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Cutting Dollar Tree foam board?

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Laser
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2023-04-11

I have been trying to cut Foam Board I purchased at Dollar Tree for a foam airplane. I was surprised that my Atomstack A20 (supposed to have the 4 diode power rating equivalent to cut through 15mm of wood) doesn’t make a scratch on the foam even at 100% power. It will do a number on the paper and so I know it is working, but the white foam underneath the black paper is virtully untouched. I peeled the paper off some and tried and it doesn’t do much. 100mm speed and full power seems to make some cutss, but not all the way through.

So I assume foam is not able to be cut with laser power unless a CO2 laser with more power? Or, does foam just melt. I did see bubbling on the bottom of the parts when I tried to cut with the 100% power and slow speed.

Thanks for the insight!
C

    • John Trant

      2023-04-12
      From my experience trying to do this with a lower power diode laser it was basically impossible as you found. As far as I’m aware all dollar tree foam board has white foam. I suspect between the color and structure of the foam basically all light is either reflected or otherwise dissipated.
Even if you could work your way slowly through it I suspect it would leave an ugly mess.
A CO2 laser cuts through without fuss.
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