Cloudy edges on acrylic

[hornsbyjo]

I’m new to laser cutting and just started making clear acrylic keychains. The cuts look fine, but the edges turn out cloudy, not shiny. I’m using a CO2 laser. Is this because of my settings or the type of acrylic? Thanks!

 

[Prince_Gotha]

Could be material, could be setup, could just be expectations. Raw laser edges aren’t mirror-polished unless you flame-finish them after. Every YouTube demo showing glass-clear edges is doing post-process polishing so don’t let the internet fool you.

 

[Captain_Goofy]

Happens to everyone starting out. You can polish the edges after the cut, but that’s just extra work. Cast acrylic is the fix like it’s pricier but worth it for clean, glassy edges. Just make sure your air assist isn’t blowing too strong either, or it cools the cut too fast.

 

[Alan]

If it’s cloudy, it might be extruded acrylic instead of cast. Cast usually gives clearer edges with a CO2 laser. You might want to check your material type next time you run a batch.