Cutting Trimming Various Substrates

[David Glen]

Jason, I use a 2.4 m Javelin (which requires an absolutely flat workbench).
Superb job on foam up to 10mm plus excellent on magnetic media.

Also have a Keencut Excalibur which is really saves time when cutting up boards. I don’t find it ideal for dibond.

I use the Javelin for cutting boards lengthways.

I also use the superb Exakt plunge saw for 10mm pvc and dibond.
http://www.exaktpt.com/ps140.html

[Chris Wool]

jason i have a Excalibur 5000 which i would struggle to recommend.
i am dissatisfied with it for the money but it has its uses for lighter boards so it stays, difficult to keep dead square the blade wanders a bit. it will cut 3mm diabond but pulls off square, so have just gone and bought a circular saw clamps and 10 ft straight edge.
i always said i would not have a mechanical saw in the building but with diabond have had to give in.

chris

[David Glen]

Chris, exactly the problem I had with dibond. Hence I got the Exakt which is just superb. You can cut panels flat on a bench without having any overhang plus there is no swarf flying around at all.
I find with the Excalibur the first few scores have to be quite light with not too much blade sticking out.
Better quality foam like Foamex is quite hard and requires care and quite a few passes with less pressure.
I wouldn’t be without it now but know it’s limitations.

[Chris Wool]

thanks david i am not taking the saw out of the box till ive seen the thing you are on about.
as the Excalibur i have spoken to them and been on there stand last year moaning tried every thing carefully that they said.- for 1500 quid i think its poor. they even gave me a new head unit. – for soft 5mm and correx its brilliant so thats what its used for

chris

[Graeme Speirs]

i echo exactly what david says about the keencut flat cutter, mine is about 2m and is superb at cutting foamex and flute board(corex) etc, i used to use a ruer and knife but wasnt happy and actually had a couple of complaints so I invested in the keencut, it will last for years , go get one!!!!

graeme

[Brad Mulock]

Hi guys,

we are stuck in the dark ages with regard to cutting material down. we use a bench saw, a router, a jigsaw and a stanley knife.

After seeing your comments on here I will now look into the Keencut machines and the Exact plunge saw.

Does the Keencut machine cut acrylic panels?

The exact plunge saw. How much and where from?

Thanks

Brad

[David Glen]

Brad, I got the PS140 (top model) for £95 brand new off ebay.

Have a look on the Exakt site distributors page and phone around.

A lot of flooring shops sell them also.

They are actually made in Aberdeen (yes British tool made in Britain)!
01224 643434

Apparently the Excalibur cuts perspex (score & snap).
It also comes with a glass cutter head.

[Brad Mulock]

Cheers David,

I’ve had a look on the distributors page and will make some calls this afternoon.

We cut perspex, same method, score and snap but with a stanley blade made for laminated materials. I think the code is 11-942. Works a treat at scoring the material but it is only as good as the straight edge you use with it and if you hold said straight edge in place.

A reliable alternative will be a big help.

I’ll also keep my eye on ebay.

Thanks

[David Glen]

Brad, just found the distributor I bought from:
Arden Power Tools in Derbyshire
01283 550347

This tool can cost around £130 normally but I have just found 2 flooring firms selling it for £169 and £207 + vat!

The PS140 is the best one aimed at pro use. Max depth of cut is 14mm.
If you want to cut 10mm board, lay a piece of scrap 5mm board on the bench and set the depth to 10.5mm. It has extraction which connects to a domestic hoover so there is NO swarf.

[John Simpson]

quote David Glen:

It also comes with a glass cutter head.

that glass cutter is brilliant at cutting 1.5 mm & 2 mm pvc sheet that we use for such as safety signs.

Chris, try changing the standard stanley blades for the quite expensive ones that are usually coloured blue or gold. they are a lot stronger & don’t wander.
Also when cutting such as gloss hard foamboards such as "Foamalux" turn the board around so that the blade is cutting through the back of the board.
John.

[Chris Wool]

thanks john currently using there own latest blade which is better but not as it says on the box. i will try some of the others
the foamalux hard gloss is nice stuff but tried cutting both sides and with only thumb pressure not on the ratchet, only just adequate iam afraid

chris
ps jason sorry to have hijacked the tread but good info coming

[David Glen]

I have found that cutting a hard gloss board is best from the gloss side.
Using very light pressure for 3 or so scores first of all as once the line is scored there is less wander.
Also, I use a heat gun to soften the cutting area – it makes a big difference.
The Excalibur is great for mounted prints when trimming the board to size after mounting.
The blades supplied are supposedly heavy duty and have less of an angle so are stronger along their length.

[Derek Heron]

I have the image edge
which i couldn’t do without now great for trimming prints banners etc, also when i cut jobs on the plotter i make the spacing 12mm in between so its all equal saves loads of time and helps when measuring and lining up
I would love an Excalibur or similar but most of my panels are cut for me by pyramid.i find when cutting alupanel with a Stanley knife you get a raised edge. but i bought a cheap plane from wickes £5.00 and this trims the raised edge nicely.
i must get a new bench top as its like driving a reliant robin in the snow
at the min 🙄
dex

[Steve Underhill]

I just cut 2 700mm lengths of dibond today for a swing sign using a stanley blade.
wouldnt fancy doing a 3 metre tray though 😛

[Ian Bingham]

we cut with a javlin 3mm dibond, we find it best to cut through the first layer on the back then over the edge of the table bend and snap the rest, the back has the burr but the face is rounded nicely, still hard work though,

PS Steve you have changed your pic, you look a lot older now!

[Jason Xuereb]

No worries guys keep it coming.

David,

Does the Exakt plunge have a rotating blade? Can you buy a ruler guide attachment for it or do you have to use a ruler and hold it in place.

See you can adjust the depth can you use it to put routes in the back of dibond for folding over?

[David Glen]

Jason, it has a 54mm circular blade within the housing.
The housing is placed flat on the workpiece then the whole tool pushed down against spring pressure. This means cuts can be made either from an edge or within the panel for cutouts.
There isn’t a V blade available but I aim to experiment with others.There are blades for MDF, wood, tufnol, perspex, fibreglass, mild steel, aluminium, ceramic tiles and slates etc.

You clamp a guide to the job 10mm off the cut line and run the saw along it.
It can also be used freehand.
It does leave a burr on ally laminates which i run off with a file at an angle.

[Jason Xuereb]

Cheers mate looks like I’ll have to get one sent over.

[Steve Underhill]

In the last pic I was 34 this pic Im 36, just nowb I’m 37
so not a great deal older.
Im stood under a shady tree squinting into the sun.
maybe thats it.

[Ian Bingham]

yep loose the shadow, you will look 10yrs younger 🙂

[David Glen]

Just done some cutting with a finer tooth blade and there was no burr left whatsoever – absolutely perfect edge (cutting from the back).

[Chris Wool]

david i am just about to buy one.
would you be quite happy to cut along a straight edge 10 ft board with it
only with it looking a little small it wont overheat or. ?

chris

[David Glen]

What board and thickness?
It has a thermal cut-out anyway.
Get the PS140 rather than the 125 or 310.
Cuts deeper, bit more power and stainless steel shoe.
I’ve just cut 9m of ally laminate beautifully.

[Chris Wool]

yes see the 140 130 difference.
wanted it for 10mm boards and 3 mm diabond
thanks

chris

[Nick Minall]

Chris, did you get one in the end? if so what do you think of it?

Nick.

[Chris Wool]

funny that just looking for this thread to phone somebody

chris

[Chris Wool]

well rocking horse stuff comes to mind, according to the makers who are in china the 140 is dead long live its replacement ?.

can buy a lesser one on qvc yea right.

i on flebay 0 feedback ?

still looking

chris

[Nick Minall]

What about here?

[Peter Normington]

I would have doubts about spending £170 on something than has a duty cycle of only 10 minutes, hardly better than using a Dremel…

peter

[Kevin Flowers]

i use an exact 130 (i think) it is quick & fast. Although i have clamp on straight edges most time i just place a rubber based ruler down & run along that. Either a 60 or 80 tooth blade leaves a nice edge on Ali composite, acrylic & foamboard is like cutting through butter. As to its cycle time its so quick & easy that it very rarely ever gets a constant use anywhere near its stated time.

Kev

[Chris Wool]

that did cross my mind peter but people dont seam to find it a problem.
thanks kevin

chris

[David Glen]

Well I wasn’t aware that the 140 was obselete.
It is the pro version so is not so blatantly marketed as the others.
For instance the EC310 is only available on QVC.
Try Arden Power Tools on 01283 550347

10 minutes cycle time? Well it’s not worried about dibond and works perfectly.
Use 80 tooth blades for this.

Peter, you don’t appear to embrace new technology easily I’ve noticed in a couple of your posts 😉

[Chris Wool]

further
i bought a ps140 so far quite pleased, my main concern with a power saw is safety and the normal ones scare me silly and i always said i would not have a power circular saw in the shop.
this has changed my mind comfortable to use and a dam site safer.
i went round to rightons and found a 4 mt straight edge a nice solid piece of ally 10mm x 50mm they cut down to 3100 mm.

2 nice clamps and a bit of practice, the hover connection really makes a difference and very clean to use.
after plying with the depth and getting used to the pressure required to plunge the blade, we set about a 2600mm cut on a 3mt board of diabond.
a non event really clean and simple, thanks for the recommend.
the 60 tooth blade that comes with it is ok, i would like to try a 80 tooth could be perfect

chris

[Nick Minall]

Thanks for the feedback Chris, I will look into getting one I think.

Nick

[Peter Normington]

quote David Glen:

Peter, you don’t appear to embrace new technology easily I’ve noticed in a couple of your posts 😉

Dont believe the rumours Dave.
I love new technology, In fact I’ve just bought a transistor radio, and a ferguson tape recorder so I can listen to the Archers whenever I like 😉

Peter

[Cheryl Tissington]

Hi,
I wouldn’t be without my exact.

I bought it after good feedback from members on a previous thread last year.

Superb tool that’s fairly cheap and gets the job done really easily 🙂