Duco Plastics & Supply Duco USA-Made Clear Cast Acrylic Sheet 1/4 Inch Thick 12" x 12" - 1 Pack of Transparent Plexiglass Sheet - Lightweight Acrylic Board for Window Replacements, Displays, Signs, and More

Why I reached for this acrylic sheet

I needed a clear, tough panel for a small mix of tasks: a replacement pane for a basement casement window, a protective overlay for an all‑in‑one PC in my workshop, and a couple of test pieces for laser/CNC work. I picked up the Duco acrylic sheet in the 12 x 12 inch, 1/4 inch thickness and used that single panel as a proving ground. Over a week of cutting, drilling, sanding, and mounting, I came away impressed with its optical clarity and workability, with a few caveats around tolerances that are worth knowing before you plan a tight fit.

First impressions and handling

Out of the package, the sheet arrived flat, protected on both sides with a cling film that did its job—no scuffs or clouding. Once the film came off, the clarity is genuinely glass‑like. Edge-to-edge consistency looked good, with no visible bubbles, haze, or embedded specks. It’s lighter than glass of the same size and feels robust in the hand—stiff, not floppy, and without the tinny rattle of thin extruded acrylic.

I measured the piece at roughly 11-15/16 x 11-15/16 inches, which tracks with the stated ±1/8 inch cut tolerance. Thickness measured about 0.21 inch (around 5.4 mm) on my calipers—slightly under nominal 1/4 inch, which is common for cast acrylic but important if your application relies on an exact 6 mm fit.

Cutting, drilling, and edge finishing

I tried several methods to see how the sheet behaved:

• Table saw: With a 60‑tooth triple‑chip grind blade, it cut cleanly at moderate feed rate, no chips or stress cracks. Keeping the protective film on and masking the cut line with painter’s tape left the faces pristine.
• Jigsaw: Using a fine, reverse‑tooth blade and slow feed, the cuts were easy and surprisingly clean. A light pass with 220‑ then 400‑grit knocked down any fuzz.
• CNC router: A single‑flute O‑flute bit at 18,000 RPM and a conservative 60 IPM feed left a crisp edge with minimal melting. Workholding is important—use a vacuum table or solid double‑sided tape to avoid chatter.
• CO2 laser: On a 60W CO2 machine, it cut through at typical settings for 6 mm acrylic and produced that glossy, flame‑polished edge people want. Note: clear acrylic doesn’t cut well on diode lasers due to wavelength; you’ll want a CO2.

Drilling can be a pain point with acrylic if you use the wrong bit. A step bit or a brad‑point bit modified with a more open point worked best. I drilled several 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch holes for standoffs, keeping the protective film on, clamping a sacrificial backer, and easing in at low speed. No cracks, no crescent‑shaped stress marks. Deburring with a countersink by hand resulted in clean hardware seats.

If you want glossy edges after saw cuts, you can sand through grits and then flame‑polish with a quick, even pass of a propane torch. I did that on one edge for a test and the finish matched the laser‑cut gloss nicely. Just keep the torch moving to avoid crazing.

Optical quality and clarity

Clarity is this sheet’s strong suit. Looking through it at text, lines stayed straight and sharp with no visible distortion across the 12-inch span. Under daylight and LED shop lights, there’s no tint—just a bright, true clear. When used as a protective screen over an LCD, it added negligible reflections once I cleaned it with a microfiber and a mild soap solution. Avoid ammonia‑based cleaners; they can cause surface crazing over time.

For signage and display use, engraving was crisp and diffused light nicely when edge‑lit with a simple LED strip. If edge‑lighting is your plan, keep your engraving on the back face to protect it from scratches and to preserve a clean front surface.

Durability and real‑world use

Acrylic sits in a useful middle ground: significantly more impact‑resistant than glass and more scratch‑resistant than polycarbonate, though not as tough against hard impacts as polycarbonate. For my shop PC overlay, it’s a smart balance—hard enough to shrug off incidental bumps, easy to replace if it ever gets gouged, and optically clear enough to forget it’s there.

As a small window pane, it held up well in a sash with four clips and a light bead of silicone. UV resistance is important here; acrylic generally resists yellowing, and this sheet is specified as UV‑resistant. For exterior glazing exposed to frequent impacts or vandalism, I’d still consider polycarbonate, but for residential window replacements, porch inserts, or storm panels where clarity matters, this acrylic is a strong choice.

One note on heat: acrylic softens before it melts. Keep it away from high-heat sources and don’t use it near cooktops or where it could be exposed to high radiant temperatures. For desktops, backsplashes, and equipment guards, it’s perfect.

Dimensional tolerances: plan accordingly

Two tolerances matter:

• Cut size: Mine landed just shy of 12 x 12 inches, within the stated ±1/8 inch. If you’re dropping it into a rabbet or frame that expects a true foot-square, give yourself a little wiggle room or plan to trim.
• Thickness: My sheet measured a hair under 1/4 inch. Cast acrylic typically has a manufacturing tolerance, and seeing ~0.21 inch isn’t unusual. If you’re sliding into 6 mm slots, be prepared to shim or spec a thicker option and machine down.

Neither tolerance impacted my projects, but for press fits, jigs, or parts that rely on exact thickness, it’s better to design for the actual measured dimension.

Adhesives, joints, and finishing

For bonding, capillary acrylic cements (like Weld‑On 3 or 4) make strong, clear joints. I cut a small L‑bracket and bonded it to a scrap; the bond line disappeared after curing. Light sanding with 400‑600 grit helps with paint adhesion if you’re doing decorative panels. For protective pads or standoffs, VHB tape held well to the cleaned surface.

Keep the protective film on as long as possible while you cut and drill, and remove it only after installation to avoid fine scratches. If you do scuff it, plastic polish restores the surface reasonably quickly.

How it stacks up to alternatives

• Glass: This sheet looks as clear as glass, weighs much less, and won’t shatter into sharp shards. It’s easier to machine with ordinary shop tools. Glass is harder and more scratch‑resistant, and it tolerates heat better.
• Polycarbonate: Polycarbonate is tougher and better for high‑impact shielding but scratches more easily and doesn’t laser engrave/cut as cleanly. For display and glazing where optical polish and laser‑friendly behavior matter, acrylic wins.

Practical tips from my bench

• Mask both faces with painter’s tape before cutting and drilling if you’ve removed the protective film.
• Use sharp O‑flute bits or fine‑tooth blades; avoid aggressive feeds that cause melting.
• Step‑drill larger holes to reduce stress; support the back face and clamp securely.
• Clean with mild soap and water or a plastic‑safe cleaner; skip ammonia and harsh solvents.
• Design around actual measured thickness and the ±1/8 inch size tolerance.

Who this sheet is for

• Makers and DIYers who laser‑cut or CNC small panels, signs, templates, and guards.
• Homeowners replacing small window panes or adding clear barriers, shelves, or desk protectors.
• Shops needing protective overlays for displays, monitors, or control panels.
• Hobby aquarists making lids and baffles. (For aquarium walls, choose thicker stock and design carefully; for lids, this thickness is excellent.)

The bottom line

The Duco acrylic sheet delivers what matters most in a small, cast panel: excellent clarity, clean machining behavior with common shop tools, and enough toughness for everyday protective and display uses. The protective film and overall surface quality were spot on in my unit, and cuts—whether by saw, CNC, or CO2 laser—produced professional‑looking edges with minimal fuss.

The trade‑offs are predictable for cast acrylic: plan for slight variance in size and thickness, and be mindful that while it’s strong and shatter‑resistant, it isn’t the right pick for high‑abuse environments where polycarbonate shines. If your project demands precise 6 mm fits or zero variance, you’ll want to measure before finalizing your design or source material with tighter spec.

Recommendation: I recommend this sheet for anyone who needs a clear, laser‑ and CNC‑friendly acrylic panel with reliable optical quality. It’s particularly well‑suited for window replacements, equipment guards, signage, and craft projects where the finish matters. As long as you design around the stated tolerances and use proper cutting/drilling techniques, it’s a dependable, easy‑to‑work material made in the USA that performs exactly how a good cast acrylic should.