Just saw this discussion and I wanted to share my success with polypropylene sheet on my GF. 1/16" thick sheet is very durable, flexible and safe to cut. Definitely give that a try.
As an industrial designer, I work with this material for our injection molded products and you can use it for a thin living hinge and it holds up better than anything.
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Where do you get your 1/16" sheet? I recently cut some polyprop and really liked it.
We buy it locally in eastern Washington at Redwood plastics.
Okay, I’ll check if they have online ordering or keep looking around. Thanks! 
Hey, everyone! I want to try and make something like this Surgical mask strap with my laser cutter. Does anyone have any suggestions of a flexible material and a link where I can buy them that won’t break the bank for me to make and donate a ton of these to my area hospitals and care facilities?
How did this plastic standup over time? I’m really needing something exactly like this if it handles abuse well.
I reached out to a local plastic company (Laird Plastics in Austin, TX) and they donated .030 white polystyrene that was a tiny dinged up for their purposes and it works like a charm. He gave me 5 4’x8’ sheets, I can make a ton! I made that same surgical mask strap pattern that was normally made for a 3D printer and all my nurse friends have been choosing it over the S Hook ones.
which clip style are you using on the .030? how well is it working on that thin of a sheet? my company is going to start printing out one-piece face shields in .030 PETG next week when the shipment arrives and we were wondering whether the excess material can be cut as clips. but i’m worried it’s too flexible/thin to hold up well.
Love to know if anyone knows of online places to order thin plastic for this purpose. I’ve been cutting hundreds of s-clips to donate, but would do this strap design instead if I had material.
—Donnie
Out here 3D printing these with some customization, and would love to also cut some using our glowforge. We’re also hoping to find a good alternative to acrylic. I’m a bit worried about cutting polystyrene – that + laser can = cyanide… have you tried any other more flexible materials? Thanks and cheers!
PETG. No clear available, but McMaster has “shim stock” in various thicknesses and colors and seems to work great for the Glowforge earsaver design.
—Donnie
Hello! I’m looking to get confirmation it’s OK to cut polypropylene, specifically the type you see for “paper folders”. I bought these folders off amazon to cut on my cricut - and it’s slightly too thick so I’d like to use my glowforge.
The description only says “100% pure polypropylene”
Thanks in advance!
Cora
You could try this stuff:
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Polypro is safe as far as the out gas. Can’t tell you about quality of cut or fire hazard.
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Thanks - fingers crossed
Any idea why i’m getting sticky residue from this material?
It came w/ a plastic type of protectant and i removed it because of the horrible smell…
won’t be buying this again - but hey it worked
You can leave the film on if you’re only cutting. Engraving will get messy with it. The sticky residue is just part of cutting plastic/acrylic with a laser-the laser vaporizes the material and some of it will deposit on the sheet. Leaving the film on will help, or you can just wipe with a wet paper towel after. And the smell is bad, but also just part of cutting acrylic with a laser unfortunately🤷♂️
When i use the proofgrade acrylic it doesn’t smell like this 
Plastic masking is usually found on extruded acrylic and should be removed before cutting or engraving. As it melts onto cut edges, it can be difficult to remove from cut parts. It also stinks.
Cast acrylic almost always has paper-based masking and can be left in place, also removes easily. The smell of the cut acrylic dissipates out the vent and cut parts have no odor.
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ah, ha! Thanks 