At Michaels/Hobby Lobby have inexpensive sheets of foam mainly for childrens crafts. I’m going to use it with ceramics because I wanna and you can’t stop me.
I have a call in to both hobby lobby and Michaels purchasing to check the chemical compounds but both said it would take WEEKS to find out (seriously??).
I’ve tried googling a bunch- I’ve found examples but nothing about if it’s safe to use with our laser or if I will kill us all by even thinking about it. I need a flexible material that can take pressure and leave an indention.
Does anyone know off hand if the sheet foam is a PVA product?
Super bonus: Anyone tried it and know the settings?
Are you making stamps? We use something like this in embroidery, but the stuff I buy is a bit stiffer than what they sell at Hobby Lobby, so if that foam is too squishy I can let you try the stuff I get.
You can also laser engrave the “pink pig” pencil erasers to make stamps, if the stamp size is small enough. Either vector cut and trim away perimeter with Xacto blade, or raster and burn it away (stinky and slow, but safe).
IIRC, someone did this at the DMS on the OLD 40 watt laser a couple-three years back.
I’m going to attempt some highly intricate texture mats to use in my slab roller for ceramics. The impression won’t be as deep as other options but I think it will work out just fine. I will make one and get back with the results. But like everything here it can be used in about 300 different ways- just depends on how you solve the problem.
Thanks guys! So much to do and experiment with!!
The stuff in your picture looks like craft foam sheet. It is a vinyl chloride product and will produce chlorine gas when cut on the laser. I have cut it (into basic circles) on the laser at work. I figured it was a very small run and wasn’t going to do too much damage, plus it cuts so well. If your going to texture the entire surface, for one it will burn a lot of material, and it might be difficult since it cuts so easily not burn too much of the surface. I think it would end up just melting and not leaving a good finish.
The rubber stamp material HankCowdog mentioned is made to burn on the laser, though it stinks pretty bad! They have a low odor version that is better. I have some and it’s really great material. I haven’t laser cut too much of it, we used it for a hand cut rubber stamp workshop at the Perot, but it is what it’s made for…
So what you are telling me it’s just “a tiny bit deadly”
Thanks for the info. I’m going to give it a shot. I’m going to be using them as a sort of “texture sheet” with ceramic slab. It could be used about 300 different ways.
I appreciate all the information guys. I do lino as well - never even considered doing it on the laser…might be an interesting experiment.
Chlorine gas is caustic too. It combines with moisture in the air to make hydrochloride acid. That acid will eat away or rust the inside of the machine too.
Just to clarify…I have cut a small amount of foam sheet on my laser, but I do not recommend it. Chlorine gas is very hazardous to living things as well as expensive laser cutters…
Do you have a data sheet on that? I’ve looked carefully, and even though Wikipedia says that EVA is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate, the chemical structure shows that it does not contain any chlorine. What’s more, it says that acetate replaces the chlorine.
