Designed some clip things to hold dog poop bags! They need to be cut from 1/8" acetal (Delrin). Files in link: Dog Stuff - Recent Projects - Erik Roby
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Thanks for the tip about Delrin, hadn’t heard of that before!
You can’t trust anything an AI says, but for what it’s worth, Claude said:
"The person likely suggests using Delrin (acetal) instead of acrylic for these clip things to hold dog poop bags for several reasons:
- Durability: Delrin is known for its high strength, stiffness, and toughness. It’s more durable than acrylic, which can be brittle and crack under stress.
- Flexibility: Delrin has some inherent flexibility, which is beneficial for clips that need to open and close repeatedly without breaking.
- Chemical resistance: Delrin has excellent resistance to many chemicals and solvents. This property is particularly useful for an item that will be in close proximity to pet waste and potentially exposed to cleaning products.
- Weather resistance: Delrin performs well in outdoor conditions, maintaining its properties across a wide temperature range and resisting moisture.
- Low friction: Delrin has a naturally low coefficient of friction, which can make the clips smoother to operate.
… While acrylic is great for many laser cutting projects, especially those requiring transparency or a glossy finish, Delrin’s properties make it more suitable for functional, mechanical parts like clips that need to withstand repeated use and potentially harsh conditions."
It goes on to assert (truth or fiction) that the most significant safety issues are the release of formaldehyde (“The fumes must be vented to the outside. Standard filter units with activated charcoal are not sufficient to remove formaldehyde from the air”) and that it burns readily (be prepared for possibility of fire).
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Lots of prior discussion, all the way back to pre-release days:
https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=Delrin%20in%3Afirst
It can be difficult to cut from what I understand, but it’s much tougher than other plastics.
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yup. and because it’s tougher, it’s great for leather deboss/emboss stamps.
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I’ve got a sheet I bought way back for a nebulous “something” which I’ve yet to use!
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Same! I have a bunch of things like that.
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right? i find stuff in my material shelves and think… “why the #### did i buy this again?”
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Is it just me or do these look like far too happy dr who cybermen?
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I can see it for the bottom ones. This isn’t the forum to say what I thought of them. 
But the top ones:
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Sometimes a dog bag clip is just a dog bag clip.
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It tends to have a small flame following the laser, but I’ve never had an issue with anything actually staying lit. Maybe if you were going with very thin material it would be an issue. It’s a lot less brittle than acrylic, so for any type of flexing/snap fit feature it’s a lot better
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It definitely takes more power to cut than acrylic, but I’ve never had an issue cutting up to 1/4" Delrin with the pro. One pro or con, is the edges melt more than acrylic, which makes them not as sharp along the top or bottom edge. I’ve cut myself before on acrylic parts, and tend to sand the edges because of it. Not necessary with Delrin
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Nice! Delrin is great stuff. I fixed my dishwasher’s cutlery basket with it, and the fix is holding up better than the original basket.
The only thing I don’t like about Delrin is that it’s nearly impossible to glue. Nothing sticks to it. You pretty much have to resort to mechanical connections.
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I’ve never actually tried to bond it to anything, but I have heard that. My guess is there is a solvent that would work… but probably not something you would want to use without a bunch of safety gear…
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Two years ago our son created a Dalek costume for Halloween, then neighbors still talk about it! Best idea he’s worked in a while!
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