Got the modified Clariel seraph blade cut out as much as is practical with the plunge cutter. Now it’s time to tackle the wakizashi.
Slow and steady wins the race. There are several factors that dictate the pace of carving PMMA (Plexiglas).
For me, the first consideration is how much work my body can do each day. Because I’m not well, I have strict limitations on my endurance. I still have to do other things each day like prepare food, shower, clean, take care of my cats, and go grocery shopping. If I use up too much of my energy or raise my pain level too high, I won’t be able to do some or any of those other things.
The second consideration is the nature of the material itself. Unlike wood, PMMA will begin to melt if it gets too hot. This will deform the piece you’re trying to make and, if you ignore the warning signs of overheating, it can actually discolour the plastic.
To cut PMMA, you need to use friction. Whether you’re using a saw, a grinder, or a sander, the problem remains. You will have to go slowly and give the material adequate time to cool down during the cutting process. You must work in stages and keep moving the tool to different parts of the piece.
The third consideration is the tools themselves. I consider my Bosch multitool to be a decent machine but even it overheats after a few hours of work. It needs time to cool down as well. It’s also possible for the teeth of the tool to get gummed up with melted plastic and it will need to be cleaned.
Vibration from the cutting tools can cause numbness, tingling, and even nerve damage if used for a prolonged period of time. This can be partly mitigated by keeping the cutting bits clean and sharp. The one I’m using needs to be replaced but I’m having difficulty sourcing Bosch starlock cutting bits in Finland. Ah, the joys of living in a remote corner of the world.
Slow and steady; we’ll get there eventually.
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Hey This IS My Job 
This really is amazing to watch the progress of these pieces unfold. I’m glad you are being conscious of your limits and making sure to take care of yourself. It’s a hard lesson that I sometimes forget and my friends will sometimes have to rein me in a bit because I will often try to do too much (a lot of my friends are interested in various types of cosplay, and then there’s balancing work and social activities).
I appreciate how you explain why you need to to things the way I do in a way I can understand, as I don’t have your background, but you make me feel like I”m part of it.
Where you said “the one I’m using needs to be replaced but I’m having difficulty sourcing Bosch starlock cutting bits in Finland” is that because it’s difficult to get shipping to your home from other sources in the US, Canada or EU, or that there are not many suppliers locally?
Slow and steady wins the race most definitely. I”m not sure how may others you hear from, but want you to know I read your posts and appreciate you and what you do here 🙂
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I like to say that the most important tool you’ve got is yourself. 🙂 It’s one you can’t replace too so taking good care of it is necessary. I’m glad I managed to explain things properly. There’s not really a school you can go to for this kind of unusual kind of art. At least that I know of.
The Bosch starlock cutting bits aren’t widely available locally and not the specific bit I prefer. I like the wood cutting bits best because the teeth are large and don’t get gummed up by hot plastic nearly as often. The best I can find here is multi-material. The teeth on that are much smaller. Several overseas sellers don’t ship to Finland. Those that do charge two or three times the price of the item in shipping. I tried to get an adapter for the multitool so that I can use the much wider variety of non-Bosch cutting bits, but unfortunately there are no adapters that fit in the Bosch starlock socket. They seem very serious about you only using their proprietary attachments. It’s an unfortunate situation. I love Bosch but I don’t love their business practices quite as much.:(
I don’t get too much feedback here so I really appreciate your kind words.
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