Routing the flat lens on the CNC
While waiting for the polyurethane to dry, and for something to pop in my head as to how to form the female molds, I decided to cut some 1/8" polycarbonate. Up until now, I have been using PETG and acrylic. They both have their pros and cons. Polycarbonate is likely better for the signal lens application. It is stronger, much less likely to crack, much stronger against harsh chemicals... So, got to test it out. Right off the bat, my plastic router bit broke! I had to slow the feed rate of the router way down. The polycarbonate lens did not form well at the recommended 375F. I may have to play around with the temperature and soak time as I really want to be able to use polycarbonate.
For those who likes to watch grass grows, watch the video here. Make sure you turn the audio off. That spindle is really loud, and I only ran it at 1/3 of the maximum speed to cut plastic.
1 Comment
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now