Looking for a tool that can circles in plastic styrene about 0.5-0.1mm sheets. Needs to be able to cut a maximum of 25cm (8.6") diameter circles. I’ve seen a couple on amazon but they kind of look fragile. Any ideas for ones that really work?
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Honestly what you need is a scroll saw.
I had the same problem when I wanted to made “prop disks” for my AC-130J and EP-3E. My clear acrylic sheets were 1mm thick and everything I searched just didn’t seem like it would work. I made a jig with a pin in the middle so I could spin the disks on my benchtop scroll saw. I cut them slightly oversized then sanded their edges down until I had the proper diameter. All in all I think they came out very convincing.
Steve
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Oh wow! That looks cool as hell! But i’m in an apartment and don’t really have room for something like a scroll saw. That’s why I was looking at more manual solutions.
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Oh sorry, didn’t know that. I really don’t have a answer for you then.
Steve
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I picked up a circle cutter from Shadow Hobby several years ago and it works perfectly. Can cut circles from 1mm to 5 cm.
Nice thing about this one is it doesn’t leave a mark in the center!
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Here what I use Jim. It’s not only great for getting exact measurements. But also making perfect circles. I’ve used these on some very thick polystyrene sheets. Works great. Also gives you perfect center of mass of any circle.
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look for a beam compass at a store that sells drafting supplies as i used 1 in the early 80’s at a company where i had to do full size drawings on paper for the metal cutting torches that included disks about 10’ in diameter.
I have one of these and it’s great. I only use it for cutting Tamiya tape masks for my circles. The downside is it won’t do 8.6 " diameter circles like he wants.
Steve
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Cutting paper and cutting 1mm plastic are totally different animals.
Steve
i was not cutting paper but drawing on paper/mylar so that the electric eyes of the torches & plasma cutters can follow the lines on the paper/mylar drawings while cutting various metals to the shape of the drawings.
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Ah gotcha, understood.
Steve
Best tool I could recommend would be a precision drafting compass with a second needle point, you could cut small to large circles and with the extender some huge circles.
You wouldn’t need to cut all the way through the plastic, just score it and break it free.
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I agree, this is one of my most important tools when it comes to Model building. This was a part of my father‘s tool collection. I’ve sharpened one point,( the one with the black Mark). Here’s an example of just a few passes on White polystyrene, and clear plastic sheeting. The point is so sharp, that I can actually cut all the way through the material. (although you wouldn’t have to, a deep score is all you would need.)
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Those prop disks look fantastic.
Thank you very much.
Steve
Thanks guys! Will look into the compass idea, didn’t realize they were that sturdy.