Laser suitable materials

Materials that can be cut/engraved (largely taken from the London Hack Space wiki).

If you want to cut a material which is not on the allowed list you must contact the maintainers through the members email list to ask permission.

Prohibited materials

  • Anything that cannot, with reasonable confidence, be identified
  • Cork (fire risk)
  • Wood which isn't explicitly laser-grade (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Food (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Body parts
  • Plastics containing PVC (laser contamination, emissions)
  • Plastics containing ABS (laser contamination, fire risk, cyanide emission)
  • Fibreglass (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Circuit boards (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Polycarbonate (laser contamination, fire risk)
  • All metal (except engraving anodized aluminium)
  • Polystyrene (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Polypropylene (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • HDPE (high-density polyethylene or polyethylene) (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Carbon fibre (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Shuttering ply (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Latex (laser contamination, fire risk, emissions)
  • Leather, all. (laser contamination)
  • Anything not explicitly allowed (either in the lists below, or by prior permission)

Allowed

Woods:

  • Laser-grade MDF (max 8mm)
  • Laser-grade plywood
    • Birch ply (max 9mm)
    • Poplar ply (max 9mm)
  • Balsa wood
  • Paper (cutting only)
  • Card/Cardboard (cutting only)

Plastics:

  • Thin Polypropylene sheet (<1mm)
  • Acrylic (max 10mm)
  • Foamcore (non-PVC variety)
  • Correx (Genuine non PVC)
  • Depron foam (Fire risk, must be closely monitored)
  • EVA Foam (if real)
  • Delrin (max 8mm)

Textiles:

  • Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton (Not plastic-impregnated fabric)
  • Polar Fleece

Engraving only

  • Stone
  • Ceramic tile
  • Non-resinous wood IE hardwood
  • Glass
  • Anodised Aluminium