Laserscript user forum

Hi I've just tried cutting 'Depron' on the laser and it seems OK. It is polystyrene based so I think is safe to laser?

Available in 2mm to 6mm thicknesses from Depron.co.uk it is foam-like but tougher and would be really useful for cutting out high releif letters etc. We're using to clad G-Scale model railway buildings after scribing brickwork into it. Now I can laser it this opens up many other possiblities.

Hope useful

Bob

Polystyrene is toxic Bob I would check with the suppliers on the best way to cut it. Fumes can be cancerous and gives of carbon monoxide as far as I know!

Dave

Dave - thanks for that. Couldn't just see the list of 'OK' materials and wondered about polystyrene. Luckily I only cut a couple of small circles to try it so I'm still here to make a nuisance of myself!

Probably best deleted from this section of the forum then?

Bob

Hi Bob - I think it depends on the polystyrene and the filter/extraction you have. I won't delete the post as it serves as a warning to check with your material supplier and your extraction/filter system specs first.

Lets be careful out there guys

Best

Dave

Hi Dave

I've had a good look on-line since my last post and there are lots of references to lasering polystyrene, mostly the hard stuff rather than the foamed. Most comments are about it not lasering very well and the edges rounding rather than noxious gases. I do have a good home-brewed extraction system to the outside through a hole in the house wall, uses the 3020 fan, a £70 in-line fan bought off e-bay, and a cooker hood (don't ask!). Very little smell in the room provided when I take material out of the machine I put it under the cooker hood for a few minutes until material has cooled and stoppped vapourising.

I suppose a good common-sense approach is 'if you can smell it then it's probably doing you harm'.

Bob

PS. Initally fitted cooker hood to extract fumes from airbrushing models.

bobg wrote: I suppose a good common-sense approach is 'if you can smell it then it's probably doing you harm'.

Apart from carbon monoxide which is odorless and tasteless and will certainly do you harm.

Yeah the high impact stuff is ok as far as I know. The cooker hood is a good idea

Best

Dave

And potassium cyanate, by the time you smell it you are already dying and unlikely to be retrievable

best wishes

Dave

What does it smelll like?

I'm just off to the pet shop to buy a canary and a cage I can keep near the laser!

Bob

Get two Bob - one for the lighter than air gases, hang high and another for the heavy gases and put it on the floor

Phil potassium cyanate has no smell either

Dave