Laser Cutter/Materials

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This is a general list of materials usable on the Laser Cutter. This list does not include all materials that can be cut or should not be cut.

Generally Usable Materials Notes
Acrylic/Lucite/Plexiglas/PMMA Cuts very well and consistently.
Most woods Avoid oily/resinous woods Be very careful about cutting oily woods, or very resinous woods as they also may catch fire.
MDF/Engineered woods These are okay to use but may experience a higher amount of charring when cut.
Plywood/Composite woods These contain glue, and may not laser cut as well as solid wood. Some plywood contains materials that won't cut.
Paper, card stock Cuts very well on the laser cutter, and also very quickly.
Cardboard, carton, Boxboard Cuts well, but may catch fire. Beware of coatings.
Cork Cuts nicely, Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, and may not cut as well.
ABS Plastic Allow to vent prior to opening cutter.
Delrin (POM) Harder Delrin tends to work better.
Kapton tape (Polyimide) Works well, in thin sheets and strips like tape.
Mylar Thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl, gold coated won't cut.
Magnetic Sheet Cuts well.
Teflon (PTFE) Cuts OK in thin sheets. Don't breath fumes.
Coroplast ('corrugated plastic') Not recommended, shape makes it difficult to cut.
Engravable Materials
All the above "cuttable" materials can be etched, results may vary.
In addition, you can etch slightly:
Glass
Ceramic tile
Anodized aluminum Burns the Anodization away.
Painted/coated metals Burns the paint away.
Stone
Special Materials These require some practice/experience to produce good results
High density polyethylene (HDPE) Melts/Burns
Nylon Melts
PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) Melts
Polyethylene (PE) Melts
Polypropylene (PP) Melts
Styrene Melts/burns, Laser needs to be cleaned after cutting produces significant dust.
Carbon fiber mats/weave
Leather/Suede Leather is very hard to cut well, but can be if it's thinner than a belt (call it 1/8"), engraving can produce mixed results .
Thin Polycarbonate Sheeting (<1mm) Can be cut, but melts and discolors easily
Depron foam Must be constantly monitored very flammable. Used a lot for hobby, RC aircraft, architectural models, and toys.
Gator foam Foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard paper shell. Not a fantastic thing to cut, but it can be cut if watched.
Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton They all cut well. Lasers can be used in lace-making. Not plastic coated or impregnated cloth!
NON-CHLORINE-containing rubber Fine for cutting, can melt.
Mirrored/reflective Surfaces laser can reflect and damage lens/eyes if doors are open.
Do Not Cut
Polycarbonate (PC, Lexan) Very poor cut
Any material containing chlorine Burning releases Chlorine Gas will damage parts of the machine
PVC (Cintra) (KYDEX)– contains chlorine Burning releases Chlorine Gas will damage parts of the machine
Vinyl Burning releases Chlorine Gas will damage parts of the machine
Pleather or artificial leather Burning releases Chlorine Gas will damage parts of the machine
Coated Carbon fiber Caustic Fumes
Epoxy or things containing Epoxy Will not Cut effectively and Caustic Fumes
Treated wood Caustic Fumes