sign in sign up
<<
Home , Corrugated plastic, Fiberglass molding, Laser, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene

NEVER CUT THESE MATERIALS

WARNING: Because many are dangerous to cut, it is important to know what kind you are planning to use. Make has a How-To for identifying unknown plastics with a simple process.

Material DANGER! Cause/Consequence PVC (Poly Vinyl Emits pure Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the , Chloride)/vinyl/pleather/artificial chlorine cause the metal of the to corrode, and ruin the leather when cut! motion control system. is often found as flat, sheet material. The window of the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate Cut very because polycarbonate strongly absorbs Thick ( >1mm ) poorly, radiation! This is the frequency of the laser cutter Polycarbonate/Lexan discolor, uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting catch polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a poor choice for . ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt Emits cyanide rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching ABS gas and tends on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the to melt vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). Catches fire HDPE/milk It melts. It gets gooey. Don't use it. and melts It catches fire, it melts, and only thin pieces cut. This is Catches fire the #1 material that causes laser !!! Like PolyStyrene, it melts, catches fire, and the melted Foam Catches fire drops continue to burn and turn into rock-hard drips and pebbles. It's a mix of two materials that cant' be cut. (etch, Emits fumes no cut) and epoxy resin (fumes) Emits noxious A mix of two materials. Thin fiber mat can be cut, Coated Carbon Fiber fumes with some fraying - but not when coated.

Safe Materials

The laser can cut or etch. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, , cork, and some kinds of plastics. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass.

Cutting Max Material Notes WARNINGS! thickness Be very careful about cutting oily woods, or Many woods 1/4" Avoid oily/resinous woods very resinous woods as they also may catch fire. These contain glue, and may not laser Plywood/Composite woods 1/4" cut as well as wood. These are okay to use but may MDF/Engineered woods 1/4" experience a higher amount of

charring when cut. Cuts very well on the laser cutter, and Paper, card stock thin also very quickly. Cardboard, thicker Cuts well but may catch fire. Watch for fire. Cuts nicely, but the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality Cork 1/4" Avoid thicker cork. of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, and may not cut as well. Cuts extremely well leaving a Acrylic/Lucite/Plexiglas/PMMA 1/2" beautifully polished edge. Very thin polycarbonate can be cut, but tends to discolor badly. Extremely thin sheets (0.5mm and less) may cut Thin Polycarbonate Sheeting Watch for <1mm with yellowed/discolored edges. (<1mm) smoking/burning Polycarbonate absorbs IR strongly, and is a poor material to use in the laser cutter. Delrin comes in a number of shore strengths () and the harder Delrin (POM) thin Delrin tends to work better. Great for gears! Works well, in thin sheets and strips Kapton tape () 1/16" like tape. Works well if it's thin. Thick mylar has Gold coated mylar will Mylar 1/16" a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl not work. Solid 1/16" a lot when cut, but can be cut. Keep it thin. Used a lot for hobby, RC aircraft, Must be constantly Depron foam 1/4" architectural models, and toys. 1/4" monitored. cuts nicely, with a smooth edge. Foam core gets burned and eaten away Not a fantastic thing to Gator foam compared to the top and bottom hard cut, but it can be cut if paper shell. watched. They all cut well. Our "advanced" Not plastic coated or Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton laser training class teaches lace- impregnated cloth! making. Leather is very hard to cut, but can be Real leather only! Not if it's thinner than a belt (call it 1/8"). Leather/Suede 1/8" 'pleather' or other Our "Advanced" laser training class imitations! covers this. Magnetic Sheet Cuts beautifully

NON-CHLORINE-containing Beware chlorine- Fine for cutting. rubber containing rubber! Teflon (PTFE) thin Cuts OK in thin sheets

You must not cut Carbon fiber mats/weave Can be cut, very slowly. carbon fiber that has that has not had epoxy applied been coated!! Difficult because of the vertical strips. Three passes at 80% power, 7% speed, Coroplast ('') 1/4" and it will be slightly connected still at the bottom from the vertical strips.

Etching

All the above "cuttable" materials can be etched, in some cases very deeply.

In addition, you can etch:

Material Notes WARNINGS! seems to work Only FLAT GLASS can be engraved in our Glass best...looks sandblasted. cutter. No round or cylindrical items. tile

Vaporizes the anodization Anodized aluminum away. Painted/coated metals Vaporizes the paint away.

Stone, Marble, Granite, Gets a white "textured" look 100% power, 50% speed or less works well for Soapstone, Onyx. when etched. etching.