[NYCR:Microcontrollers] local source for polycarbonate tubing

[William Macfarlane]

My usplastics order is potentially not going to come in time for my
lightsaber-building workshop this weekend. Is there a good plastics
or hardware store in the area where I can get polycarbonate tubing?
Clear acrylic could also be acceptable...

--
-Will
www.partsandcrafts.org

[Tymm Twillman]

i've gotten it from... er, that other plastics place down by canal.
you know, the one that isn't Tap.

though Tap might have it too. but it'd probably be more expensive
there.

[Robert L Cochran]

I would like to obtain high-quality polycarbonate sheeting which is
UV-resistant or UV-protected for installation in a door. The intended
use is as a window glass substitute in the door. So it would have to let
me see whatever there is to see on the other side without distorting
visual images. What are the best suppliers? Can polycarbonate be cut
with a circular or table saw?

I am in Maryland if that helps. Someone told me that really good
polycarbonate sheeting could cost $400 or more.

Thanks

Bob Cochran

[Dan Lavin]

Call a glass company or a security company. What you are describing is
a break resistant security door.

[Tymm Twillman]

i believe plexi is preferred to polycarbonate for windows unless you
need the extra shatter resistance of polycarbonate. polycarbonate is
more prone to scratching, has lesser clarity and without UV protection
will yellow

on either one if you want to use a saw, you'll want a special plastic
blade; regular saw blades will cause a lot of chipping and will likely
melt the plastic, creating a goo that is bad news for both the plastic
and the saw. you'll still probably need to clean up the edge
afterwards with a file / sharp blade though.

don't know much about UV resistant polycarbonate, except that you can
apply a sheeting over it to protect it from UV... though i imagine
that unless professionally installed you'll lose a fair amount of the
optical quality.

[Marshall Wilson]

Even Home Depot & Lowe's has basic polycarbonate - brand named Lexan.
They generally have both Plexi & polycarbonate so make sure you get
the right thing. Definitely they will not have thicker than 1/4" thick
though (and I'm not even sure about that.)



Other than that try googling "Plastic supply" in your zipcode. You
can probably even get it cut for you.

One great thing about polycarbonate is that it doesn't smell when cut
with a tablesaw. I think it's melting point is higher. This makes
flame-polishing a bit tricky though.

m