Materials Sourcing

[Nigel Brooks]

Hello, I am a Game Token manufacturer and I am always looking for more substrates I can use in my production.

I use a Trotec Speedy 100 and a Trotec Speedy 400.

I primarily cut MDF, Alder, and Acrylic at 1/8" thickness.

I am interested in using card stocks that are thinner like Chip Board and thinner but I am not sure if Chip Board works and also I cannot find a good source for those materials.

Additionally I would like to fin Acrylic in sheets thinner than 1/16" if possible to test with as well but my Acrylic supplier does not seem to carry such things.

Is there a good sources for interesting bendable substrates I can cut in my lasers?

My next move is to try to get the card stocks from a paper supplier but I was worried standard card stocks were not laser safe, so if anyone has experience with that as well, I would appreciate any advice.

[Mike Null]

I buy .030" material from Johnson's Plastics. You can get chipboard at Uline but I don't recall the thicknesses. I've never thought Uline had good prices on anything but they always seem to have the inventory.

[John Lifer]

Well, Trotec just sent me email with list of their 'new' thick paper. Don't know how thick, but i'd check with them too.

[Nigel Brooks]

Awesome I definitely will!

[John Blazy]

Hello, I am a Game Token manufacturer and I am always looking for more substrates I can use in my production.

Additionally I would like to fin Acrylic in sheets thinner than 1/16" if possible to test with as well but my Acrylic supplier does not seem to carry such things.

Is there a good sources for interesting bendable substrates I can cut in my lasers?



I buy .030" material from Johnson's Plastics. You can get chipboard at Uline but I don't recall the thicknesses. I've never thought Uline had good prices on anything but they always seem to have the inventory.

Good luck finding acrylic thinner than .060". Mike - are you referring to acrylic at .030" above? Need to look into that. I have only found polycarbonate and PET thinner than .060. Can't find anything optically clear in .040" - too thin for acrylic, too thick for PET and PC.

I sometimes laminate .010" PET to itself with dichroic film texture cores for wild FX, but its pricey. Lasers great though. Do you need rigid Nigel? My stuff bends like a credit card.

[Steve Tracey]

Hello Nigel, I build Homebuilt aircraft and use a lot of very thin plywood. Aircraft Spruce and Supply in Tustin, CA. sell avariety of thin materials that can be used in many different craft and manufacturing projects. They have a very fine catalog, kinda pricey but worth the cost if you need those hard to find things.

[Steve Tracey]

Also, some sign material suppliers have some thin lexan and acrylics.

[Mike Null]

I was referring to laminated acrylic.

[Brennan Sheremeto]

Trotec in canada has lots of thin acrylics, most of it is dual layer stuff though.

Their paper prices are insane though. I have a stack of 1/8" and 1/16" chipboard I bought from an industrial paper supplier. I think a 40x60 cost me $5 canadian? really cheap IMO