How to wall mount acrylic board?

Question

Hi there, I want to drill holes in the acrylic board bunnings sell to use for writing in my office. Previous reviews have suggested its not good to drill through without cracking but that was a few years ago. Has anyone done this and did it work?! TIA.

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @crobertson,

Acrylic can definitely be a bit intimidating to drill into the first time.

Did you end up giving it a go? Keen to hear whether the drilling process worked out smoothly for you and how you ended up mounting the board in the office.

Hopefully the advice above helped take some of the stress out of it, but if you hit any issues along the way, happy to help further.

Mitchell

EricL · Answer

Hello @crobertson

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about drilling into acrylic board.

I suggest having a quick look at this discussion - How to anchor an acrylic sheet to a plaster wall? by @Burnings. There was a very thorough explanation on how to drill through acrylic sheets by our highly experienced member Nailbag. I've placed a copy of the suggested steps below.

* Clamp the material to a flat sacrificial piece of timber
* A dulled/slightly-worn HSS bit is the best to use so, not sharp. This was the advice they stressed the most. Sharp bits can grab and crack or split the material depending on thickness.
* For larger holes, start with smaller bits and work your way up. I would do 3 stages for a 10mm hole.
* Make a slightly larger hole when using fasteners to allow for expansion of movement during the fastening process.
* Use lower speeds as this will reduce excessive heat build up, causing the acrylic to melt and bind the bit. 
* Drill small depths at a time and remove the bit regularly while still keeping it turning. Don't stop and then pull the bit out. And let the bit do the work
* Avoid drilling close to edges. The thinner the materials the further away. EG: The 6mm I was drilling into had to be min 15mm in from the edge.

I propose looking at the

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-8-x-50mm-universal-anchor-20-pack_p2260442

to fix your acrylic sheet to the wall. I also suggest looking at this guide - How to hang just about anything by @Adam_W.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric