Laserable plastic blue/white black white and the SMELL?

[GLENN BRADDY]

I have a few questions for some of you all. Making plastic labels. How do you keep your plastic down?. I connect a vacuum to my factory table to keep the plastic down. But a few problems with that.
1. db of the vacuum (LOUD!)
2. the next one the SMELL!!!
I thought about switching to a vacuum pump. Any thoughts?

Then the last question. I have a 35 watt Epilog, What setting provides the best cut and the lease amount of heat. I am running air assist as well.
Thanks

[Joe De Medeiros]

I have a few questions for some of you all. Making plastic labels. How do you keep your plastic down?. I connect a vacuum to my factory table to keep the plastic down. But a few problems with that.
1. db of the vacuum (LOUD!)
2. the next one the SMELL!!!
I thought about switching to a vacuum pump. Any thoughts?

Then the last question. I have a 35 watt Epilog, What setting provides the best cut and the lease amount of heat. I am running air assist as well.
Thanks

I think most of us use a dust collector 750cfm or greater, and vent it out side.

[GLENN BRADDY]

I have that too. And I vent it out. And maybe I dont need the vacuum. I would prefer not to use the vacuum at all. I'm concerned about the plastic moving around.

[Dan Hintz]

My dust collector is the vacuum source for my vector table. Instead of venting it outside, though, I send it through my homemade fume scrubber. That way I don't waste any heat/AC.

If you're interested in the design, search on my name and sub-$200 fume collector (or something like that).

[Richard Rumancik]

Glenn, sounds like the vaccuum system is pulling smoke and fumes into the room. That's not good. Is it a regular shop vac? Be careful you don't let it overheat from lack of airflow as many won't allow the intake to be blocked.

Most people seem to be using low-tack double sided tape. There was a recent thread; maybe do a search. It has to be low tack or you will not get it off your plastic.

Vacuum pumps are meant for creating a high vacuum but are not actually suitable for pulling a sheet of material down to the table. You would probably find that when you turn the pump on nothing happens, because the flow is extremely low. They need a ~100% sealed chamber which you won't have. So I would not recommend trying it.

[Larry Bratton]

Glenn,
I have an Epilog EXT 36. I also have an exhaust system hooked directly to the two hose connections and vented to the outside of the building. My exhaust fan is actually outside and I have it housed in a plastic dog house. I have never had a problem with engraving plastic moving and I use the honeycomb cutting grid almost a 100% of the time. The engraving table that creates hold down from the exhaust looks like a brand new one, as I rarely use it. For my 40 watt Epilog recommends 20s/40p/5000f.

[Ross Moshinsky]

When engraving you should basically always use your exhaust system. If the plastic is moving from the exhaust system, simply tape it down with painters tape. There is no reason to get high tech for the laser. If you were working with a router, then tapes, vacuum tables, and fixturing becomes far more important.

[GLENN BRADDY]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v661/gebraddy/shot%20show%202010/4b3ae40b.jpg
Now this is after I lasered it. Notice on the other end... in the center... how it's raising up ....But sometimes during the lasering the plastic will bow in different area. That changes the focal length. Which then changes the cut. With the vacuum on it sucks that down... not completely but enough to reduce the affects of the movement. I know the new lasers have a vacuum table. Which is cool. But it uses the dust collector as the vacuum too.
Thanks again...

[Tim Bateson]

I don't use any type of vacuum, just the exhaust fan. Your bowing looks to be from using too slow of speed and/or too much power. See your other thread on this subject for more detailed analysis.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162465-sticky-residue-on-laserable-plastics

[Bill Cunningham]

I put a sheet of brass coated steel on the table w/double sided tape, then use magnets to hold the plastic down. I cut over the same sheet. Actually I don't cut, I just score the plastic 3/4 the way through, then after engraving and scoring I can lift out the entire sheet and wash it down before snapping all the pieces out..