Plastics for templates

[Peter LaMorte]

What type of plastic do most use for templates. I'm using Duraplex Acrylic and I'm going at real slow speed with my jig saw and having a real #tough time. I broke the first attempt and changed to a more course toothed blade and that seems to help. Running on my spindle sand is challenging it only has one speed (fast)and plastic is heating up and melting. Man I hate working with plastic any suggestions?
Thanks
Peter

[sunburst]

I just get scraps of plexi, or whatever it is they have at the local hardware store for windows (not for mac). Alternately sanding and cooling is in order. Continuous power sanding caused melting and burning.

[Keith Newell]

If you can get some clear Polycarbonate that works great because it is unbreakable and yet clear as glass.
Keith

[Michael Lewis]

The use of acrylic sheet and Lexan is great for templates used for layout, but if you are going to use the templates for guides for a router I would choose a material that won't melt. Sometimes those bearings on router bits get hot and can melt the template. The bearings should not get hot in the perfect world, but we live in the "real" world, and stuff happens. A melted template can mean a ruined part.

[Sleepy Moon Music]

To cut the acrylic keep a spray bottle of water handy and as you cut spray with the water ,it will keep the plastic cool and stop melting ,If you use polycarbonate you can route it and sand it and cut it much like wood but as far as a template for routing parts i use BFD a type of fiber board you can get it at Lowes Or Home Depot and they usually have some cut for shelves so you don't have to buy a whole sheet .I make some templates from Tempered Hard Board that holds up good and is good for router templates .I have been in the glass buisness for 30 years and work every day with differant plastics ,You may want to vist your local glass shop and see if they have cut offs they will sell at a discount most usually do ,the best stuff for the layout templates is by far the Polycarb it is made by a lot of companies who use their own name for it I.E. Hysoid,Lexan ,Rino ect.

[Gavin Baird]

I think I posted this before however..There are two basic types of Acrylic. One is extruded [relativly inexpensive] the other is cast. The extruded material is very difficult to work with tools since it melts at a low temperature and clogs things up. The cast version is a beautiful material and machines and sands, drills and taps without and problems. #I don't know all the various designations, but where I am the cast version is marked "GP" on the covering and usually is printed in red. The extruded is printed in blue. I have found poly carbonate to be difficult to work..Gavin..You will find that the GP, when power sanded, powders..g

[Gavin Baird]

Here is a photo of the material I referred to..g

[Dale Ludewig]

I generally use plexiglass but the melting issue can be a problem. I prefer a clear material and I usually sand one side of it with something like 320 grit to rough it up a bit so it will take a pencil line before cutting it out. It also still allows you to see through it when you put it on some wood so you can see the grain through it.

[Peter LaMorte]

Thanks for the info, yeah my had blue writing, I'll look for the red writing and it should work better. I'm using a 14+ tooth jig saw blade at high speed and it is working much better. I'm also taking my time while sanding using the spindle sander.
Thanks, this is my first build so I'll be asking lots of questions, but only after checking the search feature.
Peter

[Paul Hostetter]

Plain acrylic sheet works great for larger templates, but what I like for small ones is the polycarbonate that used to be available as drafting angles and so on. I like it because it's thin (3/32"), tough, and comes in bright colors like orange and green you can find easily! But no one makes or sells drafting tools like that anymore. Anyone know where to find the raw sheet like that?

[Bill Snyder]

Paul, Alvin still sells drafting triangles like these. (http://www.cutting-mats.net/triangles-fluorescent.html)
They are polystyrene.

[Paul Hostetter]

Wow, thanks!