Clik
Well-known member
i need to cut a bunch of conveyor belt, 1" thick. I'm not looking forward to using a box cutter/razor knife. The strips will be 8' feet long and 3-1/2" wide.
How do i cut this rubber??????????????
- Thread starter Clik
- Start date
RVDan
Well-known member
Tablesaw.
ez-duzit
Well-known member
A bandsaw would do it.
it will be tough going . lots of friction in the rubber. agree with the bandsaw
RVDan
Well-known member
I've cut 1" thick rubber for motor insulators with a tablesaw plenty of times. It's not a big deal.
crguy
Well-known member
Neither a tablesaw or bandsaw will work, speaking from experience. I would use a utility knife, multiple passes. Hopefully you can bend the material to open the cut which will ease the friction. Sometimes WD-40, wax, or something else to lube the blade helps, but it quickly wipes off.
James-W
Well-known member
I agree with the bandsaw, but maybe a metal cutting blade would be better than a wood cutting blade.
marineman
Well-known member
Is it steel belted? Pretty much anything would be better than a razor blade. Bandsaw, sawzall, jig saw, hack saw
kelpaso1
MEMBER EMERITUS
Metal vertical bandsaw. Slowest blade speed (so you don't heat the rubber). Use a fence of some sort. Will take a while.
RVDan
Well-known member
a lot of assumptions without actually knowing how the material reacts to a spinning blade.
c39er
Well-known member
Maybe you could freeze it... then cut it.
Take it to your local meat market freezer to freeze it.
It'll be easy!
Take it to your local meat market freezer to freeze it.
It'll be easy!
Katodog
Well-known member
Which is generally what happens on forums...people post just so they can post, and don't have any actual knowledge or helpful advice.
8 feet long...have fun with that. I cut conveyor belt often, but not an inch thick and not 8 feet long. However, I use two pieces of flat bar stock, clamped across the belt, and a razor knife. It's the only way to get a perfectly straight cut. Good luck finding two 8-foot straight edges.
If you want to take the time to set it up, and have money to burn on wood, I'd use two pieces of plywood or whatever. A common technique for making cuts where you want zero tearout is to sandwich your workpiece between two pieces of wood. Clamp it on top and bottom of where you want your cut, then cut through the wood and the rubber at the same time on a table saw or with a circular saw. You'd have to be really careful, and go at it slow. Being an inch thick might make it stiff enough that a band saw blade would go through it fairly easily with the right technique and a good blade. Use a blade made for cutting metal so you'll get a cleaner cut, and keep it lubed with something..silicon spray or something similar.
My biggest worry would be that any powered blade will create heat, and if you heat the rubber too much the blade will bind...which can cause all kinds of problems.
A**holes Garage
Banned
recip saw
tom-ky
Well-known member
I have cut some 3/4 rubber mat with a recip saw and metal cutting blade.
cherrybomb
Well-known member
I believe I would try my Bosch Jig saw,variable speed an a selection of blades,figure out how aggressive you wan't to cut.
When I have to cut 3/4" TSC horse mat rubber, I use my Ridgid skil saw. I set the blade depth to just under 3/4" so it doesn't fully penetrate, make the cut, then follow it up with a razor blade knife to cut the *very easy* final cut.
Horse mat rubber does not contain any metal or stell belting. If conveyor belt does,, I'd then use a metal cutting blade.
Good luck!
Horse mat rubber does not contain any metal or stell belting. If conveyor belt does,, I'd then use a metal cutting blade.
Good luck!
ratdoggy
Well-known member
Maybe a local conveyor belt shop can do it.
I use new blades on a utility knife but I'm not cutting 1" thick stuff for 8 feet
I use new blades on a utility knife but I'm not cutting 1" thick stuff for 8 feet
quadrcr87
Well-known member
Chainsaw
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
metalmagpie
Well-known member
I have cut 1" rubber successfully using a battery-powered jigsaw and a wavy blade. The blades aren't easy to find, though. When you get the right blade the jigsaw cuts through like butter.
metalmagpie
metalmagpie
James-W
Well-known member
Let me see if I have this straight. According to you, if someone doesn’t have actual experience in cutting 1 inch thick conveyor belt that is 8 feet long, then advice should not be given because without firsthand knowledge the advice may be all wrong. Is that what you said? I guess that would leave out helpful advice as well because without actual experience in cutting a conveyor belt of this length and thickness, any advice would be just a guess. Also, according to you, anybody without firsthand knowledge is simply commenting so they can make a post.
You, on the other hand, who by your admission have never cut conveyor belt 1 inch thick and 8 feet long, are commenting on how to cut it. You, not having cut a conveyor of this length and thickness are commenting on how to cut it. Since you have never done it, what makes your comments the only advice that matters?
When you think about it, if everyone followed your line of thinking, there would be no comments what-so-ever in this thread because nobody here has ever cut 1 inch thick conveyor belt that was 8 feet long.
I suggest you take some time and think about what you said.
Whats a "bunch"?
10, 50, 100?
I used to make some parts out of 5/8" rubber but only a foot long. Metal cutting band saw is OK, but not great. Leaves a crappy finish and a bunch of slag on the bottom of the part and does not go fast. If its not right, it will melt and make a mess. I don't remember if I ever tried a wood blade, I would guess it would work better to clear the rubber.
The best results I got, for what I was making, was a di acro metal shear. Slight angle to the edge, but smooth and quick.
If I was going to attempt what your doing, Id try one of the wavy or smooth bandsaw blades MADE FOR CUTING RUBBER. I believe someone mentioned the wavy blade already. Starret has them, I'm sure they all have them.
Build an infeed and outfeed table to support the stock, and experiment with blade speed and possibly lube, which could probably just be water. I've used antifreeze to grind rubber, which works great, but never tried it for cutting lube.
Good luck, more info would help get better advice. If your only cutting 5 pieces, razor knife and be done.
10, 50, 100?
I used to make some parts out of 5/8" rubber but only a foot long. Metal cutting band saw is OK, but not great. Leaves a crappy finish and a bunch of slag on the bottom of the part and does not go fast. If its not right, it will melt and make a mess. I don't remember if I ever tried a wood blade, I would guess it would work better to clear the rubber.
The best results I got, for what I was making, was a di acro metal shear. Slight angle to the edge, but smooth and quick.
If I was going to attempt what your doing, Id try one of the wavy or smooth bandsaw blades MADE FOR CUTING RUBBER. I believe someone mentioned the wavy blade already. Starret has them, I'm sure they all have them.
Build an infeed and outfeed table to support the stock, and experiment with blade speed and possibly lube, which could probably just be water. I've used antifreeze to grind rubber, which works great, but never tried it for cutting lube.
Good luck, more info would help get better advice. If your only cutting 5 pieces, razor knife and be done.
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Slednut
Well-known member
This guy cuts across it pretty fast with a utility knife. If the OP is dealing with the same material, cutting length wise should be easy with a helper.
ez-duzit
Well-known member
Sn--that is definitely NOT 1" material.
topp64
Well-known member
We used to bolt rubber belting to the top lip of all our snow plows. The rolls of belting we used didn't have steel and were no more than 1/2" thick x 12" wide. I always used a skill saw. Made easy work of what I had to cut.
Kasal
Well-known member
Scissors to cut metal??
EOC_Jason
Well-known member
Waterjet
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
Like you, I have cut thick conveyor belt more than once with my bandsaw. I like to spray some WD40 along the line to be cut. I think this makes the blade work easier. Silicone dry spray seems to work OK, but WD40 is better.
My band saw has two speeds. The saw is in low gear with a metal cutting blade now. It still cuts thick rubber belting. A zero clearance table insert makes it difficult for the rubber to grab the blade and tuck in.
Captain Spaulding
Well-known member
Commercially they use a circular knife blade at low RPM.
If I had to do it, I’d make a clamp/jig out of 2x lumber with a notch in it for a blade and a guide for the shoe on a recip saw.
If I had to do it, I’d make a clamp/jig out of 2x lumber with a notch in it for a blade and a guide for the shoe on a recip saw.
Burl
Well-known member
Jigsaw with a metal cutting blade.
I use 1/2 to 3/4 belting on the farm, can cut a 36" wide piece with a box cutter with a new blade faster than I am typing this. I use a 48" metal level as a guide and put a 2 X 4 next to the cut to raise the material off the ground. The stuff I get does not have any metal in it.
Lelandwelds
Well-known member
I cut some lost cargo on the road side with a pocket knife. I cut four sections and quit because that was all the truck would carry. Not that hard.
Do you need to lace it? Or, is this just for cushioning floor ?
Do you need to lace it? Or, is this just for cushioning floor ?
rburke65
Well-known member
Katodog......"Good luck finding two 8-foot straight edges."...... They make 8'....10'.....16' straight edges everyday.......called alum. and steel angle. Pretty simple. Put a clamp on it.
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rwilly
Well-known member
I think the best way to cut thick rubber would be with a utility knife.
Brian_WK
Well-known member
This seems the most logical to me.
I did the TSC horse mats that are 3/4 with a jig saw all curved cuts. I wouldn't do it again.
Brian
quadrcr87
Well-known member
I guess I should have specified that it was a joke. I hope no one tries it based on my suggestion..... I would try a jig saw.
Rewind97
Well-known member
There are a lot of methods mentioned here. Is there a way you could sacrifice some of the material trying some of these to see what works......and what doesn't?