Residue removal of a different sort

[Lee DeRaud]

Seeing Robert Alexander's granite Aztec calendar remonded me that I had a hi-res bitmap of that image on my computer from years ago.

So, just fooling around this morning, brought it into Corel, printed it to a piece of LaserTile...way cool. Oh, hey look, there's a scrap of acrylic, already masked...toss that in.

Oops. That picture is the kind of thing that gives "intricate" a bad name. The masking (vinyl transfer tape) came off nicely around the edges...and left about 50000 tiny pieces of tape on the face of the picture. Thirty minutes of scraping with a thumbnail and a piece of soft wood, and I think I've got most of it off. At least the picture is intricate enough that, if I buggered up any of the engraving, it isn't too obvious.

For next time: is there an easier/better way to do this?

[Jerry Allen]

I don't know about vinyl. The laser mask stuff will wash off.
Maybe a hair dryer might peel and soften the vinyl.

[Lee DeRaud]

I don't know about vinyl. The laser mask stuff will wash off.
Maybe a hair dryer might peel and soften the vinyl.The tape is actually paper. I think it's called "vinyl transfer tape" because it's used to install vinyl signs.

[Mark Sipes]

wd-40 or kerosene should do the trick.

Mark

[Lee DeRaud]

wd-40 or kerosene should do the trick.

MarkOk, I'll try that next time...can't be any harder than how I did it. :eek:

[Rodne Gold]

The paper based low tack tape comes off in about 10 seconds if wet , wet it and then just rub it off. The only problem we have is with the shiny gold/sliver polyester based vinyls we use for deep blasting or acid etching , this does take a fair bit of removal .

[Lee DeRaud]

The paper based low tack tape comes off in about 10 seconds if wet , wet it and then just rub it off. The only problem we have is with the shiny gold/sliver polyester based vinyls we use for deep blasting or acid etching , this does take a fair bit of removal .Cool. I brute-forced it this time because I thought a solvent (didn't even think of water) would leave a sticky mess that was worse than I started with.

Well, now I know how to deal with it next time, thanks.:D

[Nick Adams]

posiblly a adhesive tape with more "pull/tack" then the one you used to mask with to take the masking off?

[Lee DeRaud]

posiblly a adhesive tape with more "pull/tack" then the one you used to mask with to take the masking off?(smacks forehead)Of course, DUCT TAPE!!! :D
Good for what ails ya, hurts less than the vise-grips. :cool:

[Joe Pelonio]

On acrylic you don't need to mask for engraving. For cutting it helps, but if engraving a lot of detail that mask is a nuisance to remove. Just engrave first,
then apply the mask, then cut.

[Rodne Gold]

Why do you re- apply a mask to acrylic to cut it? The only reason we use the masks on acrylic is to protect the surface finish in respect to handling. Residues on the top side of a acrylic cut can be eliminated with air assist
When engraving and cutting acrylic we remove the front mask and engrave and cut in a single operation , the back mask is left. If cutting we leave the protective on both sides but this is just for handling purposes. Be aware , the plastic protective films used on some acrylics are mostly PVC.

[Lee DeRaud]

Be aware , the plastic protective films used on some acrylics are mostly PVC.And an absolute pain to remove, IMHO.

[Shari Loveless]

So does that mean that tan plastic covering on the 1/10" acrylic I get from Delvies plastics is pvc based? It leaves a white residue around the covering. If it is, I will want to remove that and remask or find a different supplier. The 1/8" comes with the usual paper masking. How do I know? I surely do not want to harm my laser.

Shari