Acrylic also know as Plexiglas machines nicely provided it is cast acrylic. Don't waste time trying to work with extruded acrylic.
However, Polycarbonate also known as Lexan or Tuffak can be easier to machine, is less prone to cracking and chipping than acrylic and can take threads and be fastened with bolts without much of a problem with stress cracking, but it is a bit more expensive.
A disadvantage with polycarbonate is that it scratches a bit more easily than acrylic and is difficult if not impossible to polish to a clear finish on the machined surfaces if that is important.
It is possibly to get polycarbonate with an abrasion resistanmt coating but it costs more that plain polycarbonate and is nowhere near as resistant to impact.
For machining acrylic you need tools with zero top rake and it is sometimes best to use low helix drill made for plastic but regular tools will work provied the material is well secured.
Polycarbonate machines very well with micrograin carbide tools intended for aluminum but make sure it is well secured because ti will try to climb the helix on a drill or milling cutter. Always use new tools that have never touched metal because a really sharp edge is needed and use a soap solution as a lubricant/coolant.
