Is there a small circle cutter out there?

[ajchien]

I'm trying to help my sister out figuring a way to cut small 1/4-3/8" disks out of 1/4 thick acrylic or wood. It's for decorative jewelry making.

Everything I have is 1) too big and 2) makes a pilot hole in the center of the work.

Is there a smallish circle cutter on the market that can do plastics and wood?

 

[WILD-BILL]

Is it possible to get the material in round stock in the diameter you want? Then it would just be a matter of cutting slices off in the thickness needed.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I think what you need is called a plug cutter. Just google on those words and take a look at what pops up.

 

[Harrison2]

hole saw with pilot drill removed on a drill press.

 

[rlitman]

I think what you need is called a plug cutter. Just google on those words and take a look at what pops up.

Just FYI, but these cut out circles with a slight taper. That may or may not be an issue for you.

hole saw with pilot drill removed on a drill press.

Or that. Just go slow to get it started.

 

[James_B]

Find somebody with a LASER cutter/engraver ... although 1/4" piece from 1/4" thick material will take a bit of finesse. Cutting wood, you'll most likely end up with scorched edges.

 

[91bronc300]

Is it possible to get the material in round stock in the diameter you want? Then it would just be a matter of cutting slices off in the thickness needed.

+1 Wood dowels can be had at Home Cheapo and acrylic rods can be found online.

 

[holt2ton]

I'm thinking because they are for jewelry that slicing them off a rod will leave the kerf marks on the face of the disc and thus be undesirable....I vote plug cutter.

 

[Big Pete]

you can use a hole saw in a basic jig. take a piece of ply, use the hole saw to make a hole as normal, clamp prefered mateerial between the piece with the hole and another piece, remove pilot drill from the hole saw, use the precut hole in the ply as a guide, cut out your disc. Rince and repeat as many times as required.

I've made a couple of dozen discs using a single piece of ply, a bit of oil soaked into the ply helps reduce the drag, but it's not essential. On acrylic, keep the speed down as heat tends to fog clear stuff IME.

 

[bareass172]

If you're cutting acrylic or plexi you can "polish" the cut edge back to clear with a propane torch. Just a quick pass at a distance over the hazed edge and it turns clear again.

The web is filled with good info on cutting plastics - tools, materials, etc. I've done research in the past for cutting motorcycle windshields, so I know it's out there.

 

[rsanter]

Have them water jet cut
Hole saw is too rough but there is the option to use a core drill like for machinist and that should give a decent edge

You can also use a CNC router to cut them from flat stock.

I have an iron worker, I can see how well the plugs will come out of that. I assue she wants them really nice with no final prep or polish. That's will be the hard part


Bob

 

[ajchien]

Wow. Only a few hours and quite a few responses. You guys are great.

I'll have her look into plug cutters.

Hole saws for me have always been pretty good making holes, but the inner circles have always been a little rough. ***Do you guys think a diamond hole saw in 1/4" would be cleaner?

I'll also have her look into getting the materials in a round stock, although I think she's looking to make cuts in acrylic that have a specific artsy pattern in them. And the flat portion of the little disk will be the exposed/visible part of the work.

I'm not sure she's willing to take this to a machinist or someone to cut yet, I think this is a one woman operation right now.

 

[vhol5]

Carbide tipped holesaw?

 

[quad shop]

Might sound stupid but how about a piece of pipe with the right I.d. sharpend and pressed through

 

[Fretters]

A tank cutter with pilot bit removed, if you have a pillar drill. You also have some scope for varying the size that way.

 

[WQ59B]

How 'bout these? Not positive how they would work on acrylic plastics tho.

 

[Fretters]

How 'bout these? Not positive how they would work on acrylic plastics tho.

Those are wad punches. They'd likely just shatter plastics, and don't work too well with wood due to the outer bevel. They're great for what they designed for though, which is leather. Very good for cutting rubber and similar too.

 

[zkling]

Plug cutter or a trepanning tool without the center. Slow feed and you should be fine.

 

[holt2ton]

Carbide or diamond tipped hole saws are generally meant for very hard materials that will produce very small shavings(dust). Like diamond for glass....You would want something that is good for wood. LOTS of tooth clearance. The abrasive style cutters would only get galled up with acrylic that has melted onto the cutter without actually being able to cut and move the chip away.

 

[James_B]

I assue she wants them really nice with no final prep or polish. That's will be the hard part

That's the problem with LASER cutting. Wooden edges usually end up charred. Most acrylics need to be flame polished after cutting if the edge is critical.