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This debate surfaces more times than I've had hot dinners.
It's a fact that cylindrical forms of polycarbonate in the UK at least come under the category of 'unobtainium'. Polycarbonate sheet is easy to source, and not much more expensive than acrylic, so a lot of modellers use that here for endcaps, and making control surfaces for their boats.
Acrylic on the other hand is readily available in cylindrical form. OTW use it for their modules, no complaints there, and I know a lot of folk including myself who run acrylic cylinders without problems. You do need to respect the fact it's a more brittle material than polycarbonate, and take more care when cutting and machining it. Also not all acrylics are equal, some of the really cheap stuff can be quite nasty and fragile.
Quality brand names like ICI's Perspex, or Lucite are worth looking out for.
However, bottom line is, in the States at least, polycarbonate cylinder stock is readily available, and quite inexpensive too, so I would use that given the choice.
PVC is good stuff, but is only easily available in opaque stock. I don't find this a problem, and PVC is very tough and easy to work. It's also as cheap as it gets, because builders chuck it out in spades.
It's a fact that cylindrical forms of polycarbonate in the UK at least come under the category of 'unobtainium'. Polycarbonate sheet is easy to source, and not much more expensive than acrylic, so a lot of modellers use that here for endcaps, and making control surfaces for their boats.
Acrylic on the other hand is readily available in cylindrical form. OTW use it for their modules, no complaints there, and I know a lot of folk including myself who run acrylic cylinders without problems. You do need to respect the fact it's a more brittle material than polycarbonate, and take more care when cutting and machining it. Also not all acrylics are equal, some of the really cheap stuff can be quite nasty and fragile.
Quality brand names like ICI's Perspex, or Lucite are worth looking out for.
However, bottom line is, in the States at least, polycarbonate cylinder stock is readily available, and quite inexpensive too, so I would use that given the choice.
PVC is good stuff, but is only easily available in opaque stock. I don't find this a problem, and PVC is very tough and easy to work. It's also as cheap as it gets, because builders chuck it out in spades.
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