planing styrene

[michael mott]

Hi I have spent quite a while going through a lot of the tips in this section and thought that this might be a useful method for getting sharp clean edges on sheet or strip styrene or other plastics, this method is old hat for woodworking. This video http://www.vimeo.com/19576415 shows in a short time what would take a long time to explain. the key to using this method is a very sharp plane and an adjustable opening in front of the blade. I have posted links to this before on a couple of other forums and I know that some of you have seen it before, so for those who have not seen it I hope it is useful, and just one more way of working with plastic.
This method removes the additional plastic much faster than sanding and there is no warping or melting due to heat build up.

regards Michael

[W.P. Rayner]

Nifty short video Michael. Agree with you, shooting boards are an invaluable tool in the workshop. As you say the critical point is that the plane iron has to be VERY sharp. A lower cutting angle on the blade than would be used for wood would also help in slicing rather than tearing the styrene. The geometry between the shooting board platen and the plane iron is important, especially if you're trying to cut your stock square.

Paul

[Philip Smith]

Indeed a nice method. Keeps the stock sq. Thanks for sharing!

Philip

[nk]

That is a great tip. Thanks for posting. Looks like it belongs on the deli counter!