View Full Version : Anyone have experience with plexiglass?
Yoshi
10-01-2003, 10:41 AM
ok, here's the scenario:
my turbo timer sits on top of my steering column. It's great, I love it there, cept for one thing. At night it glows REALLY friggin bright blue! Like it illuminates my whole face it's so bright. Unfortuantely there's no setting to adjust it's intensity, or switch colors, so I'm stuck.
I contemplated moving it, but I really like my ACCURATE digital speedo that's in it, as well as the fact taht the wires are too short to move it w/o tearing apart my dash :(
So I came up with the fact that I need to make a case for it out of smoke colored plexiglass that has a door on the front with a hinge, so that it can be flipped up (no tint) during the day, and flipped down (muting the bright ass light) at night. I've never worked with plexiglass, but I remember it was a shop elective way back in high school, so it can't be that hard, I just don't have any experience w/it, or know anyone that does.
I have a HKS Type-1 turbo timer (if u guys were wondering size and shape). It seems to me that between some foam tape, a little hinge, and some plexiglass/shapable plastic, this should be pretty simple.
Help?! :aw:
mrmephistopheles
10-01-2003, 10:50 AM
you can shape it like mdf, but without the flaking or cracking.
old_s13
10-01-2003, 11:37 AM
If you want something so-so looking, try it yourself.
If you want something professional looking, go to a plexiglas shop and have them fabricate you something nice.
All depends what you want to do. I've been working with plastics for years and its no easy task, its very detailed and takes that "tender touch."
Oh-so, tender.. TENDER touch.. and the ladies love me for it.
Yoshi
10-01-2003, 12:31 PM
Originally posted by old_s13
If you want something so-so looking, try it yourself.
If you want something professional looking, go to a plexiglas shop and have them fabricate you something nice.
All depends what you want to do. I've been working with plastics for years and its no easy task, its very detailed and takes that "tender touch."
Oh-so, tender.. TENDER touch.. and the ladies love me for it.
haha, thanks for the advice ;)
I live in in the middle of a wheat field, with the nearest shop being 1.5hrs away, guess I'll take my chances on my own... who knows? maybe I'll get good at it eventually and be able to make us all cup holders ;)
sykikchimp
10-01-2003, 02:12 PM
check out mcmastercarr.com for supplies if you can't find any plexi close by.
You have to be careful cutting plexiglass b/c you can melt or burn it. I looked into using some plexi a while back for an amp cover. It's not too hard, there are just little tricks, and I'm pretty sure, certain tools, to do it. I just couldn't ever figure out exactly what those things where.
andrave
10-01-2003, 03:38 PM
shops that do car audio work could probably do it too. I've used it before and its not that hard, lubricate your blade with WD40... a band saw works best to cut it, a jig saw sucks.
you could also probably just as easily take the unit into an electronics place and have them dim it down either through resistors, less bright leds, or some other means.
Yoshi
10-01-2003, 04:53 PM
Originally posted by sykikchimp
check out mcmastercarr.com for supplies if you can't find any plexi close by.
OMG chimp!!!
Thanks so much for the link!
I have little to no access to building supplies :( Even basic stuff like a T-connector for a vacuum hose, I have to special order from the internet to get, hence me working on my car takes forever :( This site looks like it'll be a HUGE help for me, THANK YOU!
:bowdown:
gfisch
10-01-2003, 07:58 PM
mcmaster is great, i use it all the time.
You may be better off getting the smoked polycarbonate, its a lot easier to machine that plexiglass and wont crack easily.
I just bough a smoked sheet of it form there for sometyhing else, looks pretty nice.
Also, for bonding it, the sell a special "glue" for attaching two pieces of polycarbonate or acyrlic. It is really just acetone pretty much that eats away a little at the material and they bond together to make one piece when it resolidifies.
And yes, use a bandsaw to cut it. Anything else is likely to crack and/or melt it.
Lexan is also good for this type of application, you can get it in thin sheets, and if you have access to a press/hand brake (used for bending sheet metal) you can slowly bend Lexan. I would also suggest if you are going to cut Plexiglass or Lexan, take your time. I used to work in a sign making shop and we would make all types of boxes out of Lexan.
Yoshi
10-02-2003, 10:51 AM
well, I'm actually trying to stay away from Lexan/Polycarbonate, I actually have quite a bit of experience with it, and I feel that it scratches too visibly and deeply, granted plexi does too, but not as bad.
Dude just take your time and paitence is the key with plexiglass.
Here's another suggestion, if your worried about scratches and the like, make the box itself out of thin sheet metal, and make just the face out of plex/lex/poly or what ever. You could then paint the box to match your interior.
andrave
10-02-2003, 03:19 PM
to go to that much work, it makes more sense to me to look at dimming the unit.
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