splitting corecell?

[sigurd]

Hello,

I have found a reasonably priced source for core-cell a550, but it is too thick for me. Is ir possible to use a hotwire to split it?

[teakcell]

Hi, it depends what you want to do once splited... please tell me more.

[sigurd]

I will put an epoxy bonded laminate on it, like this:

outside
0.6mm wood longitudal (0')
80gsm2 kevlar +-45'
carbon tow ca 50gsm2 strips 90'
4,5 or 6mm a550
carbon tow ca 100gsm2 strips 0'/90' (50gsm2+50gsm2)
80gsm2 kevlar +-45'
inside

That is my stipulated test panel for a 20' canoe shape. I'll put extra kevlar or ply in the bottom to protect from rocks.

Edit: so, I would be splitting 9 or 12mm foam.

[KnottyBuoyz]

You could do it with a hotwire. You'd have to do it vertically due to wire sag if you're trying to split a large sheet. You might have to roughen up the surface that was melted with the hot wire to get good adhesion.

[sigurd]

cool. thanks.

[marshmat]

Splitting Core-Cell with a tight, sufficiently powerful hotwire should work. The stuff is based on styrene acrylonitrile, which melts at around 220 to 270 C. So only about 20 C hotter than polystyrene, which we all know is easy to cut with a hotwire. As Rick points out, wire sag will be a problem if you try to do this horizontally, and I'd count on having to sand the cut surface.

[teakcell]

If you make a sandwich panel.
The trouble might not be to cut it with hot wire but how straight you will do that. With hot wire, you may have unstraight (waves) faces that might be hard to glue on later nicely + the melting areas might not absorb the glue as well as it should.
Depending on your work area, I would go for sand paper roller machine if available or rasp, sand paper by hand...

[sigurd]

I destroyed my sandpaper rolling machine grinding axes and knives...
Encouraging replies, thanks. Now to check the shipping costs :O

[Herman]

We have been able to split Core-Cell A600 (even harder...) of 15mm into 5x3mm, using a large horizontal knife.
However about 2 years ago the material supplied was more brittle and hard, and the knife got destroyed.

Hot wiring could be possible, but it might be needed to sand the surface open afterwards.

[sigurd]

Please tell me more about how you made and used the knife. Could a sharpened bow-saw blade for timber be used, for instance?

It would save me the sanding and incur less loss of core thickness - to the point I could possibly get three sheets from the 12mm.