Cutting Sheet Materials – Options?

[Neil Speirs]

We use the heavy duty version of the Exact saw (the purple one) http://www.exaktsaw.org.uk/

It’s great for occasional use but I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday work.

[Denise Goodfellow]

I had to help the hubby today to cut a sheet of diabond, as the son and heir was lettering a van.

He simply clamped a piece of thick foam board to the sheet and ran the saw along it it cut it.

Then clamped the foam board again to the sheet and ran a router to create the grove.

Then I had to spend 45 mins cleaning up the mess.

TIP, get a saw and a router with a dust thingy attached…… (:)

[Peter Munday]

Even better than that, get a guillotine the ones they use for cutting sheet metal, goes through Di-bond like a knife through butter and no mess…..

[Martin Pearson]

Owen, try doing a search on the forum, been discussed before a few times.
If you have looked at keencut then you will have seen the steeltrak, this has had some good comments in the past and there is an optional "V" groove cutter for making trays.

I have a panel saw and although it is a great bit of kit the dust that it causes is a problem at times, it does have dust extraction fitted but it’s not great so there is always a lot of dust that doesn’t get cleared straight away.
If I were looking for equipment to do the sort of work you have mentioned I would definately be looking at something like a steeltrak just because it’s a clean way to cut board and make trays.

[Ian Johnston]

quote OwenTaylor:

Afternoon!

I’m looking for the best way of cutting 8×4 and 10×5 sheets down to size. It will mainly be composite sheets and I would also like to be able to fabricate trays in-house. I have looked into some options such as Keencut and Zapkut but the one thing that strikes me is that none of these cutters allow me to cut or groove/router a sheet lengthways. Many of the trays I supply are long and narrow and so I need a way of easily and quickly cutting sheets down lengthways and not just widthways.

What do you guys use?

Thanks,
Owen

Do an investment and get a FESTOOL ACM Router and Panel Saw. You’ll be able to fabricate what ever you want, on site or anywhere. Have had them for 8 years used nearly Daily, wouldn’t be with out it

http://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Pages … ucobond-GB

[Ian Pople]

I cut diabond with a sharp punch score it and then just snap it.

Ian

[Dan Osterbery]

I must agree with Ian! We are festool all the way and our extremely happy with the tools, great finish, minimal mess and absolutely no hassle. incredible warranty and technical back up service as well.

cheers
Dan

[NeilRoss]

A sawboard may also be of interest – simple and cheap to make and very accurate:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Sawboard

[Martin Pearson]

quote Ian Pople:

I cut diabond with a sharp punch score it and then just snap it.

Ian

Ian, sorry but that doesn’t give you very good edges and if you supplying your customers with a quality product then you should at least have a way to cut it properly.

Neil, a saw board is OK for some things but the problem I find with using a circular saw is the amount of dust it produces even with a dust extraction system, my panel saw always seems to make a lot of mess as most of the dust doesn’t seem to go up the tube, especially composite & plastics where static is more of a problem.

[Ian Johnston]

quote Martin:

quote Ian Pople:

I cut diabond with a sharp punch score it and then just snap it.

Ian

Ian, sorry but that doesn’t give you very good edges and if you supplying your customers with a quality product then you should at least have a way to cut it properly.

Neil, a saw board is OK for some things but the problem I find with using a circular saw is the amount of dust it produces even with a dust extraction system, my panel saw always seems to make a lot of mess as most of the dust doesn’t seem to go up the tube, especially composite & plastics where static is more of a problem.

thats why you need a festool, Martin, there are designed to collect all dust fully enclosed blades enable this

[Martin Pearson]

Ian, I don’t doubt it does a good job if you say it does. My panel saw is suppose to extract the dust but just doesn’t seem to do that good a job.
I probably wouldn’t have bought the panel saw in the first place to be honest but don’t know what I would have got in it’s place. I had no say over what equipment I had at the time 😉

Now it wouldn’t be worth me spending that sort of money on equipment as it’s never likely to pay for itself.

[Craig Ross]

So what is the best way to cut Correx?

Just want a small something if possible to cut custom sizes.

As don’t think I need a massive panel saw.

[Martin Pearson]

Craig, been discussed a few times so try a search, I’m rubbish at it or I would find a link for you.
Sure someone mentioned a tool for cutting correx which was supplied by Jag or someone like that but not used anything like that myself.
Yes just for cutting correx a panel saw would be a bit OTT, depends how much you have to cut and what sort of size. Just for odd bits then I just tend to use a straight edge and stanley knife, just have to watch the blade doesn’t wander off the straight edge :lol1: :lol1:

[Craig Ross]

Cheers Martin, I tried to search. but still scrolling through. 🙂

[Ian Johnston]

quote Craig Ross:Cheers Martin, I tried to search. but still scrolling through. 🙂
to cut along the flutes use a plasti-kut knife to get straight quick cuts

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/664 … 643d32d/37

It wont give you fancy shapes though
😀

[Martin Gray]

quote Ian Johnston:

Do an investment and get a FESTOOL ACM Router and Panel Saw. You’ll be able to fabricate what ever you want, on site or anywhere. Have had them for 8 years used nearly Daily, wouldn’t be with out it

http://www.festool.co.uk/Products/Pages … ucobond-GB

Ian does it cut other materials? and what accessories do you use the most! eg cutting rail.

[Ian Johnston]

Martin

The router/miller is fantastic at a lot more then just ACM.
It comes with 3 wheels 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, to suit different thickness of materials, However Put the 4mm wheels on, and router a piece of 10mm Acrylic, quick flame polish, and a heat with a good heat gun/ blow torch and you can easily get a completely straight and clean 10mm radius fold . Which anyone can tell you isn’t easy to do with a line bender,
Same principle for folding Foamex , and thinner acrylic etc.

The same Rail system works for the saw and router, it gives perfect straight cuts, get two 1800mm rails and a 900mm that way you have combination for all sizes of sheets.

The Saw are designed to cut laminates etc without chipping, they give great cuts, and as they are fully enclosed all dust/swarf is gathered up with an extractor.

I might sound as if i’m employed by festool, but TBH if i had to choose a tool that is almost as important in our workshop as a plotter, i’d put it alongside.

ACM trays and shopfronts are very easy to produce with it, and the " Value Added that they produce is Unreal".

The very first job i ever did with a Festool router , paid for itself in 3 hrs.
and it cost £1800 at the time 😮

[Colin Hibbitt]

hi ian

taking your advice – had a demo for the fedstool v cutter – very impressed – bit pricey with all the accessories but i think it will be a good investment
got a few boxes to make in the pipeline which should pay for some of it

colin

[Ian Johnston]

you’ll not look back, great machine, buy the saw as well, not as expensive, infact a well known auction site has them second user quite often

[lee hunt]

We use the festool PF 1200 with a 1400mm guide & a 3000mm guide
best tool we have brought. @ £1400 worth every penny. we also use the Makita plunge saw with 2 x 1400mm Rails for cutting dibond works a treat!

[Philip Houston]

We invested on a Steel Trak.
Great piece of kit!!

Lee, I’ve just checked out your site.
Great set up you have there. Some nice work & a super company image.
Welcome to Uksignboards.

[lee hunt]

Cheers For that. it causes alot of attention, we are very proud of it.

[David-Foster-]

Got to second that, excellent web site and branding Lee. You will be a great addition to the boards, welcome.