I have some beautiful clear acrylic from Piedmont Plastics. It is masked with a blue plastic layer from them. Does anyone know if I can use it as is, or should I remask with my transfer tape? For now, I’m just making cuts.
If it’s plastic masking, I would replace it. The plastic can get melty, and leave a sticky residue.
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I’ve bought the scrap pieces from them as well - I recommend removing that “plastic wrapish” masking and use your own masking.
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I had some 1mm acrylic with a plastic baking on it. It required a great deal of power to get through. Often it would completely go through the acrylic on a cut, but left the backing intact.
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Normally plastic coating is extruded acrylic (versus cast acrylic) which should be removed before lasering. It tends to melt and sometimes doesn’t lay flat/stick properly which does cause the laser to cut/etch ineffectively.
I have resorted to pulling it of completely. If you need masking to protect the surface, blue painter’s tape or craft masking rolls (do a search in the forums for masking) allow you to get a clean flat protected surface to laser.
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Everyones experience here is interesting. I have used “plastic” masked cast acrylic with no issues when cutting - this goes for both blue and white maskings. If we are talking scoring or engraving well I never mask for those and always remove the masking material because it is superfluous.
I couldn’t seem to source any 1mm cast acrylic. What I got cut pretty well.