Need Tips Regarding Drilling Clear Acrylic

[Greenie]

I have made a fair number of ebonite replacement parts for old pens.

 

But I am now playing around with making other pens.

 

When drilling out clear acrylic, what is the best way to keep it smooth? I tend to have a rough finish inside. I am using cast acrylic.

 

Is it better to use slow vs fast lathe speeds?

Go slow vs fast with advancing the drill bit?

Take only small amounts at a time and clear the flutes?

Go up in size slowly with several bits, or OK to just go to the final size?

 

 

Any general advice to help make my piece more cosmetically appealing would be appreciated.

[Inkling13]

You will need high quality, sharp bits. Even on a CNC machine, you will be left with a cloudy finish. Go slow, and don't let the bit heat up, as that melts and makes for a gummy and rough job. Fast sharp tools are what I hear, and works with my experience with a wood lathe and hand tools.

[Pierre---]

You need to sand the inside.

[Greenie]

Thanks for the tips!

[Inspector]

Lubricate the acrylic with either dish soap and water or a non petroleum based oil. Olive, grape seed, canola oil from the kitchen or a cheap can of Pam type spray oil if you can manage it without shooting yourself in the kisser. Petroleum based oils and solvents will craze (crack) some acrylics. Sometimes as you drill and sometimes it happens later. Not worth putting all that effort into it only to have it ruined down the road. I drill slow and clear often.

 

Pete