Thanks Rick
I didn't include any advice on that because most people come to the same conclusion as you and I.... Too expensive! My brother-inlaw hooked me up with a bunch of lexan of the right thickness. They use it at his work for packing material. So i'm all set for now. My local Home Depot also has a decent selection of lexan and plexiglass. By the way although plexi is cheaper than lexan its harder to cut (melts), cracks easily, and scratches faster. The thin lexan can be cut with metal shears. I did some checking and if I buy a sheet of lexan and cut it myself I can drop the price to just under a buck... Eastwoot charges almost 4 bucks a lens.
I'm also gonna check these folks out
http://www.palcoplastics.com/ and see if they have what I need. Their local and they sell retail.