How do you clean plastic laminate edges?

[Joe Pelonio]

After I decided to do a poll I remembered that there may not be that many responses on this subject, but what the heck.

Another engraver in my area told me that he cuts his material on the rotary engraver or table saw, because the edges are always sticky
when he vector cuts the Rowmark, IPI etc on the laser. To me that
extra work is crazy. I just wipe the edges with some adhesive remover that I use for other things, it does a quick nice job. My Epilog sales guy
told me to use use windex but that didn't work. What do you use?

[Jim A. Walters]

I use a product called Camie 22/90 Heavy Duty Cleaner & Degreaser I get from www.plasticservices.com (they are just down the street). I used to clean molds in our injection molding shop with this product. It doesn't seem to affect the Rowmark type laminates. I use the straw thingy from my WD-40 can to "pressure blast" name plates that are black with yellow lettering to clean out the nook and crannies in the fine text. I am currently out, so I tried alcohol, but the results were still a bit sticky.

Jim Walters

[Shaddy Dedmore]

Don't tell Rodney , but I use a little acetone on a tough paper towel. Gets the residue off the back and sides, and I'm careful about not getting it on the front (will bleed the color). I use naptha on the front. Naptha takes too much elbow grease to get the stickyness off, although it does work. Acetone seems to work way better.

Shaddy

[Thomas Hempleman]

A little Simple Green sprayed on a paper towel will clean the surface and edges really well. Some citrus based cleaners will also do the trick. One guy I know takes the rind from his morning grapefruit and runs it over the edge of the vectored plastic. I've never tried it but he swears it works great to remove the gummy edge crud.

[Rodne Gold]

Heh , Shaddy
Acetone is ok so long is its not stuff like clear acrylic which would stress crack if you use it on a lasered edge , as you say , you got to be careful.
.

[Wil Lambert]

After talking with Rowmark about this I was told to use lighter fluid to get rid of the sticky and the dicoloration on the white faced plastics. Since trying it have not had problems since.

Wil

[Jeff Chumbley]

I also use good ol lighter fluid, naphtha. Works well for me.

Jeff

[Gary Thinglum]

I've cleaned a lot of formica over the years and the only thing I use is laquer thinner. I have a squirt bottle for it and I put a little on a rag to clean the excess glue off. You can also roll the glue off the formica but, after that I use the thinner. You can also use laquer thinner to remove an old piece of formica or lift a piece of formica which you accidentally put in the wrong place. Using a scraper, or a screw driver carefully lift one corner and spray thinner between the two pieces. Then, after you get it started again carefully, lift the formica while spraying the thinner between the two pieces.
To reuse the piece just let the thinner flash off until it is dry then reglue both pieces.
One thing to remember when using laquer thinner is that it is flammable. Before using it turn off any piolt lights, or open flames such as: hot water heaters, or gas appliances.
Also, have ventlation in the room.

[Gary Hair]

The "laminate" they are referring to is Rowmark which is an engraving material, not formica type laminate, two very different products.

[Mark Sipes]

I use Naphtha on Rowmark , stainless, acrylic.

[Scott Shepherd]

Keep in mind, this poll is 10 years old.....

[Gary Hair]

Keep in mind, this poll is 10 years old.....

It's hard to believe that was posted a month before I joined and two months before I bought my first laser and started my business!!

I guess the good news is that it means that *some* people actually go back and read posts from years ago!

[Kev Williams]

Well just to add to the mix- Turpentine. Not particularly fond of the smell, but it gets rid of sticky soot nicely, and seems to be less apt to 'shine' the surface of Rowmark, like DNA sometimes does. Naphtha works well too, but it doesn't seem as aggressive.