What glue to use to laminate foam that diode laser will cut through cleanly

[Darel (Darel Weavers)]

Sculpfun S9 Pro cutting and two layers of foam glued together, tried using CRC ADOS Ultra high strength spray adhesive but when laser hit the layer of glue (which dries to a hard layer) it deflects and makes a mess of the under lying foam, I’m leaning towards trying 3M 77 spay glue, has any one else had success with bonding two laminate layers of foam with glue and then laser cutting through cleanly, foam I an using is a combo of EPDM 10mm foam rubber and 25mm Polyurethane foam

[MikeyH (Mike Hembrey)]

@Darel

deflects and makes a mess of the under lying foam

If the glue is transparent, it may be acting like a lens and diffracting the beam. Or it is just melting end dripping into the lower layer.

1. What colors are the foam?
2. How thick is each layer?
3. Is your Pro a 10w laser?
4. Do you have air assist?
5. Have you confirmed it is safe to cut these plastics?

All of these questions will have an impact on your success rate.

[Darel (Darel Weavers)]

[LSS (Samuli Samuelsson)]

Hi.

I haven’t personally done foam cutting with (diode) laser, but from what I’ve read over the years, it will be somewhat hard to do no matter what.
Especially if die-, knife- or hot wire cut appearance is the goal.

If the answers to list of things @MikeyH posted (#5 being the most critical of course) doesn’t prove that that kind of cutting can’t be done feasibly, one adhesive that has been proven to work with blue laser is hide glue.
Providing of course that the properties the final product has to have and the conditions it has to withstand will be met with hide glue.

Ancient veneering techniques and glues are a perfect match for laser cutting!

Veneering might conjure up notions of cheap ‘cardboard’ furniture, but it’s been used for thousands of years to create the many of the finest wooden pieces that litter museums around the globe, and this tradition makes an easy transition to the modern era of laser cutting. Plus, it’s easy, if you know the tricks! So I thought I’d share what I’ve gathered on the topic so far. Examples: [image] Simply veneering a sheet of fancy wood to a piece of laser ply before cutting it can …

I haven’t used hide glue with synthetic materials and I do very well know that the bonding methods differs quite drastically between synthetic- and natural materials.
And I also do know that the varying densities of the materials and adhesives to be cut play a significant role in the task You’re trying to accomplish.
IMO worth a shot though.

One option that I would try if faced with such a task would be the various PVA glues.

Yet another often suggested adhesive for foam repairs are cyanoacrylates, but those obviously pose a serious health risk when lasered, and foam safe (no melting and/or shrinking) varities of CA glues tend to be even more expensive than the “regular” varities.

If no-one has previously and succesfully done what You’re trying to do, or if no-one who has doesn’t come forward, the only option is obviously try every imaginable adhesive and to find out which works best.
Or at least somewhat acceptably.

On the positive side, if You find a solution -and I do believe You well may- it will benefit others with same sort of desires.

Regards,
Sam

[MikeyH (Mike Hembrey)]

@LSS

it will benefit others with same sort of desires.

Nice writeup, this will too.

[1Vince (vince mastrosimone)]

Glue it after you cut it? Maybe?

[bernd.dk (Bernd)]

There is very thin double sided tape (on paper base) that might work. You can give it a try. Otherwise I would use elastic shoemaker’s glue.