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Best way to polish drill holes in perspex/acrylic

 
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BarryA
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Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:43 pm    Post subject: Best way to polish drill holes in perspex/acrylic Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

What is the best way to polish drill holes in perspex?

It might sound like a weird thing to worry about, but I'm mounting 5mm LED's into these holes and I'd like to polish them up a little to improve the optical clarity.

Does anyone have ideas of the best way to do this? I've considered buying a dremel and some polishing brush attachments, but I'm not certain which of the available ones (if any) would be appropriate to use with perspex.

Cheers,
Barry.
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Teabag
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Joined: 15 Dec 2007
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Location: Bedfordshire

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:58 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

hi barry,

at work they polish acrylic all the time using paint t cut type products for cars, I have posted the name in another post cant recall the name atm...

a dremil type drill would be fine, when I was a tool maker we used to cut a slot in the end of a bar to slide emery cloth in to polish a drilled/bored hole, you could do the same with cloth and T cut type product rotating in the dremil type drill, put in the hole to polish it. if you cant find a ready made polishing attachment to use.

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Stoday
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Joined: 20 Jan 2006
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Location: Sitting on the Bog

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:42 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

I've polished acrylic cuts with emery cloth too. Use cloth, not paper and keep it wet. Spit is best. Wink
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BarryA
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Joined: 27 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:51 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

Thanks for the suggestions.

I wasn't too worried about the sides of the drill holes, more so the end where the light would be shining through. The holes weren't drilled all the way through since a glass bowl containing water and decorative stones will be placed on top once the thing is finished.

I got the dremel along with some polishing attachments. I used the brass bristle one, followed by the nylon bristle one with some of the polishing compound. Its not come out perfect, but its a heck of a lot better before.

I'll experiment a little more and see if I can improve it.

Cheers,
Barry.
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Wood Magnet
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Joined: 07 Feb 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:17 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

This thread is useless without pictures Thumbright
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Cannyfixit
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Joined: 15 Dec 2007
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Location: Cheshire

PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:23 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

I have a perspex screen on my visor and had some very fine scratches on it I found Meguiars PlastX worked a treat,
http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/Store/Product/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=320

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BarryA
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Joined: 27 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:12 am    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

I promise to put some pics up eventually. Smile At the moment its nothing more than a disc of perspex with some holes in it.
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ultimatehandyman
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9321
Location: Darwen, Lancashire

PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:30 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

If you could heat the holes to the correct temperature it would give a polish effect.

It's very difficult to do without damaging the perspex though.

This is how the professionals do it-


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Cannyfixit
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Joined: 15 Dec 2007
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Location: Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:19 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

That interesting might have a play when i get 5 minutes Laughing
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Jaeger_S2k
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Joined: 19 Nov 2006
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Location: North West, England, United Kingdom

PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:56 pm    Post subject: Add User to Ignore List Reply with quote

Cannyfixit wrote:
I have a perspex screen on my visor and had some very fine scratches on it I found Meguiars PlastX worked a treat,
http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/Store/Product/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=320


Brasso and the posh one Stoday uses does this well for visors mobile phone screens etc.

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