Do some people call shrink plastic 'acrylic'?

Shop Talk
1

I’m just wondering. If I bought something I was told was acrylic and got a shrink plastic piece, I think I’d be a bit fed up. But some things on here labelled ‘acrylic’ look pretty much like shrink plastic…Perhaps shrink plastic is made from acrylic?

2

I call it acrylic… maybe I shouldn’t? I do make it clear in the item description that it’s Shrink plastic though. When I list my necklaces I can’t find a ‘plastic’ category.

1 Like
3

Shrink plastic is a type of polystyrene whilst acrylic is is a type of polyacrylonitrile so technically no they are not the same thing from a chemist’s point of view (and presumably a material scientist’s point of view). However if there isn’t a general ‘plastic’ category I can understand why items are being miscategorised, I can also appreciate that a lot of people perhaps don’t understand that shrink plastic isn’t acrylic (having never read the packaging I don’t know what it says about its composition I looked on the manufacturer’s website). If I were making items from shrink plastic I would make sure that it was clear in the description that that is what it is made from to avoid confusion as some people are making jewellery with acrylic.
Sasha

1 Like
4

Some people are saying their acrylic items are “hand cut”. I don’t think you can cut acrylic by hand, or if you did you’d have to use a saw and it would take ages.Translucent coloured acrylic often has a lovely luminous or neon quality to it. I don’t use either material so I don’t know why I’m bothered! Though I might buy something made from acrylic, but I definitely wouldn’t buy shrink plastic. My kids used to make Flower Fairy keyrings out of it!.. So long as it’s clear in the description that something is shrink plastic, I certainly don’t have a problem with it.

5

I think the ‘hand cut’ bit is to differentiate between the items that are cut with a saw by hand rather than those that are laser cut which is computer controlled and much quicker. I have cut acrylic with a hand saw and its not that bad (helps if you have the right sort of saw blade!) but given that you can chop up shrink plastic with scissors (or so I understand) that would deffinately be quicker and probably require less finishing work.
Sasha