Bottlecap bartop with plexiglass

[JoeFahey]

This is a continuation of the bar staining thread I started here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2162023

I originally was going to use a clear epoxy to seal in the bottlecaps, but now plan on using plexiglass. I was thinking of laying a .25" trim around the outside border to raise the plexiglass over the bottlecaps. I think this might be just slightly too low so I could layer ductape below it
for a slight increase in height.

My main question is do I really need to go with Lexan over an acrylic plexiglass? Lexan is twice the price and I would prefer to avoid spending the extra money if its not warranted.

Scratching on the plexiglass would be my main concern since it would make it harder to see the bottlecap display beneath the sheet.

Tips/suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[TwiceOver]

How are you going to prevent the plexi from bowing in the middle? Have risers every so often?

 

[rivan]

Lexan is far more scratch resistant, but I'd say either will get very ugly over time.

Why don't you want to do the epoxy? I think it'd be a superior, more durable finish as well as less expensive.

http://www.bartopepoxy.com/

 

[JoeFahey]

How are you going to prevent the plexi from bowing in the middle? Have risers every so often?

I think with some experimentation to get the right distances I'll lay some extra border trims width-wise.

 

[destrekor]

How are you going to prevent the plexi from bowing in the middle? Have risers every so often?

Now the question is:

is the plexiglass going to rest immediately on the bottlecaps? If that's the case, is bowing even possible?

After reading the OP, my take is that the risers around the edge is to give support for the plexiglass, and is just the height needed for edge support and there is barely any clearance between the bottle caps and the plexiglass. So if there is barely any clearance, in the middle there would be zero clearance, since it would simply bow until it rests on the caps, so the bowing would be imperceptible. Then again... could the bowing plexiglass crush the caps it rests upon?

Or is the plan for their to be enough clearance that there is a visible gap between the bottom edge of the plexiglass and the top of the bottle caps?

 

[JoeFahey]

Lexan is far more scratch resistant, but I'd say either will get very ugly over time.

Why don't you want to do the epoxy?

Just found these:
http://www.ehow.com/about_6690489_plexiglass-vs_-lexan-vs_-acrylic.html
http://hemineko.net/wp/acrylic-plexiglas-vs-lexan/
Not sure how reliable they are (yes, one is an ehow link), but they both say that acrylic is more scratch resistant, not Lexan.

 

[erikistired]

i would consider going back to the epoxy.

 

[destrekor]

Lexan is far more scratch resistant, but I'd say either will get very ugly over time.

Why don't you want to do the epoxy? I think it'd be a superior, more durable finish as well as less expensive.

http://www.bartopepoxy.com/

That seems to be the superior option. The question being: cost difference between a couple gallons of epoxy and a long sheet of plexiglass or stronger material.

 

[Zargon]

Just found these:
http://www.ehow.com/about_6690489_plexiglass-vs_-lexan-vs_-acrylic.html
http://hemineko.net/wp/acrylic-plexiglas-vs-lexan/
Not sure how reliable they are (yes, one is an ehow link), but they both say that acrylic is more scratch resistant, not Lexan.

I think he meant compared to standard plexi

 

[sdifox]

Labour cost >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> material cost.

Do you really want to do this again?

 

[JoeFahey]

i would consider going back to the epoxy.

The immediate reason I'm going with plexiglass now is because I am building this for a party this weekend and the smell might not be completely gone from the basement by then (the scent of the stain is still present).

Besides this, the bar is 12 feet long and would require a great deal of epoxy. It might harden unevenly since there would be so much to pour, and I don't really want to section it off.
Also, using plexiglass gives me the option to have access to the bottlecaps after awhile and rearrange them. If I epoxy them, its a one shot deal, and if they get messed up, then I just wasted 2000+ bottlecaps.

 

[JoeFahey]

I think he meant compared to standard plexi

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Isn't the "standard" plexi you are referring to acrylic?

 

[Old Hippie]

Not sure how reliable they are (yes, one is an ehow link), but they both say that acrylic is more scratch resistant, not Lexan.

Weird.

I worked maintenance in a steel mill and when we had no replacement glass to put in crane cab windows we always used Lexan because it was less scratchable than plexiglass.

Do what you want but that epoxy stuff is definately the best.....and you do get what ya pay for.

 

[Zargon]

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Isn't the "standard" plexi you are referring to acrylic?

thats because I was wrong

misread another post and replied incorrectly.

 

[MarkXIX]

The immediate reason I'm going with plexiglass now is because I am building this for a party this weekend and the smell might not be completely gone from the basement by then (the scent of the stain is still present).

Besides this, the bar is 12 feet long and would require a great deal of epoxy. It might harden unevenly since there would be so much to pour, and I don't really want to section it off.
Also, using plexiglass gives me the option to have access to the bottlecaps after awhile and rearrange them. If I epoxy them, its a one shot deal, and if they get messed up, then I just wasted 2000+ bottlecaps.

Well, as our foreman used to say on the construction site all the time "Do it, but don't fuck it up!"

 

[erikistired]

The immediate reason I'm going with plexiglass now is because I am building this for a party this weekend and the smell might not be completely gone from the basement by then (the scent of the stain is still present).

Besides this, the bar is 12 feet long and would require a great deal of epoxy. It might harden unevenly since there would be so much to pour, and I don't really want to section it off.
Also, using plexiglass gives me the option to have access to the bottlecaps after awhile and rearrange them. If I epoxy them, its a one shot deal, and if they get messed up, then I just wasted 2000+ bottlecaps.

i would do something temporary for this weekend and then do the epoxy for a permanent solution.