Sounds like you might need a 5mm sheet for the melting approach. Be interested to see the results with this method.
As i was drifting off the sleep last night i was thinking about angle grinders

lol Yeah i actually meant...not sure what their called, but my dad had one in his garage, mounted onto a bench, and you sharpen chisels and stuff with it. Its got 2 spinning discs. Its probably also called an angle grinder...? and its probably also overkill. Anyway, try an electric sander if you get stuck. You just have to sand one half at a time.
Smell of garlic..? The smell is hte same as...You know those womens fake nail shops you walk past and the fumes hit you? Those nails are acrylic, and they smell the same.
Paul