Jewelry Grade Acrylic Settings?

I just picked up some jewelry grade acrylic from Craft Chameleon and I was wondering if anyone had used it or had suggestions on where I should start with settings?

What makes it “jewelry grade?” I tried to look at their site but, the menu doesn’t work on my iPad.

Generally, acrylic is either cast or extruded and comes in a variety of colors and finishes but, is otherwise about equivalent for purposes of cutting with a laser.

I would start with the Proofgrade settings for similar thickness acrylic, then dial them in using standard material testing:

5 Likes

Honestly, I wasn’t 100% sure what made it jewelry grade other than the patterns are printed in a smaller scale, but I think it is just a bit thinner.

This is the description:

Leon’s Patterns on Printed Acrylic (Jewelry Grade): $10.79
Listing is 10" x 12" (+/- 1/4” on 12” length) acrylic sheet. There is a protective film opposite the printed side. Remove the white plastic covering after cutting. On printed acrylic, we do not add film prior to cutting. Please remember all lasers react differently and you should follow your manufactures directions.
Jewelry Grade Acrylic - thickness varies from 1.6mm to 2.4mm depending on which acrylic is used. All are thinner than our typical custom printed acrylic.
Please note: The scale of the pattern can be reduced (up to 75%) for jewelry grade acrylic.

2 Likes

Jewelry grade is like how glowforge is a 3D printer: just marketing nonsense.

That being said, cast tends to be less brittle than extruded, and less prone to crazing from alcohol. For thin stock that could be a big factor when making delicate jewelry.

I’d ask if it’s cast or not.

6 Likes

It sounds like the main draw here is the patterning on their acrylic.

You can probably find other people’s settings for similar thickness material by searching this category for 1/6" acrylic settings.

For the thin acrylic I am using in that range, I am using 280-300 speed and full power. However, my machine is consistently under-powered and, the acrylic I have in that range is closer to 1mm in thickness. That might give you a starting point for testing, though.

It sounds like this stuff is intended for laser use. So, the “film” might be fine. Plastic films tend to melt and make a mess, though. So, if you run into that, you might want to experiment with replacing it with paper masking.

4 Likes

Thank you so much!

1 Like

There is also plenty here about cast vs. extruded acrylic if you are interested in understanding the differences. Mostly, they will both cut with the same settings.

1 Like

Glad to help!

It would be great if you follow up here with your experience after you experiment with it some.

3 Likes

I will. :slight_smile: Wish me luck!

2 Likes