Making A Round Disc Using Sheet Plastic!

[goodguyinar416]

This is another tip I have used for many years and it has saved me alot of time attempting to make a round item using sheet plastic. Some may be aware of this trick, but thought it might come in handy for some. Get you some round tubing, whatever size or thickness you might need. Using some evergreen or plasticstruct tubing which ever you prefer. I like to use evergreen. You can also use metal tubing if you use super glue instead of liquid glue. I use Tenax 7 or Ambroid Pro Weld.

* Cut out a small square piece of sheet plastic slightly larger then the round tubing your using.
Place the square piece of plastic on the end of round tubing and using liquid glue, it to the tubing (Not Alot)
I use a small piece of wire or old model car axle and drop, a small drop letting it flow into seam.
Let it dry for a while and then trim around square piece of plastic close as possible (Photo 3)
Using one of your small sanding blocks start sanding (Photo 4) UP & Down rotating the round tubing slowly, it will start taking a circular shape. After your satisfied with shape trim it off tubing and sanding the glue marks from glued side your done. Good Luck!

Edited May 22, 2013 by goodguyinar416

[Harry P.]

You can also use metal tubing if you use super glue instead of liquid glue.

Good tip, but I'd go with brass tubing, because when you are sanding the disc to shape, if you used plastic tubing you have a good chance of sanding into the tubing and getting your disc out of round. Brass is much harder; you'll be able to sand the edge of your disc right up to the brass tube and get a perfectly round disc without worrying about sanding into the brass tube.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I just use a compass with a cutting tip instead of a pencil lead. Quick, infinite number of sizes available instantly, no extra steps.

[Blown03SVT]

Do you have a pic of the cutter Bill? Smaller diameter disc's or thicker plastic seems as though it would work well with the OP's method.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Do you have a pic of the cutter Bill? Smaller diameter disc's or thicker plastic seems as though it would work well with the OP's method.

Yes, I'm sure it works well, especially for thicker plastic.

For small, thin discs, I use hole punches made for paper. They're available in other sizes besides the standard notebook-paper hole.

Leather-working or gasket-hole punches also work very well.

For a bow compass, the cutter is simply a 1" piece of steel rod the same diameter as a pencil lead, ground to a flat edge on the end and honed on a whetstone.

For larger discs, this design cutter also works well.

As with cutting most sheet styrene, it's usually only necessary to score the surface, then snap the part out. Minimal edge cleanup completes the job.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[KingSix]

I've found that using spent shell casings works very well, and if you happen to own several different caliber guns like I do, you can make a pretty nice collection of "dies" in no time .

[seanyb505]

I will cut the plastic to a rough shape, and attach it to the same dremel chuck used for a sanding wheel. On low speed, sand the edges of the plastic until it is the diameter you want.