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Di-bond cutting – advice?
Apart from investing in a really expensive saw, how do you all cut your Di-bond.
We use a jig saw, (with a fine toothed blade), but this still leaves a rough edge. We then use a woodworkers plane to smooth the edges, which isn’t ideal as they’re meant to be for wood, not aluminium.This has caused several cut fingers when the plane slips off the edge due to the amount of force required.
I just wondered if any of you have any good methods/tools for finishing the edges, after the initial cutting with a jig saw.
Many thanks for any thoughts
Nick -
12 Replies
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If you don’t get it cut by your supplier, and choose to cut it by hand, I usually use a normal carpenters handsaw or jigsaw for odd shapes, I then smooth edges with a Surform plane, and finally some 60-80grit sandpaper. It gives a good finish. If you had a complex shape/letters hand cut, then you could smooth with a selection of files.
Hope this helps
Ali 😀
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Have you got a hand router and a long straight edge to run a bearing cutter along??
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Just use a new blade in your stanley knife, cut from the back to the front then file any small burrs. Simple and no mess.
Dave
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I agree with Dave,
use a sharp Stanley knife for cutting Di Bond and finish with abrasive paper if required.
You may also try taking it to a sheet metal workshop and see if they will cut it on their guillotine.
beats loosing the ends of fingers! 🙂
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Thanks for all the suggestions.
Will be trying them out.
Nick
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I try and order in what what I consider to be standard size boards from the suppliers
For example a typical 8ft x 4ft board can be cut by the supplier to give you 3 pieces at 48" x 32"……. and so onI also have a table saw with a ‘triple chip’ blade
Cuts clean and smooth
Just done some dibond cutting today using this method
I use it to cut foamex, wood and certain plastics -
We use CNC as required and hand router but I always try to get the supplier to cut sheets to size, a lot of them have this facility and do it foc to keep your business.
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I find cutting with a stanley blade is far from ideal, OK it can be done, but you do need several passes, A rotary saw, with the correct type of blade, is the ideal way, second choice, a router, then a jig/reciprocating saw. I would only use a stanley type blade as a last resort
Peter
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Each to their own Peter, I get good results with a stanley blade
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Dave we normaly get cut to size it’s just odd shapes an issue, it is quite easy to cut with a stanley knife but if it’s big it’s a pain unless you have a cutter to do it
Lynn
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Excalibur 5000 😎
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