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LeBoard – routing and bending issues?
I’ve been trying to rout and bend some Leboard (cheap Dibond alternative) today and wondered what others’ experiences were with this material. The first problem I’m encountering is that when I bend it the paint/coating is flaking slightly on the corner. Also I’ve noticed that the aluminium face is very thin but if I don’t rout right up to it, it won’t bend.
Any tips? Incidently, I’m using a 45deg v-groove bit.
Andy G
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16 Replies
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Andy i have not used leboard but dibond etc always bends better if you use a bit with a flat bottom and idealy an angle greater than 90.
I saw somewhere that one of the dibond type suppliers also provide a router bit, but cant rember who it was., I have also used a round bit and this also seems beter than a V.peter
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Found the same problem with leboard – cutting with an excalibur today using the twin cutter bit, the paint coat flakes on leboard but never have had this problem with Dibond. But guess as a budget board you get what you pay for.
As we had 50 peices to cut today – we found by scoring the surface first and then cutting this stopped the flaking.
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Hi Andy
IF the 90% bend dose not have to be a sharpe return, then by using a metal pole/tube clamped over your sheet to a solid bench or the like you can shape a return.
you need to get a sheet of ply say 4′ x 2′ and just back from the 4ft long edges fix 2No 2″ x 1″ timbers approx 5ft long one top one bottom with 6″ overhang each side, the finished article looks like a stretcher. you only need to make a stretcher for the size of the work being carried out.
Gently slide the stretcher under the sheet ( 2 person operation ) holding down the bottom edge with steady force using the handles on the lower timber and then raise the top one.
A little try and error needed but works on the light grade sheet (c-bond) not so easy on the fabrication sheet also bigger diameter pole needed, I have not tried this on dibond. But hopefully it will work on leboard assuming it is simular to c-bond.
Regards Russ
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Hi Russ, sounds like a good tip, but I may be a bit thick tonoght, cant seem to understand your description, any chance of a rough drawing to show me what you mean,
Peter
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i used a 6mm flat headed router bit when i cut rynabond, alu-colour or dibond, then folded by hand. did so very easy and found it much better that a V-shaped router bit… i haven’t folded leboard, so cant comment. i just guillotine it and have no bother at all with flaking or chipping, but i can understand why it may crack/flake if folded. ide give the 6mm flat headed router bit a go before chucking the towel in mate.
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Hi Peter,
my drawing is worse than my grammer, here go’s MK2
lets say an A4 sheet of kitchen foil layed on a flat surface, then a pencil layed across the top of the sheet same width or longer. then slide a sheet of cardboard under the foil and holding it firm against the pencil and surface raise the open end up as if you were bend something. The stretcher keeps an even support. I must stress I have only tried this on very light grade sheets which have not needed a crisp 90% return.
Regards Russ.
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i think i know what you mean russ, how do you do this or do you mean in a bench folder?
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That’s the sort of thing, just very simple abit like folding a small piece of light metal over the edge of your work bench, the round diameter pole just keeps the bend smooth, and the stretcher supports the area you are lifting. In heavy industry they use two roller’s like a mangle, this way you use one roller and a flat surface instead, the roller being the tube which is static.
I hope we are getting close I really don’t want to expose my drawing skills, the best I can do is finger painting and cutting shapes in potatoes,
Hey Rob maybe you should run a competition on the best finger/spud painted sign or picture or better still a self portrait.
The good old days, regards Russ.
Get your pinky out Peter.
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:lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
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I have an official piece of Dibond routed out by the manufacturers to demonstrate the folding of the sheets. The routed shape is actually V but the point is flattened out to 3mm and I would say there is .5mm or so of the plastic core still left on the ali.
May help
Dave
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Dave, did you get the sample one from Europoint?
L J
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see bender topic in bable I have a sample and posted a pic.
not from europoint, they dont sell dibond.
PeterPs did you enjoy your dir…er long weekend in Deutsland John?
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Yes thanks Peter, brilliant, exceeeeepptt the bl–dy weather, I have never felt so cold for as long as I can remember. I will never complain about the British weather again. Northern Germany had that much snow & ice it snapped the electric pylons for miles.
Enjoyed the Xmas markets though.L J
PS sorry, we were in central / southern, not so much snow.
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Thanks for the tips you blokes. I’ve just run another quick sample with a 1/4″ straight cutter and it is perfect. It seems the sharp corner created by the v-groover was too sharp and caused the paint flakiness. I will still flatten the point of the v-groover though. I think a 45 deg cut guides the bend a bit better and gives easier to trim corners, as the more defined groove is easier to follow with a jig saw when removing the corner bits.
Ta muchly
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That’ll be the substandard german engineering then John, power lines or pylons never snap here, or even in iceland for that matter 😀
Peter
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Hi guys,
Have the product manual for Alucolour here but presume its the same for them all , says best angle for routing / folding is between 90 – 105 dg also leave the aluminum skin + 0.4mm of HDPE.
Leboard has a 125mic Aluminum skin as opposed to Alucolour at 300mic , i would just use it for flat panels where its being supported and pay a little more for fabrication jobs. Majority of this product is used for flat panels.
All the best
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