Laser Blanks uses only the highest quality acrylic to ensure great results every time. Follow these simple steps to care for your acrylic.
THE BASICS
Protective Layer
All acrylic blanks that are sent by us, is sent with the protective layer still on. This protective layer is either plastic or a paper style and can be clear, white or brown.
You've not been sent 'brown' acrylic or MDF . . . We promise! Unless you've ordered the colour coffee . .
For standard colours, the protective layer is on both sides of the acrylic and is generally brown paper, or plastic. This needs to be removed on both sides to reveal your beautiful chosen colour. Most acrylic colours are matte/gloss. However some can be gloss/gloss. Make sure you check by peeling back the protective layer slightly to see what side you'd like to work on. There is no right or wrong side - it comes down to personal preference. Some prefer matte - which is also great for product photography, whilst others prefer gloss. It all comes down to what you prefer!
For glitter acrylic, this has a clear protective layer on both sides.
For mirror acrylic, the protective layer is on one side only and is clear in colour. Do not remove the white/grey portion. This is the mirror of your acrylic and if removed or scratched it will destroy your mirror acrylic.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO NEVER USE ANY SHARP ITEM TO REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE LAYER!! USE YOUR FINGERNAILS TO CAREFULLY PEEL THE FILM/TAPE FROM ONE CORNER, THEN PEEL SLOWLY OFF.
STICKY MARKS OR RESIDUE?
Cleaning
Sometimes, residue from the tape/film can remain on the acrylic when you remove the protective layer. This can also happen when using transfer tape in vinyl applications. It is important to not scrub your acrylic. This can cause micro scratches - use a mild soap with warm water and a soft cloth - no fibres.
We do sell acrylic cleaning cloths that are fibre free to ensure your acrylic is cleaned with a scratch free end result. You can purchase them here.
It is very important that you DO NOT USE ANY SORT OF CHEMICAL OR SOLVENT WHEN CLEANING YOUR ACRYLIC. EVEN ALCOHOL WE AVOID.
Using the above can cause micro fractures to occur from the edges of the acrylic and over time, these can grow into extremely large fractures - this is called crazing. Crazing or fracturing can occur slowly and can start with microcracks and then turn into something much more sinister over time. It might look perfect once you've done your initial clean, however, hours or days later you will see the damage.
The image across is the result of a customer cleaning her acrylic with some acetone. She attempted to remove some sticky residue from vinyl after a design change. The acrylic looked perfect immediately after, but came back to find it looking like this.
Depending on the product used, crazing or fracturing can result in different effects from slight cracking on the sides to large fractures throughout the piece . To avoid any sort of issues, please do not use any corrosives, any alcohol or acetone etc.
CRAZING IS VERY VERY UNIQUE. YOU CAN TELL IMMEDIATELY IF A CHEMICAL HAS BEEN USED :)
THE NITTY GRITTY ON
Glue & Adhesive
Not all glues and adhesives are made the same. There are so many different types of adhesives on the market it's hard to know what to select when it comes to fixing acrylic pieces together or acrylic to timbers.
Here at Laser Blanks we sell and recommend the use of e6000 glue/adhesive for fixing together acrylic.
Laser Blanks sells both the standard Clear E6000 glue as well as the E6000 Jewellery & Bead Glue for jewellery making.
It's important to remember that some adhesives can destroy or eat away at mirror backing, causing bubbling, crazing or deterioration of the mirror from the front. This can happen immediately or after several hours. We recommend the use of E6000 jewellery and bead glue/adhesive. This will ensure that your mirror is kept in perfect condition.
LET'S CHAT ABOUT
Mirror Acrylic
Mirror Acrylic can be a bit finicky! It isn't the same as standard acrylic and care does need to be taken when dealing with mirror acrylic. Here are some key points to remember:
- Mirror Acrylic has a grey or white backing which creates the mirror look to the acrylic. It can scratch if care is not taken. Ensure that it is protected from rough surfaces/items that can scratch it. NEVER ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE GREY/WHITE BACKING.
- Mirror Acrylic has a clear protective layer on it. IT IS NOT SCRATCHED! Simply remove the protective layer to see your beautiful scratch free mirror.
- Glues and adhesives can effect the mirror acrylic. We recommend the use of E6000 glue/adhesive only for mirror acrylic. Others can destroy the mirror backing. We cannot test every type of adhesive on the market, if you are wanting to use another type of adhesive, we recommend purchasing a small round to do a test to see what reaction could potentially occur. These reactions can happen immediately or can occur several hours or days later. We recommend testing over several days as a minimum to see if there are any adverse reactions.
- It's important to note that some cake icings can negatively effect the mirror backing. If you desire to use mirror acrylics as a cake topper, please use it just before your event to ensure that your mirror will last your event. Laser Blanks takes no responsibility for reactions to the mirror acrylic.
- Standard cleaning tips apply. Do not use any solvents or alcohol to clean as this can cause issues as discussed above.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Visit Our Blog - The Craft Project!
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