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As it's the height of summer, I am having to make a waterproof shelter so our pet rabbits don't get washed away. I have bought some plastic corrugated sheet which I was going to attach to a wooden frame so we have a quick roof we can put on top of their run when it rains again. I was wondering on the best way to cut it - would it be a simple hand saw or a circular saw? I have read online people recommending a circular saw but I was worried it would splinter/crack the sheet?
A hand saw with as many teeth per inch as you can get.
Clamp it between two lengths of wood, firmly enough to hold it but not hard enough to crack it to act as a guide and stop it wibbly-wobbling
Angle grinder if you have one. Cutting disc, it will cut/melt it without the risk of splintering.
Circular saw will just destroy it I'd have thought. A Dremel might actually be the best thing, followed by a fine saw as above. When I've had to cut it it always splinters and cracks along the edge. Cutting 'with' the corrugation rather than across it is a bit easier.
Don't have an angle grinder, although I do have a cheap Chinese Dremel copy with a range of attachments. I only have the one 950mm cut to make so I won't be buying any new tools.
Jigsaw with a fine blade. Ideally with the pendulum action off
How new is the sheet of plastic?
You may find with a fresh new sheet (especially if you warm it up with a hair dryer) it's flexible enough to clamp flat between two pieces of wood. You could then use a Stanley knife and score it/cut/break along the line.
If you are cutting the end off to throw away, try a sacrificial bit first.
Brand new sheet from Toolstation (yet to be delivered). I have a jigsaw but it's old and past it - I am not convinced it would do a job our rabbits would be impressed with.
If it's the thin clear stuff I ended up using a hair drier and some strong scissors, just warm the area you're about to cut a couple of times as you work across the sheet.
I did about 20 meters x 2 of it. Best thing was an angle grinder - no splits / cracks. If you want neater looking edges then do it with a sacrifical layer above and / or below (only needs to be 1cm sacrificed). Also - if its exposed or you want to keep the noise down in windy conditions then consider the corrugated foam thingys to go under (over the supports / joists).
#Edit: like this stuff:
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Eaves-Fillers-for-Corrugated-Sheets-Pack-6/p/240165
I can confirm it’s NOT a hacksaw. Just tried one on some corrugated plastic I was cutting for a cold frame. Made a bit of an arse of it tbh, i was wishing I had a Dremel as I watched it split at the edges. I have an angle grinder but thought it would be too much. My vote is dremel
Dremel or hairdryer and Stanley knife if possible.
I roofed in a useless bit of land between the garden office and fence, not a right angle to be seen so lots of cutting.
Best way I found was a diamond blade in an angle grinder, melts its way through, and not a hint of a split anywhere. I was able to do little fiddly cut-outs around fence post too, no splits on the internal corners either.
Its leaves a ragged swarfy edge that you can rub off with your fingers, just let it cool down for a few seconds or it just sticks to you and does a passable imitation of stringy cheese.
Borrow a grinder, someone on the street will have one.
You get stanley blades that pull for cutting laminate. It scratches a stress a v groove that then snaps.
Post-cut report...
Saws don't work
Circular saws REALLY don't work
Dremels work