cutting Polycarbonate

[cordaroyfog]

What is needed to cut Polycarbonate blades?

I can't figure out what length I need, so I thought of just getting the 40"
from the store and cutting it myself? It is the thin walled, so I would have to get through 1/16th inch, how hard would this be?

Thanks

[Vos Malek]

Easy enough. You can use a hacksaw, which would be easiest. I use a pipe cutter to be sure that I have a straight cut, but then the edge has to be sanded to fit in the blade holder.

[Kal El Rah]

Don't forget to put a cloth into both ends of the blade, 1 at the not to be cut end and 1 past the cutting mark end to keep the poly dust from getting into the blade when you cut it.

[Sidd]

I second using the pipe cutter for the blade.

Anytime I have to cut anything tube shapped thats what I use. I have cus sveral blades with a pipe cutter with out incident

[cordaroyfog]

thanks guys I will do this with confidence now!

[Vos Malek]

Don't forget to put a cloth into both ends of the blade, 1 at the not to be cut end and 1 past the cutting mark end to keep the poly dust from getting into the blade when you cut it.

Yeah definatly do that. I forgot once and it wasn't fun getting all that dust out..

[Eco]

Compound miter saw works.
That's what Tim uses, and that's what I've used countless times. It's easy, so long as you don't go too fast, otherwise you'll chip the blade on the impact point, but you can put that into the bladeholder end where you can't see it.

[Jedi-Loreen]

He doesn't always use a saw. The last tubes I got from him were kind of mushroomed, like he used a tubing cutter.

Maybe he only used a saw on blades that he builds. I always buy empty tubes and make my own blades.

[astromech_kuhns]

yeah, just buy the blade and use like PVC cutter or anything really. snap and your good. especially PVC cutters are cheap and should work. that is what i was going to do to.

besides that end goes into the blade holder anyway. unseen.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Dude, do not give out advice like that if you haven't tried it. :x Polycarbonate islot tougher than PVC. I don't think a PVC cutter would work too well. :-?

Don't say you can use "anything, really". Even though the cut end goes in the blade holder, it still needs to be a straight cut. :roll:

A hack saw, miter/chop saw, pipe cutter, even Dremel, are all proven methods of cutting polycarbonate tubing.


I don't recommend a Dremel, but it's what I had years ago, when I made EL blades, before I got smart and got a tubing cutter. Polycarbonate is a

[FenderBender]

If you use a miter saw, make sure you are using the metal cutting blade. It makes for a MUCH nicer cut and doesn't chip the Poly-C. This is what I use on all of my Poly-C and PVC.

[Rb-wan Organus]

RIGID tubing cutters have worked best for me .... then you have no worries about dust in the blade and it's always a clean cut. Just make sure you don't tighten the cutters to much at one time.