass drill bits that can be used with a regular drill.
Equipment to drill acrylic drills.
Drilling acrylic is not difficult if you have good tools and are drilling the right kind of acrylic sheet.
Alternatively you can acquire plexiglass drill bits that are compatible with normal drillers.
Cast and extruded acrylic.
For example to drill a 1 2 inch hole you can make a pilot hole by beginning with a 1 4 bit drill and then moving to a 1 2 bit drill.
Drilling holes in plexiglass can be challenging.
Using the right kind of tools is important when working with many types of plastics.
Specialty drill bits prevent the cracking and chipping.
