Cubes cubes cubes
October 28, 2010 5:33 PM   Subscribe

Where can I get frosted acrylic cubes or something similar?

I'm trying to find frosted acrylic cubes that are about 1' on each side. I was hoping to get someone to laser cut and assemble it for me but I was quoted $3,000 (as a low price!). Is there anywhere I can get this done cheaper or premade? Is there a cheaper material that has similar properties? I want to put multicolor LEDs into each cube (frosted acrylic so the light will diffuse more), then stack the cubes on top of each other to form a column.
posted by god particle to Grab Bag (13 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
A local plastics fabricator would be my suggestion, although perhaps that's where your quote comes from. Why laser cut? We did work like this at the museum I used to work at, and honestly it's not that difficult. You just cut frosted acrylic sheet on a table saw with a fine-tooth blade, superglue the pieces into cubes, and sand the cut/glued edges to match the level of frost. I'm a little surprised at your quote, although you don't mention quantity.

Failing custom fabrication, maybe a chance find at IKEA? The Container Store?
posted by werkzeuger at 5:44 PM on October 28, 2010


Glass blocks?
posted by MegoSteve at 5:44 PM on October 28, 2010


How many cubes?

Where are you? Your profile says Beijing.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:53 PM on October 28, 2010




there is a great place in the SF bay area usa Tap Plastics that may well have something that would work but not sure that helps you in Beijing...
posted by supermedusa at 5:58 PM on October 28, 2010


I own a laser cutter and frequently cut acrylic. 1" on a side would take forever to cut and it's badly suited to laser cutting (the laser beam can only really cut up to 3/4" material due to its conical shape and narrow area of focus). Furthermore, the laser flame-polishes the edge of the workpiece, so they'd have to sandblast it for you.

TAP plastics has unfrosted cubes 10 for $10. Just take them to an autobody shop and have them sandblast them, which should cost next to nothing.

You can also find them on eBay.
posted by fake at 6:27 PM on October 28, 2010


Wait! Are we talking about one inch or one foot? Those TAP cubes only go up to 4". If it's one foot it will need to be hollow. A solid one foot acrylic cube will be seriously heavy and expensive.
posted by werkzeuger at 7:49 PM on October 28, 2010


Oops, I read 1", not one foot. Apologies. In that case, laser cutting is a possibility, but yes, it will be expensive.

Your best bet would be to learn acrylic welding and make them yourself.
posted by fake at 8:05 PM on October 28, 2010


Response by poster: Sorry, I should update- I was in Beijing this summer but now I'm in Philadelphia.
posted by god particle at 8:08 PM on October 28, 2010


Response by poster: And right now I only need 5 cubes.
posted by god particle at 8:12 PM on October 28, 2010


Response by poster: Is there an alternative material I can use besides glass?
posted by god particle at 8:16 PM on October 28, 2010


Only five? I was mulling over offering to make these for you, but I also found these, which is a pretty good deal. An orbital sander would work well to frost them, or you could get them sandblasted.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:11 PM on October 28, 2010


Solid acrylic will be hundreds of dollars per block.
posted by Muirwylde at 11:39 PM on October 31, 2010


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