ActingLikeAKid
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 1,134
- Reaction score
- 16
Need to trim a little off a tube. Masking tape and a hacksaw and a steady hand?
Remember you are cutting glass. As Steve mentioned regular saw blades don't work well and dull quickly. A wet tile cutting saw with a diamond blade is the best way to go. A 4" to 4.5" tile cutting wet saw can be purchased as low as $50 and blades will run from $15-$20. Very good cuts and no dust.
The dust from cutting fiberglass is not good for you. Make sure you wear a good dust mask and safety glasses.
Remember you are cutting glass. As Steve mentioned regular saw blades don't work well and dull quickly. A wet tile cutting saw with a diamond blade is the best way to go. A 4" to 4.5" tile cutting wet saw can be purchased as low as $50 and blades will run from $15-$20. Very good cuts and no dust.
The dust from cutting fiberglass is not good for you. Make sure you wear a good dust mask and safety glasses.
I've used the same X-Acto fine razor saw blade for over 10 years with no issues. It's just a basic X-Acto saw kit which I guess is not the same as a regular saw blade.Remember you are cutting glass. As Steve mentioned regular saw blades don't work well and dull quickly. A wet tile cutting saw with a diamond blade is the best way to go....
I use my handy dandy miter saw. It is a hand saw so the cut is slower and a lot less FG dust goes into the air. But it is a cross-cut blade for wood and it goes right through FG. Since it is a miter saw, I get a good clean 90-degree cut and a smooth straight line that sands out well. It's a lot more old school to hand saw stuff these days...but it works.
I still use a dust mask when I saw FG, though. Don't want to breathe that nasty stuff.
View attachment 293536
For dust remediation, I often spread toothpaste on the fiberglass part. It works keeps the dust from even becoming airborne.
Update: I used the cutting wheel on the Dremel to do it. Rather, I used about three and a half cutting wheels. As expected, the wheels eroded fast. Which was fine. The result was .... okay. A bandsaw or tile saw would have been WAY neater and faster, but you know what they say about doing what you can with what you have.
When I got finished with the Dremel, the end of the tube was rough. I'd estimate a variance of 1-2mm. So I just put 80grit on my block, held it flat, and scrubbed it down. When I was getting closer, I took a colored pencil and colored the top. The low points stayed colored until the high points came down to meet them (if that makes sense).
When that was done, the NC fit the top of the BT pretty well. But the rim of the tube was rough and nasty. 5 minutes with some 150 grit and it was a lot better. 5 minutes with some 3m "Sandblaster" flexible sanding sheet (350grit) and it was silky and smooth.
Were you using fiberglassed reinforced wheels? They should last a lot longer than that. I can use one to cut through a lot of 1/4" steel rod before they need replacing.Update: I used the cutting wheel on the Dremel to do it. Rather, I used about three and a half cutting wheels. As expected, the wheels eroded fast...
Update: I used the cutting wheel on the Dremel to do it. Rather, I used about three and a half cutting wheels. As expected, the wheels eroded fast. Which was fine. The result was .... okay. A bandsaw or tile saw would have been WAY neater and faster, but you know what they say about doing what you can with what you have.
When I got finished with the Dremel, the end of the tube was rough. I'd estimate a variance of 1-2mm. So I just put 80grit on my block, held it flat, and scrubbed it down. When I was getting closer, I took a colored pencil and colored the top. The low points stayed colored until the high points came down to meet them (if that makes sense).
When that was done, the NC fit the top of the BT pretty well. But the rim of the tube was rough and nasty. 5 minutes with some 150 grit and it was a lot better. 5 minutes with some 3m "Sandblaster" flexible sanding sheet (350grit) and it was silky and smooth.
Enter your email address to join: