ripping carbon fiber?

[_paralyzed_]

Can I use a table saw? I have a 9" x 12" panel that I need ripped to 6 1/2" x 12".

I want to use a table saw to keep it square.

Will it ruin the blade?

Thoughts, suggestions?


Thanks

[Finnster]

I doubt it will ruin the blade. I would use a small tooth blade tho, not a large tooth ripping blade. I cut tons of hard laminate flooring on mine and it came out great.

[PBO]

The blade will be blunt and dangerous very quickly but it should do a few rip cuts. I use a jigsaw with a diamond blade & have had success using a straight egde clamped at either end to get straight cuts

[scarletboa]

you are also supposed to use water on the blade too because the carbon fiber dust is extremely harmful to your lungs and the water cuts down on the dust.

[mistercrash]

You can get a cheap Diamond blade to cut concrete or stone pavers. But you'll loose 1/8'' from the cut. You gotta have some way of catching most of the dust with a Shop Vac that has a bag in it if you can't use water to keep the dust down. Wear a good quality dust mask and goggles. Nitrile gloves are good practice also, tiny CF shards in the skin are painful and hard to get out. I like Nitrile instead of rubber gloves. Nitrile gloves will just rip if something bad happens and the blade catches the glove. Rubber will stretch quite a bit before ripping and may pull the finger in the blade.

[bryan]

Use a wet tile saw..

[mistercrash]

Originally Posted by bryan

Use a wet tile saw..

That would work awesome.

[DrKnow65]

Remember gloves and table saws are a no-no
***Image removed until I can figure out how to do a thumbnail****
P.s. yes, that's my hand after a glove/table saw incident Hand looks much better now but the middle finger doesn't bend real well

[Finnster]

Ah jesus man. >_<

Anyway to make that a thumbnail? Anything that horrible shouldn't be in full res.


Power tools and gloves are ALWAYS a bad idea.


2nd the stone/tile blade, tho I still have my doubts it will dull a decent blade on one small 12" pass. If you have to go buy one, get the blade recc.

[Kcaz25]

Originally Posted by bryan

Use a wet tile saw..

+1 I've done it with my Dad works like a dream.

[PBO]

Originally Posted by DrKnow65

Remember gloves and table saws are a no-no

Youch! every table saw I know has an appetite for fingers. The sound the blade makes when it hits bone is what I'd call unique. At least you got all yours still attached...crawling around the workshop looking for missing digits is no fun at all

[mistercrash]

I must retract what I said about wearing gloves after seeing that pic, I never used a table saw to rip CF anyway, I thought of it once but I was scared to try it. And I never wear gloves when I do use the table saw. I think the wet tile saw is really the best option and the safest.

[Krawlin]

Do you own a router? If so, I suggest using that. Just clamp a piece of angle iron on the desired place to use as a fence/guide for the router. Not sure what kind of bit you would use, but I've seen a thread on here somewhere where the guy was making custom CF parts, using a router table and custom made guides for the parts, and it worked great. A router or wet tile saw is probably going to be your safest bet though, the router will make more dust though so be sure to wet everything down and wear a respirator.

[mistercrash]

I think I was the one who posted the video on how I duplicate parts in CF with a router. Yes it does work great but for ripping or cutting in a straight line, the wet tile saw would do better I'm sure. With the router, anything else then Tungsten carbide bits, full carbide or diamond bits won't do. The CF will dull up any other kinds of bits or blades in a hurry.

[Finnster]

Could you post up those vids MC? I'd like to see those