carbon fiber

[32krazy!]

i have a sheet of 1.5 mm thick carbon fiber. i have a design i need to cut out that has numerous curves for my steering wheel. this holds various buttons and switches.

whats the best way to cut it?

 

[Whiskeymike]

Best way I've heard is using abrasive blades. So a diamond masonry blade on a table saw for straight cuts. Grinder with a thin diamond abrasive blade for curved. Carbon dust is nasty, so wear a mask and keep it wet with a sponge or use a down draft table, dust collector, etc...

I've also heard that sandwiching the CF in wood or laminate helps with delamination issues on the edges.

 

[MFolks]

Carbon fiber will quickly dull most cutting tools,as Boeing had found out in making the "Dreamliner". I understand that Diamond drill bits and cutting tools will last the longest. Expect to go through many bits and blades cutting this material.....

 

[ambenz]

Hydro dip a plastic panel to look like carbon fiber, it will look just like it but a lot cheaper and easier to make and modify to fit your needs!

See....

 

[motofool33]

Steve is it Dried with Resin/Cured or is it before Resin?

if its just the material un cured nice scissors.

if its cured, 3" cut off wheel on die grinder or 4.5 inch wafer disk. or sanding wheels to make curves.

 

[APEowner]

Water jet is the best but that may not be practical. The alternatives are pretty much cutoff wheels and carbide burs. You can drill with step drills but it does tend to dull them.

 

[brianh]

Abrasive wheels or diamond cutoff work well, make sure you wear a good mask or respirator.

If possible keep the work surface wet to keep the dust down its very abrasive and conducts electricity.

I have made quite a few bike frames out of it.

 

[zeke markham]

Just about anything will cut carbon, but as has been mentioned it dulls tools fast. Diamond and tungsten carbide work the best, especially Perma-Grit stuff. Minimize vibration as much as possible, it can cause the resin to crack and not cut cleanly. Also for nice clean edges, angle the cutting tool at 45 degrees, cutting away from the part, on both sides, then take the resulting bevel off at 90 degrees.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Abrasive wheels or diamond cutoff work well, make sure you wear a good mask or respirator.

If possible keep the work surface wet to keep the dust down its very abrasive and conducts electricity.

I have made quite a few bike frames out of it.

Any pics of the bike frames?

 

[bsaint]

Yea I would say waterjet is the best.

 

[32krazy!]

i wondered if a water jet would cut it. its a flat sheet of true c/f 1.5 mm thick autoclaved and cured. not a wrap. i wondered if a scroll saw would do the curves for a clean cut

 

[motofool33]

i wondered if a water jet would cut it. its a flat sheet of true c/f 1.5 mm thick autoclaved and cured. not a wrap. i wondered if a scroll saw would do the curves for a clean cut

Nearly all saw type devices will cut it but they will dull quickly with it.

 

[bsaint]

i wondered if a water jet would cut it. its a flat sheet of true c/f 1.5 mm thick autoclaved and cured. not a wrap. i wondered if a scroll saw would do the curves for a clean cut

My waterjet vendor has a drop from a hole cut in 6" (160mm) thick granite. I think it can handle "puny" carbon fiber.

 

[MBeaty]

I am not positive about carbon fiber, but for many composite materials like fiberglass and G-10 garrolite, water jet can be problematic. All the times I have tried garrolite, the water jet works great for parts of the cut, but will then de-laminate and bubble up the composite in other portions. This was all on very small parts with quite a bit of geometry, so I would assume the success rate would increase the longer and straighter the cuts were. It was unpredictable enough to make it nearly impossible to trust. I would assume carbon fiber would have some of these same issues.

 

[bsaint]

Carbon fiber can be treated like a plastic.

 

[brianh]

Any pics of the bike frames?

Got some on my imgur album the carbon fiber mountain bike was my first made in 2001 I still ride it.

More pics not all I made were carbon. http://imgur.com/a/2UTaZ?#5