Decided today that I was going to make my inner tails match my outter tails by replacing the stock clear piece with a piece of flourescent light cover.
I've used both a Dremel and a soldering iron to cut the plastic, but today I decided to try a BANDSAW because the clear piece on the inner tails has rounder endges, and must fit perfectly to look right.
The Bandsaw cut through the plastic like butter, literally. The reason for this is that the blade only moves in one direction, down, so the teeth are constantly cutting the plastic, which eliminates cracks or melting and the piece doesn't jump at all. You can cut any curve with extreme precision. Just trace the stock piece onto the flourescent cover with a thin tipped marker, then get cutting.
Now my outter red/clears match my inner red/clears perfectly and I love it.
Anyone who had trouble cutting the clear plastic, or is going to be trying it, use a BANDSAW, it will make life 10 times easier than the other methods previously used.

Tony

 

This may make me sound kinda stupid, but what's a bandsaw?

 

I've made 2 sets of clear tails, and I used a glass cutter, it should be about $3-4 at hardware stores. It makes a perfect edge everytime, no cracks at all.

Just make sure you go over each cut about 10 times, or enough times that it can snap away cleanly after you create the groove.

 

A bandsaw is a machine that uses a big metal band that has teeth on it. This band is wrapped around two pulleys that are stacked and they turn. As they turn, the band goes around them. They vary in design, but all have a small platform that the saw goes through which is where you do your cutting. Do a search on the internet, Im sure you could find some sort of picture.

Wouldn't this limit you to making straight line cuts only? I've also used a utility knife to do essentially the same thing, score it until it splits/snaps, but this sometimes leaves small cracks.

 

can u post some pictures of the final product?

 

Check my homepage.

 

great job!!!post some pics!!


Whats a bandsaw? a bandsaw is the saw you see at the local meat market to slice meat, you also see them at wood shops at school. Hopes that helps.

 

Yea, butchers use bandsaws to cut through huge slabs of meat that have bones in them.

 

Hey I Used A BandSaw In Machine Shop, At My High School!