Extruded Acrylic Mirror
PMMA - Poly(methyl methacrylate)
Acrylic mirror is produced from extruded acrylic sheet and has all of the benefits of being so.It's economical high quality material with a narrow thickness tolerance.
Acrylic sheet is commonly referred to as Perpex® and Plexiglas® both of which are in fact manufacturer brand names.
Acrylic mirror is produced by an extrusion process. Acrylic resin pellets are heated to a molten mass, which is continuously pushed through a die, the position of which determines the thickness of the sheet produced. Once through the die, the molten mass looses temperature and can be trimmed and cut to the required sheet sizes. The continuous nature of the extruded acrylic production process produces larger batches than that of cast acrylic production making it a more economical material.
Key features:
• Mirror finish
• Hard wearing
• Weather resistant
• Easy to work with/fabricate
• Lightweight
Typical applications:
• Glazing
• Signage
• Furniture
• Model and display cases
• Retail display
• Point of sale
• Point of purchase
Working with acrylic mirror:
Cutting
We cut acrylic panels to size using a circular saw and a CNC router. But acrylic sheet can also be cut with hand tools. Most hand tools designed for use for wood or soft metal can be used on acrylic.
Circular saws, band saws and jigsaws and are all suitable but for small jobs a fine-toothed hacksaw is easy recommended. Ensure the material is fixed securely and use light controlled pressure to achieve a good finish.
If cutting large amounts of material using a powered saw a tungsten carbide tipped blade would be a sensible investment.
Laser cutting
Laser cutting machines can cut acrylic mirror by melting, burning or vaporizing the material. Laser cutting is exceptionably accurate and capable of cutting incredibly intricate designs from a CAD file. The laser cutting process leaves a nice smooth edge so further edge finishing is not necessary.
Edge finish
Acrylic mirror sheet is supplied with a saw cut finish.
Drilling holes in extruded acrylic mirror
Standard wood working drill bits are suitable for drilling holes in acrylic mirror. Be sure to use another piece of material (scrap wood or acrylic is perfect) underneath the panel to act as a backstop. This will ensure the drilling will not blowout the panel as the drill exits the material.
Do not under any circumstances use a centre punch on any acrylic panel, its very likely to damage It’s a good idea to start by drilling a small pilot hole to help locate the drill.
Be patient and drill at a steady speed and pause regularly to remove any swarf collecting around the drill, not doing so is likely to cause over heating and in turn will damage the hole.
When approaching the other side of the panel, continue to drill through it and into the backstop to ensure the exit hole does not splinter.
Cleaning
Start by blowing and brushing any loose dirt and dust from the polycarbonate sheet.
With a mild solution of lukewarm water and a drop of standard washing up liquid use a soft cloth to wipe clean any stubborn dirt and grime.
Gently rinse with clean water before dabbing dry with a mircofibre cloth to ensure water spots do not develop.
Application tips and instructions:
Acrylic mirror sheet is flexible so must be applied to a perfectly flat surface to minimise the chance of distortion.
Available in both 3mm and 5mm thicknesses we recommend opting for the more rigid 5mm thickness for larger sheet sizes as it’s easier to keep flat.
To help keep the mirror sheet flat and rigid, we recommend applying mirror sheet to a perfectly flat plywood or MDF base of at least 3/4" thickness. This should be done with good mirror adhesive such as Evo-Stick Mirror Adhesive or a good quality VHB double side tape. Any adhesive used must be applied evenly to help achieve a flat finish therefore minimising the chance of distortion.
Both mirror adhesive and VHB double sided tape are readily available in all good hardware stores.