Best clear material for large flat windows?

[crowe-t]

I'm currently scratch building an International Harvester Metro Mite in 1/25 scale.  It has flat large front and side windows.  I have some acetate but it doesn't lay completely flat and is flexible.  I also tried Evergreen clear sheet styrene but it has a frosted texture.

Is there another brand of clear sheet styrene or something else that's flat and stiff I can use? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thin polycarbonate "Lexan" sheet

https://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/plastic-sheets/thin_gauge_polycarbonate_sheets/541

[crowe-t]

7 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Thin polycarbonate "Lexan" sheet

https://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/plastic-sheets/thin_gauge_polycarbonate_sheets/541

Have you used this?

I've used much thicker lexan that has to be scored and snapped to cut it.

Can this be cut with a hobby knife?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just now, crowe-t said:

Have you used this?

I've used much thicker lexan that has to be scored and snapped to cut it.

Can this be cut with a hobby knife?

I've used the .010" stuff, and scoring / snapping works best.

Don't try to score round corners. Cut your panels square and file or sand the corners to shape.

The stuff can be somewhat brittle too, although it's harder and stiffer than the alternatives, so work carefully.

It's important that your scribed lines are "clean" with no jaggedy edges for cracks to start on.

The stuff I referenced comes with a paper carrier on both sides, which makes it easier to lay something like a steel rule on it to scribe, without scratching.

[crowe-t]

16 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I've used the .010" stuff, and scoring / snapping works best.

Don't try to score round corners. Cut your panels square and file or sand the corners to shape.

The stuff can be somewhat brittle too, although it's harder and stiffer than the alternatives, so work carefully.

It's important that your scribed lines are "clean" with no jaggedy edges for cracks to start on.

The stuff I referenced comes with a paper carrier on both sides, which makes it easier to lay something like a steel rule on it to scribe, without scratching.

I have an OLFA cutter for this.  I've cut thicker pieces and rounded the corners with a sanding stick.  I haven't worked with lexan this thin.

Will a hobby knife work for scoring the thinner lexan?

I'm using 1.5mm sheet styrene for the walls of the truck.  Should I get lexan thicker than .010" or will that make cutting and shaping the rounded corners tougher to do? 

I want to make sure it's stiff enough.

Edited March 27, 2024 by crowe-t

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, crowe-t said:

I have an OLFA cutter for this.  I've cut thicker pieces and rounded the corners with a sanding stick.  I haven't worked with lexan this thin.

Will a hobby knife work for scoring the thinner lexan?

I'm using 1.5mm sheet styrene for the walls of the truck.  Should I get lexan thicker than .010" or will that make cutting and shaping the rounded corners tougher to do? 

I want to make sure it's stiff enough.

A sharp hobby blade will be fine, but you might need to do multiple passes, which is why the paper backing is nice for protecting it from scratches, and for keeping a steel rule aligned without sliding around.

It's been a while since I've used it, but if my memory is at all reliable, .010" should be quite stiff enough for those windshield parts if you're working in 1/24-1/25.

EDIT: I've most recently used 1/16 stuff for making a set of custom curved projector-beam covers to go in the old signal light holes in an S2 E-type. I cut that material with a flat cutoff wheel on a Dremel, then sanded the rough edges up to 600 to discourage cracks from starting on down the road.

Edited March 27, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[peteski]

In my experience actual polycarbonate bends instead of snapping.  Acrylic (Plexiglas) will snap.  Sometimes those two can be confused as they are similar visually. If it is only 0.010" thick, polycarbonate it can easily be cut with scissors.  Acrylic might crack when cut with scissors.

[Mike 1017]

Would it be flexible enough to bend like this windshield?

Mike

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

51 minutes ago, Mike 1017 said:

Would it be flexible enough to bend like this windshield?

I'd use PET, acrylic, or styrene for that...most likely clear PET from a soda bottle.

The only reason I recommended polycarbonate above is because he needs a big flat window that's sufficiently rigid.

The curve of this windshield gives plenty of rigidity without resorting to polycarbonate.

[Mike 1017]

I tried using a soda bottle for my Corvette build it was too thick and would not conform to the curves. The frame was not strong enough.  Using different types of glue and clamps did not help. Anyway, the pop bottles are great for flat windows.

Mike

[stitchdup]

ask your local computer repair shop for their apple/android screen packaging. the galaxy packaging is by far the smoothest of them

[Ace-Garageguy]

17 minutes ago, Mike 1017 said:

I tried using a soda bottle for my Corvette build it was too thick and would not conform to the curves. The frame was not strong enough.  Using different types of glue and clamps did not help. Anyway, the pop bottles are great for flat windows.

Mike

Probably the flimsiest of the clear materials readily available will be whatever is used for report-covers, sold by stationery/office supply stores.

If PTE from a soda bottle is too stiff for your application, I wouldn't even bother trying polycarbonate.

EDIT: If you want to put in the effort to get a precise fit...

 

Edited March 29, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[robdebie]

I used 1.0 mm PETG sheet for the side windows of my 'Blues Brothers' Pinto Wagon. It's normally used for vacuum forming, and comes with sticky foils on either side for protection.

Rob

[TarheelRick]

Just throwing this out for consideration. Would the clear packaging materials used for food containers work? Are they stiff enough for this project? I quite often buy salad greens (lettuces, etc.) is a clear plastic container which should supply sufficient material for the glass needed.

[peteski]

4 hours ago, robdebie said:

I used 1.0 mm PETG sheet for the side windows of my 'Blues Brothers' Pinto Wagon. It's normally used for vacuum forming, and comes with sticky foils on either side for protection

1.0mm?!  That sounds rather thick for a 1:25 model "glass"!  Maybe you meant 0.1mm?

[robdebie]

30 minutes ago, peteski said:

1.0mm?!  That sounds rather thick for a 1:25 model "glass"!  Maybe you meant 0.1mm?

'Kit glass' is of a similar thickness. 0.1 mm is literally paper-thin.

Rob

[Beans]

I've used clear plastic pencil pouches.  You can get them pretty much anywhere that sells office supplies and sometimes they come in different colors.  Works great for tinted windows.

[peteski]

1 hour ago, robdebie said:

'Kit glass' is of a similar thickness. 0.1 mm is literally paper-thin.

Rob

Yes, as I see it most kit "glass" is way too thick, often creating distortion.  That is why when replacing the kit "glass" with another material it is nice to be able to use more to  scale (thinner) material.

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi!

I had good results with aftermarket CD cases, like they sell at most electronics stores. The cheapest one are crystal clear, and the cover side 

provides a fairly large surface that is thin enough for the type of windows you want to recreate. Styrene glue also works on those. 

Just my experience, for what it,s worth...

CT

[Rick L]

You can purchase a .005x24”x24” square sheet of polycarbonate film from McMaster-Carr for under $3.00.

[Chariots of Fire]

PETG material is the best in my opinion.  0.020" thickness.  It has protective backing on both faces that need to be removed first.  For flat surfaces it is stiff enough not to bend and can be cut with shears.  Agree with sanding round corners rather than trying to cut them.  The material is very clear and transparent.  I use it for vacu-forming but for what you are going to use it for I would say it is perfect.

[PatW]

For flat windows I use plastic retail packaging, easy to cut and use super glue or Bostick All-Purpose clear glue. My example would be: I use facial razors in shaving each morning, they are Gillette G2 razors. When you buy them in a plastic bag, inside is a clear plastic tray, perfect for cutting out windows with a pair of domestic scissors, hey presto!

Edited February 25 by PatW