Does anyone know if I can cut old CDs ?
Does anyone know if I can cut old CDs ?
45 watt Helix
They engrave and cut beautifully, and in fact I got one to still work after engraving but that's a delicate operation.
Sammamish, WA
Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.
"One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." G. Weilacher
"The handyman's secret weapon - Duct Tape" R. Green
One in four people are unbalanced. Think of 3 friends, if they seem OK; you're the one
LS6040PRO, LaserCut 5.1, CorelDraw X4, Photograv 3
Very Cool Joe. I would rather make something from them than toss into a landfill, Dont know exactly what yet but I have the material! Something pertaining to music fer sure. What about old records? I know they are vinyl but is it the PVC kind? Thanks
45 watt Helix
You can stick a dollar store clock movement into the center, and bingo you have a nice shiny round clock.. You can do the same with old records, (those funny big CD'd with all the grooves in them)
Epilog 24TT(somewhere between 35-45 watts), CorelX4, Photograv(the old one, it works!), HotStamping, Pantograph, Vulcanizer, PolymerPlatemaker, Sandblasting Cabinet, and a 30 year collection of Assorted 'Junque'
Every time you make a typo, the errorists win
I Have to think outside the box.. I don't fit in it anymore
Experience is a wonderful thing.
It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Every silver lining has a cloud around it
Sorry I have no pics, but I did it for fun not to market a new product. I started with the settings normally used for Rowmark Plastic (1/16") and it worked.
I wouldn't try phono records, vinyl may not be real vinyl but then again it might and no way you'll find any MSDS on them!
Sammamish, WA
Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.
"One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." G. Weilacher
"The handyman's secret weapon - Duct Tape" R. Green
Joe,Here is some info on records, Unfortunately they are pvc, Wah
<http://www.savemyrecords.com/material/>
45 watt Helix
Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )
Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5
I was thinking of cuting some cd's to make various objects but I read somewhere that CD's are made from Polycarbonate.
From my experience (not with cd's) polycarb is a really messy material to cut, giving off a brown edge and messes up the machine bed.
I only engraved once, when I had a couple of spare minutes and didn't experiment with the settings, so I'm not sure how well it engraves.
Stuart Orrell
LS6040 40W, CS3, Lasercut 5.1, SolidWorks,
They made nice reflectors to hang in the vegetable garden to scare off deer, etc.
Does anyone have a definitive answer to whether you can engrave/cut old CDs. I am new to the laser (have an Epilog Mini 30 watt) and tons of defective CDs. If I could just get a starting point for experimenting, I would really appreciate it. Thanks
Cutting isn't an issue, but engraving can be if you intend to still use the CD for its intended purpose. A very light touch is required if you still want the data to be readable.
Hi-Tec Designs, LLC -- Owner (and self-proclaimed LED guru )
Trotec 80W Speedy 300 laser w/everything
CAMaster Stinger CNC (25" x 36" x 5")
USCutter 24" LaserPoint Vinyl Cutter
Jet JWBS-18QT-3 18", 3HP bandsaw
Robust Beauty 25"x52" wood lathe w/everything
Jet BD-920W 9"x20" metal lathe
Delta 18-900L 18" drill press
Flame Polisher (ooooh, FIRE!)
Freeware: InkScape, Paint.NET, DoubleCAD XT
Paidware: Wacom Intuos4 (Large), CorelDRAW X5
One thing to note about CDs. They are not all created equal. Commercial CDs have the data injected molded into them during manufacturing (believe it or not). CDRs and CDRWs have special coatings and layers that allow them to be burned after manufacture. The later seem to be more susceptible to damage and may not hold up as well to lasering.
Last edited by Doug Griffith; 12-03-2010 at 5:50 PM.
I design, engineer and program all sorts of things.
Oh, and I use Adobe Illustrator with an Epilog Mini.