Drill Through Acrylic Sheet

Plexiglass is arguably the most popular replacement for normal glass.

Drill through acrylic sheet.

However the likelihood of melting chipping cracking or breaking the acrylic is much higher. First you need to drill a small diameter pilot hole to get started. Ensure you go slow stop often to cool the drill and always support the sheet. It is possible to drill acrylic with regular metal drill bits.

Plastic drill bits can drill through plastic. If this is not the case the drill is too slow. Plexiglass also known as acrylic sheet poly methyl methacrylate lucite perclax or perspex is popular for its features which enhance its performance. Plastic drill bits shave or scrape plexiglass acrylic or plastic away layer by layer.

Place the drill perpendicular to the acrylic sheet and set the drill to medium speed immediately. If you just drill a pilot hole then jump right to a big size bit you will likely crack the plastic. Apart from the power drill you also need to have a piece of wood permanent markers or grease oil masking tape and spray lubricant. The gradually go up in drill bit sizes until you reach your desired diameter.

This way the drill bit enters the plywood when it exits the plastic and avoids chipping the surface on the bottom. Drilling holes in acrylic requires the use of a drill bit specially designed for use with plastics. The plexiglass drill bits have geometric structures different from the traditional drill bits that allow them to puncture easily through the acrylic. The chip should break off immediately.

Standard metal drill bits will work but without extensive modification the metal drill bit will crack and chip the brittle acrylic sheet. Here is a video on how to properly drill through acrylic plexiglass. Press only lightly on the drill the drill must sink itself through the material. These bits come in a variety of diameters at home improvement or hardware stores.

These metal drill bits have ground flukes with 90 degree points and 0 degree rake.