What we build
- Boxes: open-top bins, lidded boxes, ballot and donation boxes, storage cubes, and boxes with hinged or lift-off lids. See how to build an acrylic box if you're curious how they go together.
- Display cases: dust covers that sit over a base, cases for models, sports memorabilia, dolls, and collectibles, and wall-mounted shadow boxes. For signed jerseys, helmets, and balls, see memorabilia cases.
- Risers and display stands: bonded cubes, steps, and tiered stands for retail and trade show displays. Acrylic risers and display stands
- Enclosures: clear covers for electronics, control panels, and test fixtures, and 3D printer enclosures. Panels can be bonded or designed to screw together so you can open them.
- Literature and retail fixtures: brochure holders, shelf dividers, donation boxes, and countertop organizers.
- Custom assemblies: anything made of several acrylic parts that need to come out square and fit together, from aquarium sump parts to lab fixtures.
How we put acrylic together
Solvent bonding
Most of what we build is solvent-bonded. A thin solvent cement softens the two edges, they fuse, and the joint becomes nearly as strong as the sheet itself, and clear. It isn't glue sitting between two surfaces; it's the same acrylic, welded. Good joints need flat, square, low-stress edges, which is why we machine edges that will be bonded rather than flame-polishing them. How to glue acrylic and bubble-free acrylic joints explain the method.
Edges and corners
Visible outside edges can be diamond-polished on straight runs or flame-polished on curves, so a finished case looks like a single clear piece. See edge polishing for how each finish looks. Corners are usually butt joints; for thick boxes we can miter them.
Bends instead of joints
Some shapes are better bent than bonded. A U-shaped riser or a three-sided cover from 1/4 in. sheet or thinner can be one piece with line bends, which is cheaper and has no seams to clean.
Mechanical fastening
When you need to take something apart, we design it to screw together: tapped holes in 1/4 in. and thicker sheet, countersunk holes for flat-head screws, and standoffs. Can you screw into acrylic? covers the options, and tab and slot design is a good choice for flat-pack parts you assemble yourself.
Choosing thickness and material
The right wall thickness depends on the size of the case and how it's handled:
| Size of case or box | Typical wall thickness |
|---|---|
| Small boxes and cases, up to about 8 in. on a side | 1/8 in. |
| Medium cases, about 8 to 18 in. | 3/16 in. |
| Large cases and anything handled often, about 18 to 36 in. | 1/4 in. |
| Very large cases, heavy-duty boxes, and bases | 3/8 or 1/2 in. |
Clear cast acrylic is our usual choice for fabrication because it machines and bonds cleanly. For collectibles that sit in a sunny room, UV-filtering acrylic slows fading. Bases are often black or white acrylic. See the full list on the acrylic sheet page, and the differences between grades in cast vs extruded acrylic.
How to order fabrication
Fabricated pieces take more judgment than a flat part, so a person prices them. There are three ways to start:
- Describe it. Go to Can I make it in acrylic?, describe what you need in plain words (“a dust cover for a 14 × 10 × 8 in. model ship, with a black base”), and you'll get suggested parts, thicknesses, finishes, and a price range right away. Send it to us from there and we'll follow up with a firm quote.
- Upload drawings. If you have a drawing, upload the flat parts as DXF or SVG at /quote#upload and add an assembly sketch or PDF and notes. We'll price the cutting instantly and add assembly by hand.
- Call or email. Talk it through at (435) 777-7001, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 Mountain Time, or send photos and measurements to info@wecutacrylic.com.
Whichever you choose, we reply with a firm price, usually within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it.
What to tell us
- Inside or outside dimensions. For a case, give the size of the object and how much clearance you want around it. We'll work out the panel sizes.
- Which sides are open, and whether there's a lid, a base, a door, or a slot.
- How it's used: sitting on a shelf, handled daily, outdoors, holding water, or shipped around to trade shows.
- Finish: clear edges everywhere, or just where it shows; any engraving or logos.
- Quantity and deadline.
Design help
You don't need a CAD file. Send a sketch with measurements, a photo of something similar, or the object you want to display, and we'll work out the parts. We'll point out anything that could cause trouble, such as a lid that won't fit once the case expands in a warm room, a shelf that will sag (check it with the shelf sag calculator), or a case too heavy to lift (the weight calculator helps there). If acrylic isn't the right material for part of your project, we'll say so.
Lead times
Every fabrication quote comes with a ship date. Simple bonded boxes and cases usually take a couple of days longer than flat parts, which typically ship in 3 to 5 business days, because the joints need time to cure before they're packed. Larger runs and complex assemblies take longer. If you have an event or opening date, tell us up front and we'll say honestly whether we can make it.