Cheap GG: Lexan & Hole-Saw at DVinfo.net

Frank Ladner · January 21st, 2008, 08:55 AM

Hey guys!

I haven't really been active in the DIY-adapter scene for a couple years, so please forgive me if something similar to this has already been posted.

In the process of building our house, I had to make use of some small Lexan sheets. These were sanded on both sides (diffused) and placed in some homemmade wood fixtures: barnwood-grey redoak boxes (this is a rustic style house). Circular fluorescent lights are used in these. It gives a nice soft light, and it doesn't really get hot.

I say that to say this...

I had some Lexan sheets left over and it hit me... "This stuff appears just as clear as glass, it's hard/durable, it's lightweight, and best of all - it can be cut with regular tools."

So I got the Makita drill out, attached a holesaw, and in a few seconds had a blank disk, with a centered hole in place. At this point it could be diffused with aluminum oxide.

I still don't have enough time to get back into adapter building fully but I did want to share that.

NOTES:
- Lexan sheets can be purchased from Lowes. Pretty cheap, and several blanks can be made from a little 12"x12" sheet.
- Leave the protective plastic on both sides of the glass while cutting. Only remove after you have the blank circle cut out.
- In my experiment, I only had a wood holesaw available, but I imagine a metal saw would work better due to frequency of teeth.
- There are many different sizes of hole saws, thus various sized ground glasses can be made.

January 21st, 2008, 08:55 AM	#1
Frank Ladner Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Poplarville, MS Posts: 453	Cheap GG: Lexan & Hole-Saw Hey guys! I haven't really been active in the DIY-adapter scene for a couple years, so please forgive me if something similar to this has already been posted. In the process of building our house, I had to make use of some small Lexan sheets. These were sanded on both sides (diffused) and placed in some homemmade wood fixtures: barnwood-grey redoak boxes (this is a rustic style house). Circular fluorescent lights are used in these. It gives a nice soft light, and it doesn't really get hot. I say that to say this... I had some Lexan sheets left over and it hit me... "This stuff appears just as clear as glass, it's hard/durable, it's lightweight, and best of all - it can be cut with regular tools." So I got the Makita drill out, attached a holesaw, and in a few seconds had a blank disk, with a centered hole in place. At this point it could be diffused with aluminum oxide. I still don't have enough time to get back into adapter building fully but I did want to share that. NOTES: - Lexan sheets can be purchased from Lowes. Pretty cheap, and several blanks can be made from a little 12"x12" sheet. - Leave the protective plastic on both sides of the glass while cutting. Only remove after you have the blank circle cut out. - In my experiment, I only had a wood holesaw available, but I imagine a metal saw would work better due to frequency of teeth. - There are many different sizes of hole saws, thus various sized ground glasses can be made.