Etching or otherwise making colored lines on Lexan

[JustMatt]

Does anyone have any experience? I'd like to do something like in the Primary Flight Control center of an aircraft carrier or Wargames (http://www.everybody-dies.com/screenshots/screenshot1.jpg)

I was planning to use a 4' x 2' sheet of thin polycarb from Home Depot.

Ideally I'd like to etch in the lines, paint them, and then light the edge of the plastic, but there's no time to send it out in time for this year's festivities (unless someone in Michigan has access to a CNC machine?????).

As a fall back plan I'm thinking of freehanding something on in flourescent paint and then washing it in blacklight.

I could also use the color printer and a bunch of transparancy sheets.

Ideas? Thoughts?

[halfcracked]

You could use a dremel to etch the plastic lots of computer modders have done that. but you tend to get a monochrome image from edge lighting it.

I'd take a look at some of the modding baords like HardOCP to get ideas.

You could put paint in the etch & then use a white lite to get a Multicolored look but I'm not sure that would come off the way you think it will or are shooting for.

Is this for a costume or a static display? If it's static you could try a holiday projector with a transperancy of the image & shine it on the plastic but lighting would be a finiky thing to get it to look right.

[Otaku]

Weld-On 400 plastic adhesive or acetone will dissolve polycarb, but you would need to use a mask or stencil to prevent overruns. This will give only a surface effect, though.

[Long_Tom]

what if you paint fluorescent paints on it and then blacklight it? If you present it smooth side forward, it should look pretty professional.