Acrylite Radiant

[Deane Shepard]

Has anyone used the Acrylite Radiant acrylic? It seems almost mirrored on both sides even though it is actually transparent. The manufacturer's literature says it can be machined, thermoformed and worked like any acrylic, but they are silent about lasering. They point out that for machining, tools must enter the coated surface and exit the uncoated surface, but I suspect that is to keep the coating from chipping with the tool exit.

If you have used it, which side did you cut from, the coated or uncoated?

Thanks

Deane
Universal M-360

[Larry Bratton]

No, but I saw a posted price online of $453.00 a sheet! Not much experimentation allowed at $14 bucks a sq foot. From the product literature, it appears to have a coating over clear acrylic. It says it can be fabricated as normal acrylic. The statement about entering the coated side and exiting the uncoated side is probably applicable to cnc tooling. Looks like it would work with the laser, and bet you could get some neat effects by rastering it. I am pretty sure you can get samples from the mfg. Order up some and see what results u can get.

[Dee Gallo]

I've used it for making simple nameplates. I lasered the coated side up and it worked well. I used the same settings as regular acrylic.

These were bent, since I was just learning how to do that at the time, using hot water and tongs. I have since found out it's a lot faster and easier to use a toaster oven and oven mitts.

It's nice stuff, depending on your angle the color changes. Kids love it.

cheers, dee

[Larry Bratton]

I've used it for making simple nameplates. I lasered the coated side up and it worked well. I used the same settings as regular acrylic.

These were bent, since I was just learning how to do that at the time, using hot water and tongs. I have since found out it's a lot faster and easier to use a toaster oven and oven mitts.

It's nice stuff, depending on your angle the color changes. Kids love it.

cheers, dee
Dee,
You should invest in a heat strip acrylic bender. I have one and it makes bending acrylic a snap. I think I saw instructions somewhere for making one also. Mine is a commercial model, 48" and best I recall I paid about $400 for it.

[Dee Gallo]

Yeah but I paid $5 for my extra toaster oven and it works for the few small things I need it for... no need for another piece of equipment to store in my opinion. Plus I'm not doing this kind of stuff for business, just for fun so low tech is fine by me.

Besides, just think how much Radiant you could buy with the money!

:) dee

[Chuck Stone]

Besides, just think how much Radiant you could buy with the money!


Yeah.. less than a sheet! :p

[Deane Shepard]

Dee- Thank you very much for the information. The manufacturer had sent me a very small sample, a 6" hexagon, and I wanted to experiment but with that small a sample, there wasn't a lot of space for just testing settings. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Deane

[Rodne Gold]

I have also used it a lot , we did about 1000 frames for a 60 cm diameter dreamcatcher for a local steakhouse franchise - works quite well in their stores as they turn in the aircon breeze and change colour.
We both shaped and engraved these rims.

Have done a lot of earring and pendant and other jewellery items for customers with this too.

As per Dee - we lasered the coated side and cut with both sides clad if not engaving. Used the same settings as with normal perspex - this is extruded pex so doeant engrave so nicely if you want "fosting"

Melt is a little bit of an issue on very small bits - it tends to dull the cut edge. I think it's made by degussa in Germany - we get ours from em - afair it's about double the price of clear in my neck of the woods.

The real big avantage to using this stuff is that it both reflects and transmits light and the colour of the reflection and transmitted light depends on the angle of the material so it makes amazing Point of sale displays if you can get it moving and its well lit.
The effectivity of those dream chatcher rims in that regard was somewhat lost in the steakhouses due to their muted lighting.

[Mike Christen]

It's nice stuff, depending on your angle the color changes. Kids love it.

cheers, dee

Hi Dee

So your saying the names are not painted letter outlines??

[Dee Gallo]

Hi Dee

So your saying the names are not painted letter outlines??

Nope, the letters are merely solid and rastered. If you look really closely at the bad pic, you can see a slightly rough texture I made by overpowering it... it looks nice. Then an outside boundary line is the hair line. No paint involved. The colored parts you see are the untouched parts of the Radiant.

:) dee

[Mike Christen]

Thanks Dee

That really makes it pop, I may need to get some of that.

[Mike Christen]

One more question Dee

What was the transparency (transmission as they refer to it) of the material and type you used.

[Keith Outten]

If you search the archives in this Forum you will find a link to a free swatch kit that Acyrlite was giving away for free. The swatch kit has some of this material and a lot more. It is well worth the effort to send them a request from their web site.

If you have a local acrylic supplier you should drop by their shop and ask if you can purchase drops from jobs they have done or leftovers from customer sales. I have been able to purchase red, yellow, black, white and several other colors just to have them in my shop for small projects. Clear acrylic drops can be acquired from frame shops almost free. I bought 1/8" clear acrylic drops from a local shop in random sizes, the last time I got over 100 pounds of acrylic for ten bucks.

You can use the Classifieds Forum here if you want to ask if anyone has material they want to sell rather than purchase full sheets.

One companies trash may be another companies treasure :)
.

[Keith Outten]

Dee,

I have a small acrylic bender that I purchased from someone here in the Classifieds Forum. It is a 24" electric bender that I picked up for $35.00 awhile back. Keep your eyes open for these deals, I have used my bender a few times and it sure is handy.
.

[Dee Gallo]

One more question Dee

What was the transparency (transmission as they refer to it) of the material and type you used.

Sorry, I do not have any of that info for you.

Keith, that's a good suggestion, I will keep my eyes open... that's a lot better deal than $400!

cheers, dee

[Larry Bratton]

Like I said..you can make one cheap or here is a source for one that would do the job for a good price http://www.thefabricatorssource.com/products/03freeheat.htm
But if you don't need it, nothing is a bargain.