Best Acrylic for Basketball backboard?

[Meleager7]

Dear MCB Handy Dudes!

We have a cheap basketball hoop here that broke, well, specifically the backboard part is garbage. Matrix is the cheapo brand. The base and hardware seem ok. But the backboard due to weather and UV damage cracked in the 3rd year of use.

it was some sort of acrylic about 1/8 inch thick.

are acrylic and plexiglass the same material? Are there better plastics to use as a backboard, compared to others? What should I be sourcing out?

Also, am I seeing craziness, in that appropriate sized sheet of the stuff to make a new backboard will cost approx. $100-$125 Cdn per sheet?!?!?!?! Maybe I should just dump this basketball hoop , and invest in a better quality setup?

Cheers,

M7

[cheapguitarscheapthrills]

I would just throw up a piece of plywood for a back board and call it a day. You could also hit a local junkyard and see if you could steal a piece of plexi off another hoop, gold cart, etc.

[Meleager7]

good call, i'm probably overthinking this !

[Tarsun2]

acrylic is to plexi as a copier is to xerox. so theres that.

i wouldnt bother with plexiglass. youd want something that can handle impacts. look into Lexan (which is a polycarbonate, not acrylic) and is used for safety glasses, motorcycle helmets, and things of that nature.