s78wingrider
Gold Member
Where to buy Plexiglas for home made tractor cab? Looked at a couple sites, but so many choices? Thickness, kind, ext.? Thanks for any help! Aaron
Plexiglas for cab?
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oldnslo
Super Member
Concern I would have with Plexiglas is scratches. I am not sure which type of glass would be the most resistant to breaking and scratching. Do you have a plastic supply house in your vacinity. They should be able to provide some information or make some recommendations.
Roy
tsteahr
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Plexiglass is very brittle, scratches easily and will quickly crack. You want to use Lexan which is much tougher and more durable, but more expensive. As Roy suggested, check with a local glass supplier and ask for Lexan.
PoleClimber
Bronze Member
Go see somebody that builds race cars. That's what is used in the dirt track cars. I bought a 4x8 sheet of Lexan for my cab, it was about $100.00 2 years ago
rekees4300
Elite Member
Lexan is 250 times stronger than glass! Should be available at Lowes or Home Depot.
OP
s78wingrider
Gold Member
Can I cut Lexan and what thickness should I be looking for? Have found some on Craig's list. Thanks for all the help! Aaron
Marveltone
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Lexan can be cut with an ordinary med. tooth band saw, table saw or jig saw. The trick is to get a blade that's fine enough to cut smoothly, but just coarse enough not to plug. Put masking tape over the area you want to cut. This helps reduce chipping and scratching. Feed at a constant rate; slow enough as to not chip or crack your work, and fast enough as to not scorch or melt it. After you've cut your pieces, you can sand the edges (100 grit) to dress them up.
Anything less than 1/4" can be scored with a utility knife. Use a straight edge, make your cut at least half way through the lexan, position the scored line over the edge of a table. Then give a sharp snap downward. The edge can then be sanded smooth if desired.
One more thing. Lexan can also be bent using a sheet metal break, if you desire a sharp bend. Just do it slowly for best results.
Joe
Anything less than 1/4" can be scored with a utility knife. Use a straight edge, make your cut at least half way through the lexan, position the scored line over the edge of a table. Then give a sharp snap downward. The edge can then be sanded smooth if desired.
One more thing. Lexan can also be bent using a sheet metal break, if you desire a sharp bend. Just do it slowly for best results.
Joe
amarlow
Bronze Member
Lexan is a trademark name for a plastic more generically termed "polycarbonate". Plexiglas, I believe, is also a trademark name for an acrylic based plastic.
Polycarbonate is utterly unbreakable (at the temperatures and pressures at which we live), and a very appropriate choice for a tractor cab. It is, indeed, more expensive than acrylic.
Scratch resistance is roughly comparable between the two types of plastic, but nothing like glass.
Some years ago (25?) I decided to test the "unbreakable-ness" of polycarbonate I had heard so much about. I had a piece, 1/4 inch thick, ~3 inch wide x 24 inch long, which I stuck in a big bench vise. I folded that piece of plastic (using vise grips and a hammer and eventually the jaws of the vise itself) completely in half. Flattened it into a 1/2 inch thick chunk of doubled over plastic. It crazed a bit at the bend, but it never even thought about cracking, much less breaking. I was convinced.
Because you cannot break it, I would think the sheet you use to enclose a tractor cab wouldn't need to be very thick at all. Maybe 1/8 inch. If it is that thin, it may be very flexible, depending on how the edges are anchored, but it will provide all the protection you could want.
All that said (can you tell I really like polycarbonate???), I think acrylic (Plexiglas) would also work just fine for a tractor cab.
YMMV.
~Allen
Polycarbonate is utterly unbreakable (at the temperatures and pressures at which we live), and a very appropriate choice for a tractor cab. It is, indeed, more expensive than acrylic.
Scratch resistance is roughly comparable between the two types of plastic, but nothing like glass.
Some years ago (25?) I decided to test the "unbreakable-ness" of polycarbonate I had heard so much about. I had a piece, 1/4 inch thick, ~3 inch wide x 24 inch long, which I stuck in a big bench vise. I folded that piece of plastic (using vise grips and a hammer and eventually the jaws of the vise itself) completely in half. Flattened it into a 1/2 inch thick chunk of doubled over plastic. It crazed a bit at the bend, but it never even thought about cracking, much less breaking. I was convinced.
Because you cannot break it, I would think the sheet you use to enclose a tractor cab wouldn't need to be very thick at all. Maybe 1/8 inch. If it is that thin, it may be very flexible, depending on how the edges are anchored, but it will provide all the protection you could want.
All that said (can you tell I really like polycarbonate???), I think acrylic (Plexiglas) would also work just fine for a tractor cab.
YMMV.
~Allen
Marveltone
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Very true, Allen.
I've had both acrylic and polycarbonate windshields for my motorcycle, and I much prefer poly. Acrylic can be brittle under stress. I speak from experience, as I've had acrylic windshields actually break on the bike for no apparent reason.
Polycarbonate will withstand much more abuse.
Joe
I've had both acrylic and polycarbonate windshields for my motorcycle, and I much prefer poly. Acrylic can be brittle under stress. I speak from experience, as I've had acrylic windshields actually break on the bike for no apparent reason.
Polycarbonate will withstand much more abuse.
Joe
s78wingrider
good advice from the other posters .. if you go the lexan way you can also cut with a router or a "reverse tooth " jigsaw blade like used for formica counter tops cuts on the up stroke .
if you are wanting to "Glaze it in" like older truck front windows 1/4" or back windows 1/8" you could use that pinch weld gasket. Heavy equipment use to use pinch weld zipper gaskets . I believe jc whitney sells this and there are others.
Laminated glass is good too ..can be cut with score of glass cutter on one side tap and run it then repeat other side ,alcahol on plastic inner layer , ignight if cold and cut with razor blade, Or it can be cut with sand blaster with care to keep it cool
Tempered glass is alot cheaper than people think ,patterns and radius drive up cost. tempered 1/4" is about $2.00-$2.50 a sqare foot 1/8" is cheaper/lighter but weaker in strength . WA Wilson glass is a good sorce in WV for any/all Glass needs
ak9
good advice from the other posters .. if you go the lexan way you can also cut with a router or a "reverse tooth " jigsaw blade like used for formica counter tops cuts on the up stroke .
if you are wanting to "Glaze it in" like older truck front windows 1/4" or back windows 1/8" you could use that pinch weld gasket. Heavy equipment use to use pinch weld zipper gaskets . I believe jc whitney sells this and there are others.
Laminated glass is good too ..can be cut with score of glass cutter on one side tap and run it then repeat other side ,alcahol on plastic inner layer , ignight if cold and cut with razor blade, Or it can be cut with sand blaster with care to keep it cool
Tempered glass is alot cheaper than people think ,patterns and radius drive up cost. tempered 1/4" is about $2.00-$2.50 a sqare foot 1/8" is cheaper/lighter but weaker in strength . WA Wilson glass is a good sorce in WV for any/all Glass needs
ak9