Cutting Fiberglass help Required

[Fanie]

The rolls of fiberglass I get is around 300mm in diameter. I'm cutting it with the angle grinder, but it's a bit messy and lots of fluff. Also, it seems the glass fluff begin to grip the blade, it is not all throwed out, and the grinder battles to cut it. Surprising to say the least. The blade that works the best so far is a metal diamond concrete blade.

How can I cut a width off the reel, clean, fast and easy ?

Maybe another method can do this better. I was thinking of a piece of wire maybe ?

[KnottyBuoyz]

Heya Fanie

I've got one of those pneumatic cut off tools, smaller disk and a lot thinner. I wonder if that would work. The camping store might have those wire saws, you know the ones that are packed in a survival kit? I think they're diamond embedded maybe.

[Fanie]

Aye Rick, I can't use a smaller disk or it won't cut through. A thinner disk may do the trick better. I'll have to see what is available.

I saw those wire cutters, but I have doubts. That course surface is going to rip the glass a lot

The glass suppliers won't supply the reels in precut, and you have to order quite a batch of one width before they make it like that.

[Fanie]

I have one of these Bosch industrial foam cutters and tried it. It worked better than the grinder, much less glass in the air but takes longer. It also makes a bit of fluff I removed. I didn't want to press down too hard and break the blade.

It works on the same principle as an electric bread cutter, two blades cutting side by side but in oposite directions.

I would still prefer to use another method.

[Ilan Voyager]

Hi Fanie, very hard to cut glass, but it's nothing compared to kevlar.
Yes the diamond blade for cutting glass or tiles is the best with a little trick: tie well the glass cloth roll with a strong nylon line (0.8 to 1 mm) each side of the cut. Nylon is the best because it's elastic and stays very tight. So the cloth will have minimal movement. Put a masking tape on the place you are going to cut so the first layers won't move.

The best tool is a 12 or 14 inches chop saw and a vacuum cleaner. So no fibers getting everywhere.

[Fanie]

Sounds like a good idea Ilan, to tie it down.

I'm on top of the vacuum part but what is a chop saw ?

[Ilan Voyager]

It's not a good idea, it's a necessity. You keep the layers from sliding. It must be VERY TIGHTLY BRACED. I used also steel straps and bolts.

For cutting cloth UD or biaxial small electric scissors are a must. It cuts kevlar like butter and glass like breeze.

Look this link, you'll understand immediately about chop saw.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...atchallpartial

Another more expensive alternative it's a miter saw and one of the best it's the english designed Evolution Rage 3 with a all material blade and a lot of metal and wood blades plus a tile diamond blade. It has become one of my favorite tools. Look at the video and you'll be surprised. Very nicely priced, far better than the DeWalt or Bosch here in Mexico.

Link of the Rage 3

http://www.evolutionpowertools.co.uk...ion_rage3.html

I won't talk about band saw it's too expensive but good for a pro shop and can cut big diameter rolls.

[fiberglass jack]

try using a band saw

[Rick Willoughby]

Why not buy it as tape and do an overlap wrap as you proposed for the mast. Maybe you can buy it in the required width:
http://boatcraft.com.au/Shop/index.p...ex&cPath=40_43

I have seen cloth at 300 and 400mm widths but not sure what weight.

Rick W

[Ilan Voyager]

The tapes do exist in a lot of sizes,weights and styles: the problem is to find it in retail sale.

The band saw works very well with an special blade and the problem is price. Ok when you're cutting a few tons of fiberglass, and when you have also use for cutting some hundreds of foams and honeycombs sheets. Otherwise...a bit expensive.

[Rick Willoughby]

Fanie
I have been shopping for a powered hacksaw. Something I thought would be a useful addition to my garage.

Our local Hare & Forbes used to have them for a few hundred dollars. They do not have these anymore. They have all been displaced by band saws. I am told the reason is the blade life. Never thought about it before but a powered hacksaw only uses a tiny amount of the blade most of the time.

My cutting requirements are for small sections so I have my eye on the smallest bandsaw in their range:
https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Horizontal-Bandsaws
As usual the pricing for these Chinese produced items is just mind boggling. The blades for the smallest one only cost AUD12.

The smallest one will not fit the roll of glass cloth but, if a band saw is good for the job, it might be worthwhile looking at one for the project you have started. Probably need to split the roll to keep the cost reasonable.

Rick W

[Fanie]

I can order glass in probably any width, but you have to order a certain tonnage of glass then. Dunno where I'll put it.

The reason for splitting the reels is it is easier to work with a narrower reel than a full width, start with the weight.

[Cobra1]

Originally Posted by KnottyBuoyz

Heya Fanie

I've got one of those pneumatic cut off tools, smaller disk and a lot thinner. I wonder if that would work. The camping store might have those wire saws, you know the ones that are packed in a survival kit? I think they're diamond embedded maybe.

i have a bunch of relitives in your home town. whole bunch of Dishaws.

[mark775]

When I worked at Delta, though the supplier usually cut it for us, a bandsaw was sometimes used and it cut perfectly. Like the other gentleman said, it has to be bundled tight. If you have that much of a production going anyway, you're going to need a cutting table. Roll out what you need and cut exactly what you need with a roller like they use for making quilts.

[G.G.]

I have always ordered the size i want in 6,10.12,or22 , inch in either S or E glass ,1708 , and Kevlar from Composites One .