Acrylic Keyrings
Your first cut-and-engrave product and your first taste of production work. One material rule dominates everything here: cast acrylic engraves frosted-white; extruded barely marks.
KitWhat you'll need
- 3 mm cast acrylic, protective film left on
- Keyring hardware: split rings and jump rings
- A 4–5 mm hole in your design for the ring
SettingsStarting points
| Machine | Operation | Speed | Power | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 W CO2 | Engrave | 400–600 mm/s | 15–25% | 1 |
| 60 W CO2 | Cut 3 mm | 10–15 mm/s | 60–75% | 1 |
| 10 W diode (dark cast only) | Engrave | 3,000 mm/min | 50% | 1 |
| 10 W diode (dark cast only) | Cut | 100–200 mm/min | 100% | 2–4 |
StepsHow to do it
- Design it. A 50–60 mm shape with a 4.5 mm hole at least 4 mm from any edge. Bold text — thin strokes disappear in frost.
- Mirror for clear stock. On clear acrylic (CO2), mirror the design and engrave the back face.
- Manage the film. Leave film on the face you're not engraving; peel or engrave through the face you are — test both.
- Engrave first, cut second. Low air assist on the engrave, normal for the cut.
- Cut on a honeycomb bed. Avoids flashback marks on the flame-polished edge.
- Assemble. Peel films, fit jump ring and split ring.
MistakesWhat everyone gets wrong
- Buying extruded acrylic for engraving — the frost is nearly invisible.
- High air assist on the engrave, filling the frost with spatter.
- Diode owners buying clear acrylic — the beam passes straight through. Physics, not settings.
⚠ SafetyAcrylic loves to flare when cutting — air assist on, fire watch always. Fumes are irritant: extraction on. Verify anything “acrylic-like” isn't polycarbonate or PVC.
⤴ Level up
Two-colour laminate acrylic, edge-lit LED signs, pet tags in production batches.