I have a project that I’d like to cut leather and acrylic with the laser cutter. Before I get any further with this project I think it’s prudent to make sure these are OK to cut.
The acrylic is various opaque colors. All 1/8th inch thick. Maybe a pearl or glitter (link).
The leather is a little thinner (4/5oz or 2mm) is vegetable tanned and not dyed (link).
What’s the maximum size it can cut?
Here is some information on acrylics.
https://www.simplyplastics.com/faqs/is-acrylic-suitable-for-laser-cutting-and-engraving/
Leather is fine but be prepared for a smell.
Depth is a tough question. Anything over 1/4” can lead to some bleed, anything over 1/2” should in theory need a jig. But in reality it depends on your project’s tolerances and the way the material interacts with the heat. I would suggest some test cuts and see if you are comfortable with the results
cast acrylic is left with an extremely smooth edge
I did not know this so thank you.
To answer my own question and help someone else in the future:
700mm x 500mm cutting area (27.559in x 19.685in)
https://wiki.lansingmakersnetwork.org/equipment/kh7050b-laser_cutter
Also cutting and engraving power and carriage speed settings can be found on a couple of sheets to the left of the laser cutter PC. I have used the settings for birch plywood with great results but I can’t say to the accuracy of the leather and acrylic settings.
Yes, those papers are really helpful for getting started in the right ballpark. For laser cutting, I like to cut out a 1/2" square out of a new material and repeat with refined settings if necessary before I commit to a bigger burn. If engraving, I try to set up a similar quick test to validate settings as well.
The plan is to get those organized on the wall once we have a large enough sample size