by chrismb » Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:25 am
HDPE should cut 'fairly easily', it comes in 300 or 500 molecular weights, the lower the easier cut. I buy '500' in 10mm sheet, makes it easy to deal with and you can build up the layers to the thickness you want. The thickest 500 HDPE I've cut was 3cm with a hacksaw (easy enough, a little exercise and sweat), but whether your thicker pieces require different techniques, I can't say. You might also need to practice how to cut it accurately, if that is what you need, as your blade may become clogged and 'guided' the wrong way to what you wanted by a build-up in the cut.
The UHMWPE is, by all reports, a whole different kettle of fish so the comparisons between what is needed may vary considerably. I've never dealt with it myself. Contrary to intuition, it has a slightly lower density than HDPE (less 'H' per cc).
George, do you know what molecular weight you have there, otherwise it's a trial-and-error to see what works best.