Guillotine or wall saw, what do you recomend?

[David Rowland]

I would certainly look into seeing if other businesses have 3 phase around you, there is some locations where the wiring might not be possible.

Sawing is one of our issues as well, this is why we are hoping a large CNC router will help us.

[Jon Stephens]

Thanks Dave … I’ll ask around the estate !

How to do cut at the moment ?

[David Rowland]

the truith is we have 2 long poles to slide a small hand circular saw up it. I don’t like it, Health and Safety issues written all over it, think we are scrapping the idea. Also use that small CNC router that can help, I don’t do much of this stuff, the fitters do these tasks.

[Dave Bruce]

Jon, look up Festool they do a circular saw that slides on a track, very compact very portable does the job finished no finishing edges etc, and costs a fraction of wall saws etc. They are the bees knees when it comes to tools so you pay more than your Bosch etc but they connect to a hoover aswell to remove all debris. The router also fits the track and Dibond actually recommend this saw for cutting their sheets.

dave

[David Rowland]

Festool?

Is this it Dave Bruce? Looks quite interesting

[Dave Bruce]

Thats the one Dave but the 55 is all that is needed for our job.

You pay about £1200 for the router, saw, hoover and track.

Cheers
Dave

[David Rowland]

what the guide/track length?

[Robert Lambie]

we looked at a wall saw a few years back but our units ceilings are about 10ft high and we needed 11ft to get the one we were after 😕 im sure they will be many alternatives now though. i dont think we would get the same use from one these days as 99% of the time we use some form of metal as opposed to foamboards and acrylic.
we run a 3 metre wide eletric gilluotine, (3 phase) works a treat and we would be lost without it these days. we still use acrylic for perspex letters and the like but that cut on our cnc router table. if we do get caught out and need a large bit of prespex cut, we just get it cut to size from our supplier and delivered.

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote dynamicsjon:

PS. How easy/costly is 3-phase to get into a small industrial unit as the items we’ve looked at need it?

you can get a 3 phase converter box i had one put onto my guillotine they cost around 300 pounds

nik

[Dave Bruce]

Dave the popular size is 1400mm but you can put two together.

The quality and accuracy of these tools if second to none.

Dave

[David Rowland]

thanks dave.. i did manage to track it down and also found some on eBay for about £500 ish. So, I talk to the others next week.. anyway, looks like Im hijacking someones thread (again)

[Jon Stephens]

I’ll look at this option ! Thanks Dave ! 😀

And thank you for the advise on the 3-phase, Nik 😀

THANK YOU 😀 😀 😀

[Stephen Morriss]

Machine mart do 3phase converters

machinemart.co.uk

Steve

[Shane Drew]

quote DaveBruce:

Jon, look up Festool they do a circular saw that slides on a track, very compact very portable does the job finished no finishing edges etc, and costs a fraction of wall saws etc. They are the bees knees when it comes to tools so you pay more than your Bosch etc but they connect to a hoover aswell to remove all debris. The router also fits the track and Dibond actually recommend this saw for cutting their sheets.

dave

Sorry to go off thread here, but I have heard about these Festool units but have not spoken to anyone that actually has one.

Do you just use an aluminium blade for dibond? They are opening a new store near me in mid october. Might just mosy on down and see if they have any bargains. I have all dewalt tools, but they don’t do anything like this at all. I like the rail concept, especially doing long cuts.

Thanks for the tip Dave

I was going to buy and excalibur wall unit, but at $4500, these are a much better buy ($1000)

[Chris Hooper]

We went for a Safet Speed Cut C4 – from Axminster Power Tools cuts and rips down, pvc, dibond, acrylic etc – about £1200 with extension arms.

[Stephen Morriss]

I sometimes use a saw bench for cutting Aluminum, with the right blade in it makes a very clean cut.
Trouble is my brother in law cut some Aluminum with the wrong blade in, a wood ripping blade, and it spat the sheet back out at him when he was part way through. Got him right in the dangly bits, ohh how he laughed… after he’d checked ever thing was still attached.

Steve

[Shane Drew]

quote Stephen Morriss:

I sometimes use a saw bench for cutting Aluminum, with the right blade in it makes a very clean cut.
Trouble is my brother in law cut some Aluminum with the wrong blade in, a wood ripping blade, and it spat the sheet back out at him when he was part way through. Got him right in the dangly bits, ohh how he laughed… after he’d checked ever thing was still attached.

Steve

bet he said ‘ouch’ in high falsetto! :lol1: :lol1:

Sorry, shouldn’t laugh…. got myself together now….. 🙄

[Jon Stephens]

Thank you all for your help !!

Dave, I will probably go for the TS55 also !

Do you have the Plunge or the Pendulum saw ?

Also, how do you hold the material to be cut?

Do you have the saw on a bench ? or have you bought one of the tables they do ?

Cheers 😀

[Simon Clayton]

I would go for wall saw, very compact, ideal for cutting sheet material
As for 3 phase, i was told by my electrician anyone could have it, something to do with the way the cables are set up in the street 3 live cables run down every street that supply houses etc.. (would check through) as for cost, my friend got it put in, it cost well over a thousand, and that was only about two foot from his shop they had to dig..
Plus he had to pay an electrician to do all the wiring from the board they put in..

Simon

[P. Harris]

We had problems cutting big sheets of Acrylic or Dibond 3m x 1.5-2m,
it was a pain having to wait on plastic stockists if there saws were tied up.
Cutting a big sheet free hand on a bench saw was a joke.
I found 3 soloutions. 1st-the most expensive and in my view the best if we had the budget
was the FESTOOL Circular Saw/Guide Rail System but when you
add extra guide rails to cut 3m works out most expensive.
2nd- MAFELL Circular Saw/Guide Rail System similar to the FESTOOL but
cheaper approx £150 Less even with extra guide rails.
3rd- The EZ SMART Guide Rail System The Option we went for, bought 3no
50″ guide rails which you join together to the length you need, can cut 3.5m no problem.
You just Stick or Bolt on Your Own Circular saw to the guide base supplied we bought a Cheap SKIL Saw and a Good Blade.
Cuts Great, Acurate I cut a 8mm x 2.4m strip out of 5mm Acrylic no problems.
Down Side is The Mess it makes if you don’t use a vacum.

Hope This Helps

[P. Harris]

More Info if anybody is interested.
Here’s a link for EZ SMART Guide Rail System
eurekazone.com
I bought it from its stockist in the UK.

[Shane Drew]

Thanks, Brock. Checked out the website and they have a distributor in OZ about an hour away from me.

I’ll ring them in the morning and check it out. 50% the price of the Festool, with my own saw.

Thanks for your time on this

Cheers