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Paul Williams from Nunavut
11-17-2011, 8:07 PM
My apologies if this has been dealt with. Just did my first combined rastor/vectoring work with a test of some acrylic ornaments. I'm using clear 3mm acrylic (from Laserbits, part of their ornament CD and acrylic sheet deal). Turned out not too badly, but on one item in particular I can see lines underneath my project. I think that they are marks from the vectoring grid/table, running across the length of the work from left to right (or vice versa), but not up and down.

This particular piece has lots of cutaways in the ornament itself (if you use Laserbits CD TUS009, it's the one with Joy surrounded by little open boxes). I wonder if the acrylic was getting too hot and melting into the table, briefly (but again, only side to side???). There are also a couple of places where the underneath seems to have melted away slightly (very briefly, away from two small boxes, kind of looks like a messy gluing job on a model airplane).

Should I be raising the acrylic off the grid/table (could be problematic on this particular one, given all the cuts), or should I be decreasing power?

Many thanks, Paul

Craig Matheny
11-17-2011, 8:32 PM
I would raise the acrylic off the table put some nails in grid making sure the head will not fall through that should help

Joe Pelonio
11-17-2011, 9:20 PM
Apply transfer tape to the bottom before cutting. It will peel off very easily after and protect the acrylic from any marks.

Mike Null
11-18-2011, 8:43 AM
Joe's got the answer.

Peter Odell
11-18-2011, 9:03 AM
I use dish washing soap on the bottom that way you don' get the smoke on them and you can wash it off with water

Paul Williams from Nunavut
11-18-2011, 9:28 AM
Thanks, folks. I'll keep all this in mind for next time. I appreciate the help.