Materials

Want to make something out of plastic on the 3D printer? Or lasercut a piece of wood or acrylic? Check out our list of approved materials and prices below. We stock a variety of wood types and different material colors, please contact us for more detailed information. You can use your library card to purchase materials from us, or purchase your own approved materials (please bring a receipt) from a vendor such as Inventables, Peterson Brothers, or Johnson Plastics.

Materials Price List

Material Price Machine
Wood $6 for 24” length ($.25 per linear inch) Lasercutter, CNC mill
Acrylic (regular) $1 per 25 sq in. Lasercutter
Acrylic (premium) $2 per 25 sq in. Lasercutter
Vinyl (regular) 9”x9” = $1 Electronic cutter
Vinyl (heat transfer) 9”x12” = $5 Electronic cutter
Engravable rubber 8.5”x11” = $15 Lasercutter
PLA $1 for 30 minutes, 2 hour max print time 3D Printer
     
Chipboard $0, limit 1 sheet per person per day Lasercutter
Magnets $0, limit 1 per person per day  
Mylar $0, limit 1 sheet per person per day Electronic cutter, laser cutter
Fishhook Earrings $0, limit 1 pair per person per day  
Keyrings $0, limit 1 per person per day  

 

Approved Lasercutting Materials

The following table shows which materials are safe to cut with a laser. Some materials are dangerous to cut and can release toxic fumes or can catch fire!
Note: Material dimensions must be less than 20”x12”.

Wood Most untreated hardwoods, softwoods up to 1/4” thick (1/8” is recommended). Thin plywood is ok but does not cut as well due to glue layers.
Plastics Acrylic (cast or extruded) up to 1/4” thick (1/8” recommended), Mylar sheets
Rubber Laser engravable rubber only
Cellulose Chipboard, Paper, Cardboard
Fabrics Most thin natural fabrics (no wool or leather due to fumes)
Glass Etching only, cannot cut
Metal Painted or anodized aluminum (engraving only, cannot cut)
BANNED MATERIALS Food, Chlorinated plastics (PVC), ABS, Rubber, Vinyl, Foam, Treated Wood, Galvanized Metal, Fiberglass, Mirrors

 


Suggested Lasercutter Settings

The following table shows suggested lasercutter settings for various materials. If the laser power is too low or the laser moves too fast, it won’t cut. If the laser power is too high or the laser moves too slowly, it can scorch and even set fire to the material. Quite often settings will need to be adjusted due to variations in material manufacturing, as well as fluctuations in laser power. We always recommend testing laser settings on a piece of scrap if possible. If you have suggestions, please contact us at makerspace@chipublib.org!

Note: These settings are for the Full Spectrum 45 Watt H-Series CO2 lasercutter.

Material Vector Cutting Vector Engraving Raster Fill
1/16” Acrylic Speed: 40
Power: 100
Passes: 1
Speed: 100
Power: 20
Passes: 1
Speed: 80
Power: 80
Passes: 1
1/8” Acrylic Speed: 20
Power: 100
Passes: 2
Speed: 100
Power: 20
Passes: 1
Speed: 80
Power: 80
Passes: 1
Mirror Acrylic Speed: 20
Power: 80
Passes: 2
Speed: 80
Power: 50
Passes: 1
Speed: 70
Power: 95
Passes: 1
1/8” Plywood Speed: 40
Power: 100
Passes: 4
Speed: 100
Power: 30
Passes: 1
 
1/4” Plywood Speed: 20
Power: 100
Passes: 1
  Speed: 100
Power: 50
Passes: 1-2
1/8” Basswood Speed: 40
Power: 100
Passes: 1
   
1/8” Hardwood Speed: 20
Power: 100
Passes: 1
  Speed: 100
Power: 60
Passes: 1
1/4” Cherry Speed: 20
Power: 100
Passes: 4
Speed: 100
Power: 20
Passes: 1
 
Balsa Speed: 30
Power: 65
Passes: 4
   
Cork WARNING - DO NOT CUT! Raster only. WARNING - DO NOT CUT! Raster only. Speed: 100
Power: 32
Passes: 1
Chipboard Speed: 80
Power: 80
Passes: 1
Speed: 100
Power: 2
Passes: 1
Speed: 40
Power: 88
Passes: 1
1/16” Museum Board Speed: 70
Power: 80
Passes: 2-3
Speed: 100
Power: 30
Passes: 1
Speed: 40
Power: 88
Passes: 1
Bristol Board Speed: 100
Power: 15
Passes: 1
   
Cardstock Speed: 100
Power: 20
Passes: 1
Speed: 100
Power: <1
Passes: 1
Speed: 85
Power: 60
Passes: 1
Real Linoleum     Speed: 10
Power: 100
Passes: 2-3
300 GSM Paper Speed: 100
Power: 40
Passes: 1
   
Cardboard Speed: 85
Power: 50
Passes: 2
Speed: 100
Power: 2
Passes: 1
 
3/32” Crescent Board Speed: 30
Power: 100
Passes: 1
   
Oil Board Speed: 100
Power: 100
Passes: 1
   
Watercolor Paper   Speed: 100
Power: 30
Passes: 1
 
1” Closed Cell PU Foam Speed: 55
Power: 100
Passes: 1
   
Laser Engravable Rubber     Speed: 50
Power: 100
Passes: 1-5
Leather NO CUTTING!! Speed: 100
Power: 1.5
Passes: 1
 
Cherry Veneer (1/40”)   Speed: 60
Power: 50
Passes: 1
 

 

Approved Electroknit KH-930 Materials

The knitting machine only works with fingering weight yarn, yarn that is between weights 1 and 3. Yarn that is too thin (weight 0) will snap, and yarn that is too thick (weight 4) will clog the machine. Patrons must bring yarn information with them before starting their projects. If the material repeatedly breaks or clogs the machine, staff may ask patrons to stop their projects until they come back with new yarn in order to reduce risk of damage to the machine.