While all saws will be able to cut through plastic, saws with large teeth will leave the plastic torn or shredded. [2] X Expert Source Jacob PischerHome Improvement Specialist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020. Some of these fine-toothed saws look like a knife or straight-razor and can easily be used with one hand. [3] X Research source A selection of fine-toothed saws may be available for purchase at hobby stores, since they’re commonly used to cut plastic models and die-cast figurines.
A jigsaw will work best if you’re cutting heavy-duty plastic, including PVC pipe. [4] X Research source The blade of a jigsaw is about 8 inches (20 cm) long, so won’t lend itself to detailed cutting (for example, if you want to cut out a small circle of plastic). You can purchase jigsaws and other fine-toothed saws at your local hardware store. A SAWZALL is another great tool for cutting plastic. [5] X Expert Source Jacob PischerHome Improvement Specialist Expert Interview. 4 September 2020.
If you’re cutting through thick plastic with a table saw, the heated saw blade may melt the plastic. Avoid this by cutting through heavy-duty plastic with a non-melt blade, which will not heat up enough to melt the plastic material. These blades will have evenly-spaced teeth which are set close together. [6] X Research source Non-melt table saw blades should be available for purchase at a nearby hardware store. [7] X Research source
If you don’t have an electric power drill and drill bits of varying sizes, you can purchase them at a local hardware store.
This method will be most effective if you’re doing detailed cutting—for example, on a hobby miniature. If you’d like to cut through very large sections of plastic, you can do so by drilling small holes throughout its surface. This method could even work when cutting heavy PVC pipe. The process will be painstaking and time consuming, but it will allow you to cut precisely.
Utility knives are also often called hobby knives. They can be purchased at any craft or hobby-supply store.
You can purchase cotton or polyester string at any quilting or hobby store.
Depending on the size and shape of the plastic, you could also use a C-clamp to hold it to a worktable. This is risky though, since if you exert too much pressure with the clamp, the plastic could break.
This is a slow, painstaking process. Cutting through thick plastic with thread —for example, when customizing an RC car or working with hobby models and miniatures—is effective, but can take hours.
The plastic that you’ve sliced through should have a very smooth, clean break without any rough or jagged spots.
