i have had these counters sitting around for a good few years now, i want to use them in a store diorama, but i need to cut about a fourth or a half an inch off the bottoms. dont know if i should try using a friends grinder, or trying to find some sort of band saw, or a hacksaw, or some sort of mitre box or what. obviously it needs to cut nice and even, and be fairly delicate or it will just break the plastic all up.

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I would try to use a coping saw with a fine tooth blade. It will take a while but I think anything motorized and you may end up damaging them. Especially since it’s shaped and not just flat

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i'm not following what you want to do? the pieces look like they are solid on the bottom, and that would be critical strength wise. they might get floppy or worse break if you cut the whole base off.

not knowing what your vision is I can't make an accurate suggestion for a "fix". could you just build up the "floor" of the pieces 1/4" and get the desired effect, but not lose rigidity ?

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thats what i was worried about, anything electrical breaking it. but dont really know any saw blades that would be good for delicate cutting of a hard material.

they are molded and hard plastic, i dont think they are big enough to lose shape if i cut the bottoms off, but was going to reinforce them after anyway. i thought of singing them into the floor of a display but wanted to see if there were any good ideas for other options.

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if I was going to cut them either a table saw or large jigsaw with a guide to stay straight. a big band sander might do it, but hot melting plastic might get everywhere. I don't have the skill to cut strait that long with hand tools.

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Also, I’ve cut things with one of those hot razor blade things, but the fumes are ridiculous. But it works to cut through plastic pretty easily in my experience

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I would try a table saw

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Using a belt sander also could lead to the item being launched at high speed towards things which could shatter it.

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Unless that is much more rigid plastic than it looks like, you might be able to get away with using a rugged pair of scissors. I have some scissors I borrowed from my wife made cutting through thicker materials. They are easier to control on flimsy plastic where a saw will start moving around as the plastic starts to move with it.
https://www.amazon.com/X-Acto-Multi-Mat ... t+scissors

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Maybe tin snips

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I like to use carpenter's square and score alongside it with a razor until it cuts thru. It's a little slower but the cut is cleaner.

Also if you didn't want to cut at all, you can simply raise the level of your floor