Cutting G10 Tubes

[als57]

Looking for some input on cutting G10 tubing. Been thinking of converting a PR kit to dual deploy.


Al

[troj]

Looking for some input on cutting G10 tubing. Been thinking of converting a PR kit to dual deploy.

Miter saw or band saw would be my first two choices, followed by a table saw.

-Kevin

[Rocketjunkie]

Cheapest solution is a hacksaw. Regular blades will dull FAST, carbide grit blades will last quite a while but make a much wider kerf. If you use regular (high speed steel) blades, have a couple spares handy.

[mparker59]

If the tube will fit then a power miter saw with an 80 tooth carbide blade is a good choice, push the saw down very slowly to ensure the smoothest possible cut.

For larger diameters put the tube on a crosscut sled on the table saw or against the miter gauge. If possible adjust the rip fence so that the tube can touch it to get the length just right. Raise the blade to just more than the thickness of the tube. Move the sled/miter gauge forward until the blade is through the tube at the low point and then slowly rotate the tube against the sled to cut all the way around.

Mike

[Adrian A]

I destroyed a miter saw blade cutting FWFG tubes. Since then, I always use a tile saw with a diamond blade. A rotozip with an abrasive or diamond wheel would be my second choice, followed by a dremel with an abrasive cutoff wheel. A hacksaw would be a pain but o.k. (cheap blade to destroy) , but I would not recommend a band saw, since replacing those blades would be a big deal. I haven't tried a circular saw with a carbide-tipped blade; maybe that's hard enough not to get dulled by the FG.

[troj]

I destroyed a miter saw blade cutting FWFG tubes.

I'm curious as to the specifics of the blade you destroy, and whether or not it was carbide-tipped.

FWIW, that's why I have two blades for my miter saw -- the one that came with it (80 tooth, carbide-tipped), which gets used for rocketry and misc stuff, and the 96 tooth Freud which will only ever see trim, molding, and similar materials.

Good quality 12" miter saw blades gave me....sticker shock.

-Kevin

[Adrian A]

I'm curious as to the specifics of the blade you destroy, and whether or not it was carbide-tipped.

FWIW, that's why I have two blades for my miter saw -- the one that came with it (80 tooth, carbide-tipped), which gets used for rocketry and misc stuff, and the 96 tooth Freud which will only ever see trim, molding, and similar materials.

Good quality 12" miter saw blades gave me....sticker shock.

-Kevin

It was a blade intended for wood, not carbide-tipped. It came as part of a Stanley miter hand saw, with about a 16" blade.

[JDcluster]

Why not fight fire with fire?
Use a fiberglass cutoff wheel from Dremel.
They cut through PR tubing like butter.


JD

[als57]

Thanks for the ideas guys.


Al

[sj_h1]

Why not fight fire with fire?
Use a fiberglass cutoff wheel from Dremel.
They cut through PR tubing like butter.


JD

I my old machinist days we used what was called a Radiac cutoff wheel. It is basically a large fiberglass Dremel wheel that came in 6, 8, and 10 in. diameters. It think I saw something similar at Home Depot in the grinding wheel section. You might want to give that a try. You could mount it to a circular, mitre or table saw.

[m85476585]

I have a bi-metal blade on my hacksaw. I don't know if that's the same as carbide-tipped, but I haven't been able to dull it yet and I've cut almost everything but fiberglass with it. Even if you don't get it to cut fiberglass, I highly recommend one.

I usually use my jigsaw with an abrasive carbide bit to cut flat fiberglass sheet. You might be able to get that to work with a round tube, just start the cut then plunge the bit in and cut all the way around. They sell abrasive carbide bits for cutting hardwood flooring.

Finally, a Dremel with a diamond wheel will cut fiberglass like butter. Harborfreight sells a cheap pack of diamond disks that will fit a Dremel, just don't go over the max RPM rating (I don't trust anything from Harborfreight spinning at 10,000 RPM, and my Dremel goes up to 35,000 RPM). I usually can get very straight cuts once the wheel is plunged into the material, but if you are not happy with the result, the flat surface of the diamond wheel is great for sanding away any imperfections. Trust me, normal sandpaper will only be frustrating.

[als57]

I

Finally, a Dremel with a diamond wheel will cut fiberglass like butter. Harborfreight sells a cheap pack of diamond disks that will fit a Dremel, just don't go over the max RPM rating (I don't trust anything from Harborfreight spinning at 10,000 RPM, and my Dremel goes up to 35,000 RPM). I usually can get very straight cuts once the wheel is plunged into the material, but if you are not happy with the result, the flat surface of the diamond wheel is great for sanding away any imperfections. Trust me, normal sandpaper will only be frustrating.

I'll be going past Harbor Frieght in a couple of days. Good suggestion.

Al

[gregzo]

If you can find someone with an industrial horizontal band saw - it works great and holds the piece stable and straight. I built a full FG Hawk Mountain 6" tube fin rocket with angled cuts on both the leading and trailing cuts. It was nerve racking cutting that expensive tubing, but it worked great.
You need to insert a FG coupler into the piece right before the cut to withstand the clapping pressure. I would always recommend putting in a FG coupler before cutting to help give ridgidity no matter what you end up using. Even two coupler...one of each side of the cut.
Just be careful it is not in your cut path so you don't destroy it!!!