Nonscratch Clear Material

Makrolon is polycarbonate sheet, I doubt that this would be hard enough to resist scratching with long term use. If you need a small piece, talk to companies making shop signs, they would use it in suitable thicknesses & may be able to supply offcuts. I can see why you might want a completely clear base for a router but could you get away with using something more solid & letting in a couple of windows which could be recessed for protection or maybe just a couple of cut-outs to see through?

use stainless for the largest area with a window made from polycarbonate for viewing.

You might look for acetal (aka delrin) in the 1/4 inch sheet thickness you want. You can find places online (like Amazon) where it's available in 12 x 12 or 12 x 24 inch sizes for fairly reasonable prices.

Acetal/delrin has a high 'lubricity' so it would glide easily over the wood. Yet it is durable enough to be machinable, so you can cut/drill/tap it almost like aluminum.

I don't think it comes in a clear form; it's usually opaque white or black. But you could cut windows in it as needed.

Features and applications of acetal/delrin:

Features

• Excellent dimensional stability
• Continuous use temperature of 180°F
• Porosity free
• Consistent properties in wet or moist environments
• Very low moisture absorption
• Excellent electrical properties
• Easy to machine to close tolerances
• Natural and Black are FDA & USDA compliant

Applications

• Bushings and bearings
• Rollers and gears
• Valves and manifolds
• Scraper blades
• Wear strips and pads
• Jigs and fixtures
• Electrical components
• Parts which operate in water between 60 to 90C

You could cut your holes in the delrin jig, then glue/weld an acrylic window over the holes if you want visibility without worrying about dust or chips.

Sometimes I'm a little slow. I finally figured out which side of the work the "base"plate is on.

It seems to me that a slightly recessed window in the plate would do the trick.

Then, the plate could even be aluminum with a window.

Would glass work? Its clear material and is not easily scratched.

Plexi glass?

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Glass-Plastic-Sheets-Polycarbonate-Sheets/N-5yc1vZc9ws

thank you for the suggestion of Home Depot. I have one nearby. I will have to see if they have the material in thicker sizes.

Stan

I wondered about high impact glass like people use in safety applications. i know bank tellers use 1" glass but that would be too thick since I am looking for 1/4" But you have given me an idea to look at glass companies. thanks

Stan Armes

Glass will shatter or start cracking due to vibrations. Plexi glass? People have told me it will scratch rather easily.

Stan

Beam me up, Scotty! Transparent Aluminum hasn't been perfected yet. Even it would not remain transparent after a while.

There is no plastic sheet on earth that will not scratch or mar. Rockwell 100 will never happen. Plastic hardness is usually measured on the Shore hardness scale.

Rockwell Hardness Testing of Plastics - MatWeb

Polycarbonate (Lexan) vs Acrylic (Lucite) - Colorado Plastics

I'm still trying to understand why it has to be transparent.

Good luck with this.

Might need to switch over to the educational channels a little more often. Bulletproof aluminum glass has been around long enough for the armored car show featuring it to make it through reruns a few times. I don't recall if these were the people in the show but http://www.tssbulletproof.com/optically-clear-aluminum-provides-bulletproof-protection/ has a little write-up on aluminum oxynitride bulletproof glass.

From their web site:

"Aluminum armor can deflect the same rounds from small-caliber weapons as traditional bulletproof glass, but it will still be more clearly transparent even after being shot. Also, a .50-caliber armor-piercing bullet could sink nearly three inches into bulletproof glass before stopping. Aluminum armor can stop it in half the distance and yet is half the weight and thickness of traditional transparent armor."

Thank your for your comments. You are the only one who came up with what I am looking for. Yes it seems to be quite common at least in your circles. I have a Bosch router. I asked a Bosch representative if they have clear sub-bases. he said no. I asked if he knew of ANY other companies that might have them and he said no. I have allready sent an e-mail to the company you suggested to find out more. thanks again

Stan

A clear sub base, a plunger base, and a good router table are essential along with a good assortment of cutter heads, clamps, straight edges and the patience and ability to make jigs....I have 2 Bosch routers, one I leave mounted on the router table most of the time....Oh and don't forget a good shop vac and air compressor...it's surprising how much wood shavings you can make in just a few minutes...

That's a big pile of chips for just one bat!?!?

Wow ! Thanks everyone for responding so quickly. I do appreciate it very much. As you can see there are quite a few suggestions from using opaque materials to cutting windows in a piece. However I do like the last suggestion that shows a picture of a router with a clear sub-base. Now that is what I am looking for. There were some who questioned why I wanted a clear sub-base. The answer is simple. I want to visually see what I am cutting. With the set up the way it is I have to go by feel. I will continue to see what new answers will be. Perhaps by the end of the week I will be able say Hallejuah Eureka!

You will not find a scratch proof plastic, it is possible to improve its resistance with coatings as used on glasses but I don't think its practical for this application. Go with Polycarbonate its shatter proof do not use acrylic it will crack/shatter, If you work wood then you will find PC easy to machine. Accept that after prolonged use it will be too scratched to see through, it is possible to polish the scratches so you can see through them or replace with a new piece. If you want to try polishing then use a chrome or brass polish or you can get proper plastic polish (ebay).

thanks this idea is a real possibility. One person did show me a picture of a router with a clear sub-base. I will look into that as well.

Stan

Acrylic is less likely to scratch as in the link from SE. If you do decide to use it be aware that it will crack due to stress raisers from cutting and drilling. Don't use countersunk screws. Grind your drill with almost zero deg cutting clearance angle. Cut the Acrylic slowly to prevent cracking and edge chipping using a saw blade that has a lot of teeth, or use a band saw with a blade of 25 tpi.

I would use Acrylic and make two or three at once. PolyC scratches with a bare hand wiping the dust off. So i wouldn't use it.

We can get clear PVC from Bayer and find that it is a good inbetween product. Use the same techniques as for Acrylic.

Jim

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of Acrylic. I do not know how quickly it will scratch. I will be doing quite a but of router work the next few days and I am not really interested in changing the sub-plate requently. But that may be the only way to go. We will see. thanks again.

Stan

I have used what I believe is cast acrylic clear base for years, I haven't noticed any scratches to date...

Thank you . This is good to know. With all of the answers coming back to me both good and useless I am beginning to get some idea as to what is available.

Stan

Lexan is used for amongst other things, transparent burglar bars. Very strong indeed, but I don't know how hard it may be.

What about glass ?

Lexan like Makrolon is just another trade name for polycarbonate sheet.

Bosch clear sub-bases.

Gorilla glass is pretty scratchproof. Difficult to find large pieces, but you could try cannibalising a touch screen.

Might be a bit tricky to machine.

I've made hundreds of replacement router bases out of many different materials:

• Lexan
• Wood
• Aluminum
• Acrylic
• Steel

I wouldn't try to use GLASS. It will fail when you attach it to your router! When we wanted a router base / guide, we would make them out of Lexan because it is shatter resistant and will stay fairly transparent for a while. You won't find a "scratch-proof" clear material!

I would agree that glass is not the way to go. I will have to go with a material that will over time get scratched and have to replace it. Thanks

Stan

Just find a material that is already being manufactured, unless you like the challenge, buy several of them, and spray a finish like Glide over it, for slickness, and replace when scratched beyond its useful life. Use the old bases for heavier, rough work where precision is not a necessity. The polycarbonates are good because they can be cut, re-cut, drilled, glued with fences etc.

Stanley,

Good luck in your search.

If you find one that really amazes you, please come back and share your findings!

Three good methods include:

1) Use of polycarbonate (Lexan) or equivalent

2) Glass, or better yet, Sapphire

3 )Thinner Peel off windows such as used for motor racing applications

I will do that. I still have suggestions coming in so I am hopeful.

I believe the term of scratch/abrasion resistance is more fitting.

I don't know what kind of tools you have available (Bandsaw, jig saw, sander, etc,...), but did you consider ordering the material from Mcmaster and just making yourself one.

Yes those descriptions would be more definitive. Your suggestion of peel off windows sounds intriguing. Where would I search for that?Stan

does the hyper link show up for you, if it does hit it....

or

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-sheets/=z8jrcb

Attached is a description of the use of TEAR- OFF technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkhgdNrhgrM

Hi everyone. Thanks for all of the suggestions that you have offered. One person suggested going to Bosch Duh! why did I not think of that? Well in my defense I did talk to a Bosch representative. I guess he does not know the product he represents.

The other suggestion that I will follow up is the following:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-sheets/=z8khp7

You will find all sorts of noncommercial sizes.Just what I need to look at.

They sell them on Amazon....

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Parts-Cast-Acrylic-Sheet/dp/B00JB7FEEU

Thank you.

Stan

I want to thank everyone for responding to my question. I received over 40 replies in about 3 days. I no longer need any comments.

I found Pat Warner in Escondido CA who responded very quickly and makes router sub plates out of clear material. You can find him at pat@patwarner.com. His website is patwarner.com

Stan Armes

Is that the Pat Warner in my post #20?

Yes, it is. He was helpful and quick to respond. I have ordered the part and have not received it yet so I cannot let anyone know how "unscratchable" the material is.

Stan

I suspect it will be quite scratchy, just a question of how long it remains useable. Might help to apply some silicone polish to the new base to help it slide & once scratched it could be polished back to a useable condition. Good luck.

Thank you for the info. re. the silicone paste. After the plate gets scratched can I then use the paste to work out the scratches?

Stan

No, I was suggesting some silicone to make the plate glide over your work piece easier therefore less scratching. Once you get scratches they might come out with a buffing wheel & polishing compound.

Thank you!

Stan

If you do want to buff acrylic use a new floppy mop and paste for acrylic. A stitched mop will remove a lot of material in the blink of an eye. So will the wrong paste on the correct mop.

Jim

For a possible hard coated polycarbonate solution for your problem see the below website:

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/polycarbonate_sheets_ar/517

you can buy a 1/4" x 8" x 8" piece for just under $14.00

Wow this looks like a good place to go and the price is right. I looked at the web site and they also have ways to repair scratches when they occur. Thank you very much.

Stan Armes