sticky residue on laserable plastics

[GLENN BRADDY]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v661/gebraddy/shot%20show%202010/4b3ae40b.jpg
After cutting a bunch of labels. What is the best thing to use to clean the sticky residue. Sometimes even the colored dust finds it's way into the letters too. What is the best way to remove it and clean it. And what type of cloth?
Thanks

[Tim Bateson]

Glen, It appears you are using too much power and/or too slow of a speed when cutting. Name plates don't have to be cut 150% through. 80-95% works great. Just snap them apart. You'll get less stickiness & less warp. The exception is if you have sticky backing to cut through. This is more of a pain, but I still shoot for 99% - the sticky backing is perforated enough to come apart - sometimes a skill knife may help.

It also appears you are cutting every single plate individually - using a grid makes your vectoring much faster with better edges.

Using a masking helps with the dust and discoloration on the vector edges. I usually rinse mine as well.

Note: I have found that - a thin top cap - was easier to laser & less mess too.

[Brian J Rogalny]

I do lots of These tags and after many different products I tried Pam, the stuff you would use for cooking. A very small amount and everything wipes off very easily.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Sanding block. A swipe or two on each side should take care of it. You can also use Goop Off on a napkin but I personally think a quick swipe on a sanding block works best.

[Joe Pelonio]

After engraving, before cutting apply transfer tape, and the face will remain clean, simply peel it off after cutting.

[Larry Bratton]

If you want to keep the dust from accumulating in the engraving,try engraving from Bottom Up instead of Top Down. You will find that available in the Epilog driver. I can tell from looking at this that your using too much heat (power).

[GLENN BRADDY]

Larry I really want to understand the bottom top thing. maybe you can explain more. Do you mean to start engraving from the bottom of the table?

Joe do you have a name of the transfer tape or a place to purchase?

Ross - sanding block what grit? 400 ?

Tim - Masking is that the plastic masking that comes on the plastic? Most of the dust comes from engraving. Also I love the grid idea. I had over 500 labels and thought there has to be a better way. It was taking way tooo long. Any hints on what is the best way to do the grid? I wonder if I can just revamp from my current tables.

I can not say THANK YOU big enough or loud enough... THANK YOU THANK YOU we are truly all blessed to have this forum!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Michael Hunter]

Glenn

The bottom-up engraving is a good feature on the newer Epilogs, but isn't available on our vintage EX models.
I did enquire whether it might be made available - even as a paid-for upgrade - but the answer was no, never.

If you leave the thin polythene film on the surface as masking, you do risk it melting itself to the surface at the edges of the engraving and therefore being a pig to get off. Better to take off the original protective film and then use transfer tape (like thin masking tape, used by vinyl sign makers) as protection.

I use white spirit (turpentine substitute) for the main cleanup and finish off with lighter fluid (naphtha). I do have a fire extinguisher nearby!
(I don't like the idea of sandpaper - too much risk of scratching in a moment of carelessness).

For the grid thing, just draw it with the size you want the tags (they all look the same in your picture, which makes it easy).
With "snap-to" set on, draw a line between adjacent grid lines - move this new line straight off the edge of the page using the cursor keys. Repeat for all the grid lines on the top and LH edge of the grid. Now you can use the off-the-page lines to centre the text within the grid rectangles. (Hope this makes sense - easier to do than to describe).

[Larry Bratton]

Oh Glenn sorry, Michael just explained that apparently is not available for your machine. That is an option in the Dashboard driver. It is just what it says it is. Instead of rastering taking place on a graphic from the top down, which is the default, you can specify bottom up. It then rasters in the opposite direction.

Also, for cleanup, I use DNA (Denatured Alcohol) on a good many things. I do not recommend using it on the edges of clear, laser cut acrylics as it can cause crazing. It's fine on thin engraving plastic. Works good on wood too. I keep some 400 and 600 grit sand paper on hand and when cleaning up residue on wood, I dip my paper in the DNA and then use it to clean edges and the like.

[John Noell]

Sometimes there is too much detail (and thus weeding - even with a roll-off technique) to bother with the transfer tape. I have found that if you do get color in the engraved parts (and bottom-up really helps here), the "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers" work really well. I also often drop the finished pieces into soapy water and that helps get rid of the color residue as wel as the stickiness. Apparently Rowmark has said that the stickiness wil go away after a day or so. (Who has time to wait before handing these jobs over to the clients?)

[GLENN BRADDY]

If there is some way to make this a sticky or a post it on this forum...we should... alot of great information here.
Thank again ,,, to everyone!!!.

[Terry Swift]

I've tried the soapy water thing to help get rid of the odor too - which did to some degree; but not great. Finally did a quick dusting of Lysol Spray and that did help more. I leave the protective film on, as I can do the bottom up and I haven't melted it enough to become part of the acrylic.

Has anyone used the IPI LaserThins (.004) stuff? I have a customer who needs labeling type acrylic and IPI says that it can be embossed and inkjet printed on. How reliable is that? I've emailed IPI to see; but no answer as to date.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Ross - sanding block what grit? 400 ?

[/COLOR]

We use these or at least something very similar. 400 grit is way too fine. 220 grit probably is good enough. On 1/16" material, you don't have to worry about getting a gloss finish. Just getting rid of some of sticky residue. http://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Tools-45350-Sanding-medium/dp/B001VE94Z6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300837533&sr=8-1

After engraving, a quick spray of a regular all purpose cleaner works. Use a a napkin to wipe it down. If you're doing glossy plastic, make sure you go with the grain.

[Lee DeRaud]

If you're doing glossy plastic, make sure you go with the grain."Plastic" and "grain" in the same sentence: my head just exploded. :eek:

[Ross Moshinsky]

"Plastic" and "grain" in the same sentence: my head just exploded. :eek:

A lot of the gloss metal looking plastic has a grain.

[Tim Bateson]

I didn't get back to you, but it looks like all of your question got answered. Oh, the grid is properly space vector lines that are longer than the work area. I do this because there is no need cutting the outside edges - causes warpage and takes needless time. For one-offs I'll use a vector box, but all multi plate orders, I use vector grids.

[Lee DeRaud]

A lot of the gloss metal looking plastic has a grain.Hang on a minute...you're going to use 220-grit sandpaper on the face of the labels?!?

[GLENN BRADDY]

John, that "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers" are awesome.... I'm sold of them.
again a big thanks to everyone

[John Noell]

John, the "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers" are awesome.... I'm sold of them.
again a big thanks to everyone I got that tip from someone else here at the 'creek. It's the 'creek that's really awesome!

[Deb Kaiser]

Water and Magic eraser works well.