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Accurate straight edges
Hi,
looking for a bit of help here.
We need some 2.5m straight edges that are accurate. We’ve tried all the commercially available version, but none of them are 100%.
Someone has suggested having 6mm acrylic cut into 150mm wide strips and using these. Would these need to be cut on a router to achieve a clean edge?
Any thoughts or suggestion from your usual helpful selves would be very much appreciated.Regards,
John -
16 Replies
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John, dont know what you need these for so I cant really think what else to suggest unless you fill in some more info. If you get the acrylic cut on a decent saw then this will give you a pretty clean edge anyway but if you want a perfect edge then you will need to get it routered and flame or diamond polished.
Hope that’s some help ?!Nigel
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John are these straight edges to work off of ie a ruler type thing or straight edges on the signs you are making ?
If work edges the best straight edge you can get is an engineer rule.
Now when i did my apprentiship ( i’m a qualified machinist) we did have some pretty long rules. 2.5M i honestly can’t remeber seeing one of them that long. But you may be able to get a small machine shop to make you some, Milling then surface grinding. but tbh they arn’t going to be cheap.If you need them for sign boards ect yes get them done on a router as Nigel said but once flame polished wouldn’t this then loose the machined straight edge?
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quote :If you need them for sign boards ect yes get them done on a router as Nigel said but once flame polished wouldn’t this then loose the machined straight edge?
Yes, you would loose the acurate 90 degree sharp corners but you also loose the slight tool marks left by the router bit giving a smoother surface – depends whats most important for the application i guess 😉
Nigel
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Thats what i’m not sure about Nigel
is this for a sign or is it a measuring straight edge? if it’s Measuring straight edge it would need to be 100%, so on a grinder it goes 🙂
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Hi,
sorry for not coming back sooner, i went off-line early last night. We need these for cutting straight lines when making up pop-up panels. Most of the commercially available ones are not accurate enough, usually bowing in the middle by a couple of mil.
If a sawn edge gives you a good, crisp edge then that sounds like the answer. I was thinking that maybe if they were routered rather than cut then they would be smoother, better finished.
Regards,
John. -
Hi John and all. Reading this I just thought about a plasterers derby. Its a straight edge tool for leveling off walls ready to skim over, also a tool is available for knocking plasterboards flat when dry lining. You should get these at axminster.co.uk or a good trade outlet near you. they are very tough and straight. Any side ways pressure on a strip of acrylic will probably bow it over a length of 2.5 mtrs unless you can fix it before you put pressure on with a clamp etc. Just a thought.
Mark. 😀 -
Hi Again, just went to axminster.co.uk the tool is a plasterer’s feather edge. They dont have the longest ones on show but they do come in a very long length if required from other outlets. Mark. 😀
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Hi mate, purchased a Javelin by KleenCut yesterday. It is 2.5m long and has an accuracy of .2mm over the length. They are brilliant. They have a 20yr guarrantee too
Cheers
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Hi DSI and all,
thanks for all your help.
we have 2.5m Javelin complete with the Big Bench that goes with it. No matter how hard we try, we can’t get it to work within reasonable tolerances. It still bows over the length by at least 2mm.
I’ll have a look at the plasterers edge. I’ve bought engineers straight edges in the past which are great if a bit pricey, but can’t find a supplier of these now.
Regards,
John. -
quote expressgraphics:Hi DSI and all,
thanks for all your help.
we have 2.5m Javelin complete with the Big Bench that goes with it. No matter how hard we try, we can’t get it to work within reasonable tolerances. It still bows over the length by at least 2mm.
I’ll have a look at the plasterers edge. I’ve bought engineers straight edges in the past which are great if a bit pricey, but can’t find a supplier of these now.
Regards,
John.John, speaking to the reps here, they say that if you have proof of the bow, they would consider it faulty here in OZ. They have it in writing that the accuracy is .2mm. I don’t have a big bench and my lines are perfect over the 2.5m. I think it would be worth a call to the suppliers. Even on the web site they make the .2mm claim. Certainly on all advertising.
My rep here says he would replace it if I were his client with a similar problem. Especially if I had a big bench as the clamps are designed for the accuracy.
Cheers mate
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Sounds like your guy appreciates customer service then.
We tried having it adjusted at the factory, there are screws along it’s length to allow this but it’s still the same.
Our bench has become quite badly scored due to the blade running off or moving in the holder.
We’ve basically given up on it now but it really hacks me off as it cost about £1k.
Maybe we should have been more insistent at the time, we live and learn!!
Regards,
John. -
Hi John, I’m producing pop-up graphics and roller banners day in and day out
in my current job. When I first started we did use acrylic as you suggested but
in much wider strips. Now we use ‘Accuglide’ from Multimount (yorkshire) we’re
onto our second one now after 5 years. The first having worn and only being
fit for banners. PM me if you’d like to chat more and I’ll pass on my number.Regards, Peter
PS I think they still come in between the £300/400 mark
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Hi Peter,
can you e-mail your number to me at john@express-graphics.co.uk and give you a call.
Regards,
John. -
found this on ebay the other day
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3180&item=3878300295&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
could be what you are after
Adrian
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Looks the business mate. Will keep you posted on how I go.
Regards,
John. -
Thats the one John/Adrian
Be wary of 2nd user ones like this though as they do wear over time.
Email sent btw John.Regards, Peter
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