I am interested in cutting this speaker cabinet damping material into an exact shape, and I thought of the Thunder lasers. It is a paper backed foam essentially. Does anyone have any advice on doing (or not doing) this? Any tips welcome as I’m a newbie on the lasers. Thanks!
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It seems iffy. How specific of a shape are we talking? Seems like something that could just be traced and then cut with scissors . overshoot it a little and then trim away until you have a tight fit?
Request a MSDS and compare the materials to the Do NotCut list.
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Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve got and idea. Maybe I’ll cut some wood templates and trace them with a razor blade.
if you arent already super handy with a razor imho just do scissors. i recently did a foam storage container for a specifically shaped fragile item and it really was just “cut a lil here and there til it fit then clean up the edges if needed”
If it does end up being chemically safe to cut, keep in mind foam is really flammable. Use really high air assist, and keep a vigilant eye. I’ve had this stuff cause flash fires at work that melt aluminum.
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Do a test first. Set a bit of it on fire and see if the gas smells poisonous to you. If you discover it’s deadly, don’t use it.
Or better yet, use a machine specifically designed for cutting this kind of material:
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I don’t think we have one of these cutters at the Makerspace, but some of our members do. Maybe you could borrow one from someone you locate on Talk?
And obviously, the testing advice was simply a warning on the dangers of laser-cutting it.
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Hey, I love a good joke.
Also considering denim insulation, but I was having trouble finding the exact kind I’m looking for.
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For context, I’m trying to cover the brace piece and also cut semicircular pieces for the chamfered driver cutout.
Okay now I’m looking at cutting this cotton insulation made from recycled denim. It’s 1 inch thick but pretty fluffy. Would this be something I can safely cut?
https://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-CF1-Multi-Purpose-Insulation/dp/B004Y6SX1Y
I have cut denim with great success. But it’s always been flat fabric.
The one caveat is when the beam crossed a seam the denim would ignite. Make absolutely certain the CO2 is working and you know the location of a fire extinguisher.
I suggest some experimenting with the possibility of having to make multiple passes.
The risk with something like that is if it’s been treated with fire suppressant. As far as I can tell that product has not (just denim).
Thanks for the help. Low power, multiple passes seems to work well on the denim insulation.
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If it’s inside the speaker and nobody will see it then I would cut it by hand. Cutting foam or foam like materials on a laser is finicky and some leave a residue on the cut areas.
I have a drag knife for the Multicam but I’ve never used it. It could probably cut 3/16” or so into that material, creating a good way for you to finish with an xacto knife.
If you aren’t in a rush we could try it. My availability is spotty this week.
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