Where is your favorite place to purchase acrylic for your projects?
Many Thank yous
Sasquatch
I buy all mine from Piedmont Plastics. I have to actually go and pick it up but it’s really cheap and high quality. Not sure where you are at and they are only USA I think but the basic recommendation is to just find a local plastics supplier and buy direct.
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Or ask if the’y’ll let you rummage through their waste bin. 
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Oh totally - I’ve definitely asked for offcuts and they are usually happy to oblige. I still have to pay for it but it’s cheap.
But I can buy a 4x8 sheet of 1/8" clear acrylic for $65 and they cut it down to whatever I want for free. And since my laser maxes at 24x36" I can leave there with a huge stack of acrylic even in my Ford Fiesta 
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@adammhaile @Sparkman thank you for your awesome lead. I looked them up and we have one in our neck of the woods here in the Pacific Northwest
What grade/type/thickness is your favorite.
Cheers
Sasquatch
If you are using that acrylic for a Boy Scout project or for some other charitable endeavor, I have found that they are more than happy to let you take the waste or off-cuts for no charge. Our local supplier told me that they used to sell the waste to a recycler but that the recycler now won’t buy it and that they now have to pay to get rid of it so they are usually happy to let it go for a good cause. Do NOT ask the sales person at the counter for this - they won’t help you - you have to get access to the shop and talk to those guys. The supplier in my area is also a fabricator so they tend to have a lot of waste and off-cuts.
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Excellent!
That really depends on the application - but basically what I buy is ChemCast brand 0.118" and 0.220"
And yes - those are the thickness values. The 0.118" is 3mm exactly but the 0.220" is kinda weird - 5.59mm
No idea why that’s what they have. I can get a full 4x8 sheet of the 0.118 for $65 and the .220 for ~$110 in clear.
Though, I admit - I recommend asking them for the version with paper masking instead of the plastic. It’s more expensive but I hate the plastic masking.
The other thing I buy from them a lot is 2422 Amber 0.118" acrylic. Also from ChemCast. I use it for this: https://engravinator.com/
My local rep is fantastic which is good because I’ve found you can’t really get a lot of details off their site - which maybe is a good thing because what they have is extensive. So email/call them and get a rep you can just call on to ask questions of.
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Rumor has it that paper-masked acrylic is cast and that plastic-masked is extruded, but that could be urban legend.
Oh man - you are prob right. I didn’t check. I’ll ask my rep.
I am a fan of estreetplastics.com - as I recall they ship from Texas. I was happy with the quality of the Acrylic I ordered from them.
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The test to verify the myth is simple …just engrave some text into both.
Both types produce different results with a laser.
Each job calls for different results…
Cheers
Sas
Nice … have one, only 8 miles away … good to know.
Thanks for the images. My sense is that thin extruded acrylic is more likely to crack after cutting than cast is - do you have any thoughts on that observation?
I AGREE, Here are some reasons why.:
Cast acrylic is more pliable than extruded, less likely to bend, chip, or melt during milling. Because extruded material is limited in thickness, cast acrylic is a better option for larger structures, installations, etc.
CAST ACRYLIC
*Greater range of thickness up to 4"
- Lightweight and rigid
- Low water absorption (used to make aquariums)
- Excellent optical properties
- Good electrical and UV resistivity
- Outstanding resistance to long-term exposure to sunlight and weathering
Casting is more labor intensive, making it more expensive. Casting yields a harder, sturdier, and more homogenous product. Casting lends greater chemical resistance over extrusion, making it the preferred material for uses involving fragrance, lotions, or other solvents.
EXTRUDED ACRYLIC
- Thermoformable
- Less expensive than glass or cast acrylic
- Excellent optical properties
- More impact resistant than glass
Here is a great reference on acrylic Acrylic Research Info
They have a great example where they show the benefit of using both types.
Here is a great article on how to buy acrylic cheaply. A few tricks of the trade I am sure others will find they did not know. How to buy Acrylic cost effective ( C H E A P )
I use Allied Plastic Supply (APS) in Houston, TX. I pick it up after they cut it to 12x48 strips. I also purchase my acrylic mirror from them.
Be careful as you CAN GET cast or extruded with paper mask. I found out the hard way, but APS took care of their mistake. Just cost me another trip to Houston.
I use a local sign manufacturer, he lets me take what I like from his waste bins.
He even told me to come on a Wednesday as the bins are emptied on a Thursday.
Sometimes I’m lucky and get nearly new sheets 650 x 1200
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