Since I've been busy rethinking our rodent caging a question has arose I'm hoping you handy sorts can help me and my blistered fingers with.

My current way to cut into these heavy plastic bins to install the wire mesh is to melt out the edges then jam a heavy pair of shears in and cut madly away. It's hell on my fingers *waves her currently bandaged hands up high*

I've tried just melting out the rectangle but with these new big rat bins....well I don't have enough brain cells left to chance that much melting plastic LOL (seriously I do melt plastic only near an open window but it's still stinky and takes forever).

So guys and gals, is there a tool out there that will either really quickly melt a cut line through plastic or slice through it efficiently and without ripping my poor hands to shreds? Some sort of power tool or whatever. I'm going to be doing a lot of new rat bins over the coming months and I'd like it to be a more efficient and less painful job.