Acrylic is one of the many materials xTool claims their M1 machine can handle, but can the xTool M1 actually cut it? I’ll dive into the best acrylics for the xTool M1, what kind of acrylics it can’t cut, where you can find them, plus some tips and tricks to help you with your future acrylic projects.
So Can the xTool M1 Cut Acrylic?
In short, the answer is yes! The xTool M1 can laser cut and engrave acrylic, however, the acrylic type, color, and transparency will make a significant difference in your final project. Since the xTool M1 uses a diode laser instead of a more robust CO2 laser, there is a notable drop in power. In addition to the laser type, the xTool M1 only has 10 watts of power, which lags behind some of its sibling machines, which have double–even quadruple–the wattage. As a result, you will likely need conduct some test cuts and engraves to figure out the amount of passes and power needed before you get the perfect piece. Below are some things to keep in mind when attempting to work with acrylic on the xTool M1.
The Best Acrylic Type for the xTool M1
Cast acrylic will be your go-to for creating acrylic projects on your xTool M1. When shopping for materials, you may stumble upon extruded acrylic, but you do not want to buy into this option. You won’t get as clean and clear of a result using extruded. The fumes are also much stronger with extruded acrylic than cast acrylic.
What Color Acrylic Can the xTool M1 Cut?
When laser cutting or laser engraving acrylic on the xTool M1, your best color options will be the darker shades. xTool sells bundles on their website in colors of black, green, yellow, orange, and red, so these are reliable options. The diode laser may have difficulty cutting through lighter shades of blue that resemble the color of the laser. Darker shades of blues, like navy, shouldn’t be an issue.
Acrylic Do’s & Don’ts
Do Go with Full Opaque Acrylic
Your safest bet for using acrylic in the xTool M1 is to use completely opaque colors. Options such as opaque black with zero transparency can be laser cut in one pass with the proper power and speed settings. I’ve shared my recommended settings for cutting black acrylic with the xTool M1 in this tutorial.
Don’t Be Fooled by Near Opaque
I made the mistake of purchasing a near-opaque purple acrylic, which was a nightmare with the xTool M1. It would not engrave, no matter the setting combination. It only bubbled from the laser’s heat. Laser cutting was also nearly impossible. After many trials and tribulations, I was able to get my laser through a nearly opaque purple sheet, although took somewhere between 6-10 passes on the highest power and lowest speed setting.
Even if you can manage to get your laser through the material, as I did eventually, you won’t be left with a clean cut. My nearly opaque cut pieces required a lot of elbow grease to get rid of bubbling along the edges. I discuss my method for smoothing out acrylic cut edges here.
Don’t Bother with Translucent, Mirrored, or Clear
Save yourself the trouble and headache and skip the translucent and mirrored acrylic. These types are even more difficult than near-opaque. You won’t be able to successfully laser cut or engrave with this type of acrylic on the xTool M1, as the laser will not recognize the material and beam straight through.
Although you might find some hacks on laser engraving with clear acrylics, such as using black acrylic paint to mask your acrylic sheet, there is no guarantee you’ll be able to achieve a solid laser engraving. I have not yet tested this hack, so I can’t speak from experience, but I do know you’ll need to do a lot of testing. This testing may lead to a lot of acrylics, time, and money wasted.
How Thick of an Acrylic Can the xTool M1 Cut?
You’ll tend to see the best results laser cutting acrylic that is less than 1/8-inch thick. If you’re looking for a thicker acrylic for your project, you can try laser cutting thinner pieces and layering them together afterward with CA glue (Cyanoacrylates glue). Unfortunately, this may be your only option for thicker acrylic sheets unless you’re opting for a more powerful laser cutter.
Where Can I Find Opaque Cast Acrylic for a Diode Laser?
There are quite a few acrylic manufacturers out there, but few will be able to supply you with one-off purchases and sizes for at-home desktop laser engravers. Below are a few shops I recommend that sell quality cast acrylic that work with diode lasers.
xTool
Who better to buy materials from for your xTool M1 than those who manufactured it? You can’t go wrong with xTool’s acrylic options. These have been tested and given the thumbs-up by xTool themselves. The only problem is there are not a lot of color options available on their website.
Houston Acrylics
This shop has a wide variety of color options for opaque acrylic that can be used for your diode laser. In fact, Houston Acrylics has an entire page devoted to diode-specific, laser-approved acrylics. You can find the list of acrylics here.
MakerStock
MakerStock has a great selection of cast acrylic sheets, wood, and other materials for your laser engraver and cutter. I have personally ordered from this shop and can attest to the quality of their materials. Although, you will want to be sure to read the descriptions of their products very carefully. Some may be listed as near opaque, which will not work well with your xTool M1. Some of their products are listed with an emblem that reads “Laser Cuttable” but note that this is general laser usage and not necessarily diode-specific.
Craft Closet
You will also find a diode laser acrylic section on Craft Closet. There are different color options from solid to glitter, however, I would continue to stick with the tried and true darker shades and opaques, unless you’re willing to experiment with your xTool M1.
Conclusion
You can create some really great acrylic projects with the xTool M1, you’ll just need to take the time and test before starting, so you can dial in your settings. Opaque acrylic is always the way to go. Steer clear of any acrylics you can see through, even slightly. To help you save time with testing, you can download my laser cutting and laser engraving test templates to get started.
