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Nick Benton
07-28-2011, 8:54 AM
Hi everyone...I was wondering if any of you know of a source for ultra-thin cast acrylic sheet? I'm trying to find someone who produces 4'x8' sheets of 0.2-0.5mm cast acrylic. The largest sheets I've found so far are 1mx1m in 0.5mm...if you know of any sources for larger/thinner sheets it would be much appreciated...thanks.

Andrea Weissenseel
07-28-2011, 11:10 AM
I think it would help to know where you're located at ;) As far as I know you can get them here in Germany on rolls 1m wide

Chuck Stone
07-28-2011, 11:25 AM
I'm not sure about how large a size sheet you can get, but I know that you
can get pickguard materials that are anywhere from .02" to 2mm or more.
It is used in making guitars and such, but other crafters will use it too, so
there's plenty of suppliers.

James Rambo
07-28-2011, 7:17 PM
I use ridout plastic at times
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/Plexiglass_Acrylic_Sheet_Clear

Richard Rumancik
07-28-2011, 11:08 PM
Nick, I won't say it is not available, but it sounds like it would be a rare item. To cast a 4' x 8' sheet only .2 mm thick (.008") would require holding the glass plates apart during the casting process so that they do not touch. Generally cast acrylic has large tolerances because the glass plates sag under their own weight. The tolerances on cast is really quite large. Being able to hold the plates .008 +/- .002 apart (which is what I assume the minimum you would need) would be quite a challenge. I won't say it can't be done . . .

Now I can visualize you being able to get extruded acrylic in large sizes, but that is not what you asked for. What property of cast acrylic is it that you need that made you specify cast only?

Your quantity would have to be pretty high I would expect to be able to get thin gages of any type in 4 x 8 sheets. You might need to order 500 or 1000+ lbs at a time. I doubt that it is an off-the-shelf item but likely sold to industrial manufacturers for specific end products (laminations).

If you are searching, I suggest that you search for acrylic film, not acrylic sheet. Generally when you get down below .50 mm or so they tend to call it film. (eg Evonik 99524 which is extruded acrylic film.)

James Rambo
07-29-2011, 10:43 AM
I posted the wrong page earlier try this one
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/Clear_Polyester_Film

Nick Benton
07-29-2011, 10:54 AM
Thanks for the answers so far...I need to source within the United States. As to the characteristics, I'm looking for a transparent optical film which will laser engrave with a frosty white mark, and is non-yellowing with UV exposure. After researching this more, it seems that the ultra thin cast acrylic is actually quite brittle, if this is true it would not be acceptable. Does anyone have any experience with engraving on PETG, or mylar? Does it engrave with a white mark? Polycarbonate films won't work as they engrave with a black mark. I'd be open to any material suggestions so long as it engraves white and maintains it's flexibility...something like the film "scratchguards" for iPhones is about what I'm looking for...thanks again for your assistance...

Nick Benton
07-29-2011, 10:58 AM
The polyester film you linked to is pretty much what I'm looking for, however, I don't have any experience with laser engraving that material...has anyone ever tried engraving a photo on it? I'd like to hear your experiences if you have....

Ed Maloney
07-29-2011, 11:19 AM
I'm not sure about how large a size sheet you can get, but I know that you
can get pickguard materials that are anywhere from .02" to 2mm or more.
It is used in making guitars and such, but other crafters will use it too, so
there's plenty of suppliers.

Interesting. What type of material is the pick guards made from and is it laser friendly? I was thinking of just using acrylic for some items for guitars, but though it would get scratched up too easy.

Doug Griffith
07-29-2011, 11:51 AM
Does anyone have any experience with engraving on PETG, or mylar?

PETG does not engrave white. No experience with mylar.

For what you're looking to do, laser engraving might not be the best solution. Think about screen printing.

Mike Null
07-29-2011, 11:56 AM
PETG is not a great engraving material as indicated by Doug. It probably will not give good enough definition as well as not providing a frosted engraved area.

I haven't tried engraving mylar but it might be better that acrylic.

Try calling this place. http://www.grafixplastics.com/plastic_film.asp

Chuck Stone
07-29-2011, 2:30 PM
Interesting. What type of material is the pick guards made from and is it laser friendly? I was thinking of just using acrylic for some items for guitars, but though it would get scratched up too easy.

You'd need to check specific vendors, as they seem to vary in material. They could be anything from
PVC to polystyrene, ABS or polyester ..some are acrylic or polycarbonate. But there's a lot of vendors
out there and a lot of sizes and patterns. Obviously the PVC would be out if you're using it in the laser.