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Fred Britt
09-19-2018, 11:20 PM
I have a customer that wants 1/16" Matte acrylic name tags. I checked with some places that sell acrylic and no one had 1/16" Cast. I found some 1/16" black matte acrylic P95 on ebay. Everyone I talked to said it was cast. Well........ guess what, it acts like extruded - no white finished when engraving. Has anyone worked with the material and any ideas where I can find 1/16" matte black acrylic for engraving? I'm under a time frame.



Link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Matte-Frosted-One-Side-P-95-Acrylic-Plexiglass-sheet-1-16-x-12-x-12/322605614826?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Doug Fisher
09-20-2018, 1:00 AM
Interesting. I have been told by multiple plastic suppliers that P95 is always cast due to how the acid etching is done to create the matte surface. With that said, I have found most salespeople at plastic suppliers to be full of BS.

If you find a source for black p95 (matte) in .060(1/16th) to .100 thickness range in larger sheet sizes, please post! I have not been able to find a source for years that reliably stocks it.

Doug Fisher
09-20-2018, 1:15 AM
Since it has been at least a couple of years since I last enquired, I did a little research and the following shows at least one company is now able to do a matte finished extruded/continuously processed acrylic with a matte finish:

http://www.plaskolite.com/ProductCatalog/OPTIX-95-Acrylic

Kev Williams
09-20-2018, 3:00 AM
Try Caloric Color, Garlfield NJ, 973-471-4748, as far as I know they don't have a website--

I've dealt with June over the years, she probably still works there but not sure, it's been 3 years since I bought from them.

They cast the stuff themselves, it's beautiful stuff-
I buy this red material to make LED digital display faceplates out of for a customer--
I just found this leftover piece an test engraved it--
393563

the back side-
393564
--quite obvious it's NOT extruded! It passed the engraving test, if the raw edges aren't enough of a giveaway! ;)
The matte is subtle but effective. Beyond the raw edges, I've never found a blemish.

I tried to take and end-shot but couldn't get a decent focus. My digital calipers say it's .0605" thick...

I bought some gray matte once, same nice quality. Note it'll cost you more than Plexiglas ;)

Hopefully they can help you out...

--edit-- as for getting 'white' engraving on black, or what I got on this red, or any color other than clear, a 'frosty' version of the base color is usually all you can hope for, like I got on this red. Extruded hit with a laser produces a melted-clear finish that's anything BUT 'frosty'. I say this because the black you have, may indeed be cast, especially since the ebay ad states that it is...

Ross Moshinsky
09-20-2018, 8:12 AM
https://www.canalplastic.com/collections/plexi-sheets/products/2025-black-opaque-p95-acrylic-sheet?variant=32918352718

Doug Fisher
09-20-2018, 10:11 AM
Thanks, Kev, for the lead.

Thanks for that, Ross, but they only go down to 1/8(.118)".

Tony Lenkic
09-20-2018, 10:23 AM
Try here,

https://www.inventables.com/technologies/black-acrylic-sheet

Doug Fisher
09-20-2018, 10:36 AM
Thanks, but unfortunately that 1/16" is glossy on both sides versus the tough to find P95 matte.

Tony Lenkic
09-20-2018, 11:05 AM
I don' know what P-95 ia all about.
Rowmark makes reverse engravable acrylic sheets in 1/16" P/N 922-401
Could this be an option that you can explore?

Kev Williams
09-20-2018, 11:19 AM
Rowmark's clear- matte and glossy- is extruded. Laserable versions of the stuff with 2nd laminated colors over clear are laserable BECAUSE it's extruded. The semi-clear engraved finish allows for much better back-fill painting results...

Ross Moshinsky
09-20-2018, 11:33 AM
Thanks, Kev, for the lead.

Thanks for that, Ross, but they only go down to 1/8(.118)".

You might have to consider that you're going on a wild goose chase. Big picture, does it actually NEED to be 1/16?

Fred Britt
09-20-2018, 5:48 PM
1/16" Matte acrylic is what they want to match the others they have.

Fred Britt
09-20-2018, 5:52 PM
Looks like extruded acrylic

Fred Britt
09-20-2018, 5:52 PM
Try Caloric Color, Garlfield NJ, 973-471-4748, as far as I know they don't have a website--

I've dealt with June over the years, she probably still works there but not sure, it's been 3 years since I bought from them.

They cast the stuff themselves, it's beautiful stuff-
I buy this red material to make LED digital display faceplates out of for a customer--
I just found this leftover piece an test engraved it--
393563

the back side-
393564
--quite obvious it's NOT extruded! It passed the engraving test, if the raw edges aren't enough of a giveaway! ;)
The matte is subtle but effective. Beyond the raw edges, I've never found a blemish.

I tried to take and end-shot but couldn't get a decent focus. My digital calipers say it's .0605" thick...

I bought some gray matte once, same nice quality. Note it'll cost you more than Plexiglas ;)

Hopefully they can help you out...

--edit-- as for getting 'white' engraving on black, or what I got on this red, or any color other than clear, a 'frosty' version of the base color is usually all you can hope for, like I got on this red. Extruded hit with a laser produces a melted-clear finish that's anything BUT 'frosty'. I say this because the black you have, may indeed be cast, especially since the ebay ad states that it is...

I will give them a call. Thanks

Kev Williams
09-21-2018, 3:06 PM
There's a sure-fire test to find out if it's cast or extruded:
Take a small piece of it out to your driveway and whack it hard with a hammer... all of my samples are 1/8" thick--

This is ChemCast acrylic, shatters --cast
393651

This is Acrylite Cryo, shatters --cast
393652

Not sure the brand, but all a hammer does is dent it-- extruded!
393653

This is Rowmark black/clear, both sides after hammering,


393649393650

Extruded is extremely hard to break, cast breaks relatively easy...
they call it 'modified acrylic', but it is definitely not cast!

Doug Fisher
09-21-2018, 8:34 PM
Unfortunately, that isn't always going to be a reliable indicator. I have 1/16" extruded that shatters as much or worse than cast.

Fred Britt
09-28-2018, 11:09 AM
Well it turns out it was 1/8 black matt acrylic when she sent the samples in.