[DeTomaso] Lexan?

J. Sean Keane jskeane6 at gmail.com
Thu Dec 9 00:22:11 EST 2010


Will,

Acrylic (such as Plexiglas) is brittle.  I wouldn't use it in an application that requires resistance to vibration.  Polycarbonate is a much stronger material, although it is more susceptible to scratching.  You can get the best of both worlds by using polycarbonate that has an anti-scratch coating.  Both Lexan and Makrolon are good brands for that.  Polycarbonate is often used as a replacement for glass in window applications; if it turned yellow, that would make customers unhappy.  Buy UV stabilized polycarbonate (which most of it is) and you will not have any problems with yellowing.   You can also get it in colors, like gray and bronze.  You can drill and tap polycarbonate and it will not crack.  This stuff is really tough.  For the ultimate cool look, though, use polycarbonate fasteners on your polycarbonate sheet:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24592&catid=704&clickid=searchresults

This is a great web site, I've bought a ton of stuff from them and have always been happy.

There's one thing I would caution you about, though.  I have not had great luck with polycarbonate adhesives.  They are fine for sealing an edge, but I recommend some kind of fastener for strength.  On the other hand, my application is probably a bit more demanding than yours.  I'm into amateur high power rocketry, and I have a 9 1/2 foot tall, 4 1/2 inch diameter rocket that is made completely from transparent materials, much of it polycarbonate.  The glue just doesn't cut it when your pulling 12 gees at 500 MPH.  My Pantera is fast, but not that fast.

Seriously, use some kind of a fastener and don't worry about cracks, it won't happen.

Regards,

Sean

Will wrote:

Hey Guys.
I want to build a plexiglass intake box for my IR system. I want to duplicate what Goran has done to his. He hasn't got back to me.

http://www.hemipanter.se

Picture of box about 20% way down.

What type of plexi-glass should I use? Or should it be lexan? There will be heat and vibration, of coarse, so what is the best material? I'm thinking 3/8" thick? Can I drill and tap or will the vibration cause cracks eventually?
Will




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