Cleaning Acrylite FF Acrylic

[Jeff Wilkins]

I just made some awards and I need to clean them off. Soap and water is not doing the job. Any suggestions?

[Dan Hintz]

Wat are you trying to clean them of? If it's something sticky, Goo Gone (or other orange oil-based solution) works. If you're trying to get rid of light scratches, a plastic polish should be used. Deep scratches are more readily dealt with using a flame polisher.

[Mike Null]

If they're cast use dna then plastic polish. Novus is good stuff or you can use automotive polishes.

[Jeff Wilkins]

195934195932195933 I am getting hazing around the edges when I vector cut these. The third picture shows it the best.

Thanks
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Dan Hintz]

Are you masking these before cutting? Tough pictures to view, but it looks a bit like dust from the cutting process is settling on the edges...

[Mike Null]

DNA will clean that but be sure it's cast or it will craze.

[Larry Bratton]

If you will cut that with a mask on it, it won't do that. Are you using a cutting grid? What your getting is bounce back from the laser beam. If that is cast acrylic, you may be able to get by with cleaning it with DNA. If it's extruded, it will more than likely craze when you use alcohol on it and when that happens, throw it in the trash and start over. You might also try some Novis plastic cleaner and see if that helps it.

Edit: oops I just read it again..he said "Acrylite FF"- that's EXTRUDED.

[Jeff Wilkins]

I peeled the paper off of the top to raster and vector cut it. This residue ends up being on the top around the edges. I have read other posts about DNA and isopropanol and it does craze when using the Iso. I ran a few pieces with the raster first and then put masking tape over it and vector cut it. This is kind of a pain to do since it is not a normal shape, it a contour around our high school logo. I thought a quick rub around the edges with something would do the trick. Maybe it is a pipe dream :)

[Dan Hintz]

Peel the original mask off and replace it (entirely) with transfer tape.

[Mike Null]

If the mask is paper leave it on. You can raster and vector through it with no problem.

[Glenn Corser]

I vector cut first and then "carefully" peel the tape off in place to do the rastering. That seems to work and you can do it pretty quickly, but you have to be careful not to move stuff. I tape it down pretty good.

[Sam Gardner]

i found that removing paper mask, apply furniture polish and buff, raster and cut will minimise this edge problem. I noticed that the raster dust settling on the surface "reacts" with the acrylic probably from the heat of the laser.

[matt aiken]

There is a plastic polish make by a company called NOVA I use the type 2 (red bottle) and it takes off that "haze" but sometimes you have to work at it a little while.

[Chuck Stone]

There is a plastic polish make by a company called NOVA I use the type 2 (red bottle) and it takes off that "haze" but sometimes you have to work at it a little while.

Is that the Novus 2 ? I use that on acrylic and usually follow it up with Hut Ultra Gloss
(similar product, finer abrasive)