Hunting Laser Materials - Thin Flexible Lasercuttable Plastic and Thermark

Hey Folks,
I’m putting together some polyhedral lanterns right now - and looking for a clever, and pretty way to attach them. After trying a bunch of things, my attempt right now is to create some internal connector pieces, out of a thin plastic that i can cut in 2d, and fold to create an internal cap that I will bolt each of the wooden faces into.

I’m thinking something with a texture akin to thick Acetate - something flexible so it can be bent, but strong enough to hold the pieces together under a little bit of weight (the lanterns are 1-2ft wide). And of course made from something that won’t create hydrogen cynaide, chlorine gas, or any of our other favourite friends once heated…

Any body have any suggestions where i could go hunt for something like this, any materials come to mind? I went down to Associated Plastics today, and found that experience far from helpful. The guy kept suggesting materials that would poison me if i chose to cut them.

I’m also hunting for Thermark, for marking some metal. Does any one know a shop that has it locally or do i have to order it online?

Thanks everyone for your help.

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Hey,

We should really meet up sometime soon. I been making a Polyhedra Mobile over the past few weeks. Ran in to the same problem and ended up going with a 3D printed blocks for the corners that I staple into from the outside. The blocks are designed to be the right angles for each Conner of the Polyhedra.

Check out Hybycozo if you have not already seen them.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1109506184/hybycozo-the-hyperspace-bypass-construction-zone/description

For sure. I’d love to sit down and have a chat. Sounds great. Maybe early next week we grab a beer or a cup of coffee? What’s your schedule like? I work through the days, so early evening I’m free. But then i make my own hours, so i’m also available to sit down in the afternoon time should the moment call for it.

I like the 3d printed corner blocks - but i’m aiming to make these commercially available, so at that point, it doesn’t really make a ton of sense to 3d print. Could get a mold pressed - but it would just be so simple if i could find a material i could cut from flat. Have been playing with leather, but haven’t quite got the result from that either.

Looking forward to scheming together.
A.

For the plastic - PETG? The research I did suggested it was similar to Acrylic as far as fumes.
It does stink, and is “meltier” than acrylic - but flexible and strong.

Not approved on the VHS laser at the moment, but under discussion.

Thanks Jon,
That’s helpful. I’ll look into it. And would be cutting on a different machine for this.

Appreciate it.
A.

What about magnets? then they could be rearranged?

Thanks for the thought Jason. I’m looking for something a little more finished, and permanent. But the playing with magnets thing is a fun idea for the future.

I’ve had great success laser cutting spray paint stencils out of polypropylene sheet. You can get 1mm thick sheets of it at Yoko Yaya or Daiso.

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John! You win the award! And my heart! That’s awesome. That’s the material i was looking for - and there’s even a local place to buy it! Huzzah!

Thanks. I’ll leave an update with how it goes!
A.

As always I am pretty damn busy.
I could do something this weekend, or Monday. after that I am gone for a week, then Bitf, etc…
I will PM you my contact details.

Also check out these folded metal brackets that cerebralconcepts is using for their Dodecahedron
https://instagram.com/p/31_vCaRpI_/