Type of Acrylic

[jason.belmore]

I am looking for the PG acrylic that glowforge sells. I tried to buy it from them but they are out of stock. If anyone knows exactly what it is called I will look around to get more. They say transparent glossy and everywhere I go no one knows what that is. Any ideas/

[evansd2]

Search the forum for “acrylic source”, lots of discussions.

You want cast acrylic with paper masking (ideally). Plastic masking can work but paper is cleaner.

Just be wary, right now acrylic is in short supply so many companies are shipping very slowly. If time is an issue you will want to inquire.

[ChristyM]

@jason.belmore

everywhere I go no one knows what that is

Any reputable plastics dealer (and, realistically, anyone else with a basic grasp of English and some common sense) will understand what this means. Most clear acrylic is transparent with a glossy finish. Colored acrylic may be called translucent, but it’s still pretty obvious. You can also get acrylic that is opaque and/or matte. All of these will work fine. Cast acrylic is generally preferred, but extruded will work in a pinch. Might smell more.

[jason.belmore]

So silly question. Can I not just clean the acrylic that comes with the plastic masking?

[evansd2]

It’s not a matter of it being dirty, it’s a matter of how it cuts. It gets kind of melty around the edges sometimes.

Paper-backed is easy enough to source, but plastic will work in a pinch. If I have the choice (and pretty much always do), I will always go for paper.

[evansd2]

@ChristyM

Cast acrylic is generally preferred, but extruded will work in a pinch.

Extruded and cast cut about the same, but engrave very differently. If you search (again) for “extruded cast”, you’ll find gems like this:

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=extruded%20cast

in which we find

Acrylic: Cast vs. Extruded for Strength

I am designing a marble machine gizmo that will be made of mostly clear acrylic. For the lift chain I want the pin that connects the links to pressure fit into the outside faces. But I am concerned that after laser cutting the holes they might be susceptible to cracking or breaking from the pressure. I know cast acrylic is best for taking a nice engrave. But is there a difference strength wise between cast and extruded? Is this a good case where annealing the plastic would be helpful? [Link]

Extruded vs Cast Acrylic

This is in response to @nunzioc asking the difference between the two when engraved. Here are two similar engraves. The one on the left is extruded, the right, cast. Extruded cuts a bit more cleanly, but engraves poorly compared to Cast. Ignore the paint on the left one. [image]

Cast vs Extruded Acrylic in Edge Lit Signs

I have an idea for a cheshire cat sign using the different properties of cast vs extruded acrylic. Per the examples that have been shown, one does not show etching very well under normal light. My thought is to make layers with the grin on one material and the cat on another. The grin will always show up, but the cat won’t unless lit, and then program the controller to dim the LEDs to off to make the cat fade away, leaving the grin. Any input on this? I have seen it done but I am not sure how th…

and so forth.

[jason.belmore]

Thank you for letting me know. Now I just have to find a source that sells it. Amazon is overpriced

[ben1]

I think OP is referring to ProofGrade acrylic, which dealers would not know. If the dealers are asked about cast vs extruded, most ify then should know, but several I have worked with didn’t know what they carried.

[evansd2]

@jason.belmore

Now I just have to find a source that sells it.

Like I said, those threads have lots of discussion about places to get it. Don’t ignore the possibility of local suppliers.