Sanding Acrylic

[alexwolf]

I am trying to figure out what grits of sandpaper you would use to sand the edges of acrylic. I searched all over past posts, but didnt see it anywhere. My guess would be 100-200-300 in that order. What do you think?

[pickle311]

what are you trying to do, just smooth it out or polish it?

[alexwolf]

im finishing some flanges for the top of a skimmer and a CA reactor. I would like to round the edges, smooth and polish. I think i might get a roundover bit for my router, I read somewhere that a 1/8" should do the trick. Then buff it with a buffing wheel on my compressor, and bam, ready to go!

[alexwolf]

Sure!

[captexas]

Alex - those grits are still way too rough. Matt used to get his sandpaper over at some woodworking place. You might send a PM to him and see what he recommends

[alexwolf]

I sent him a PM, his response was to search his old posts. I did and couldnt find it.

[captexas]

Yeah, I think the site is only able to keep so many posts in it's history and his post on that was probably from a long time ago. I'm kind of surprised he won't just give you an answer, sounds like he doesn't want any competition! lol

[alexwolf]

Yep, thats what I think lol....

[Wolf316]

Hey Alex what about 400 & 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper or perhaps crocus cloth?



Chris

[matt]

Round off bit, 400, micromesh. I'm sure I posted this; search for micromesh.

[alexwolf]

See Matt? This is why we all love you..... :) One more question. Did you use a 1/8" bit? I have been told 1/8-3/4. Quite a spread. I saw your skimmer up close at Fin Addcit, and I love the edges.

[jim2508]

They make kits for this. Sorry to say I have one but haven't used it yet. Will reply when I do.

[Crab Rangoon]

Darn, too bad you're all the way in SA, or else I'd just give you my acrylic sanding kit for free. I got it last Christmas, along with a scratched up acrylic tank (that ended up being beyond repair, if I wanted a showtank). Basically, the kit comes with a little soft block to wrap the sanding cloths around (for evenly applied pressure), and I believe 10 or 12 grits to do in stages, then a final polish cream to apply that will fill any visable tiny hair-line marks on the surface. If you ever come up North, I may be able to hook up with you and get it to you, if you deem it needed, but I've since used the tank for something else, and wont be sanding it ever again (and the kit is completely "infinately" reusable).

[::pete::]

Alex isnt looking to take scratches out of tanks. Hes looking to polish up "raw" edges after cutting acrylic for fabrication.

[Crab Rangoon]

oh sorry, gotcha, oh well then, good luck.

[captexas]

Josh - I think that an acrylic scratch removal kit is for small scratches and for wet sanding. Alex is working with cut acrylic and will probably have to sand/polish it in steps to take it from a rough edge to a nice clean/smooth edge.

[alexwolf]

yeah i got it all fiogured out. got a sanding bit for my router, coupled with the jig and the bufing kit should work just fine. Thanks for all the responses though!

[pickle311]

if you want to get a really nice finish to it, I'd go all the way up to 800 or 1000 grit wet. When I used to work with acrylic, 400 and 600 grit left it looking a little cloudy. I would go to 1000 wet and got some polishing cream from a plastic shop that I would use on a buffing wheel. When I was done it was as clear as glass.

[alexwolf]

to use wet sandpaper, any special equipment needed? Currently using a finish sander with 400 grit dry, then polishing with a buffing wheel off the compressor

[pickle311]

yea, you'll need one of those things called a waterhose.
What I did was use a sanding block and set a waterhose where it was constantly running over the area I was sanding, that's it.