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IndustryArena Forum > Hobby Projects > Hobby Discussion > Best Method To Cut Carbon Fiber
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  1. #1

    Best Method To Cut Carbon Fiber

    Can carbon fiber panel be laser cut ?
    I know that it can be water-jet or router cut.
    Regards,
    John

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    60
    I took some .060 carbon fiber to a place that laser cut it but most shops will not do it because the gas is toxic. They had a large laser that was like a water jet table. The problem is the carbon ignites.. I have herd that the only real way to do this is with a laser that is in a vacuum so flames will not have fuel..

  3. #3
    Thanks for the info
    Regards,
    Giovanni
    Giovanni

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    11
    I mill quite a bit of CF with my router and i use these bits:
    5x 0.08" Carbide PCB End Mill Engraving Bit CNC 2.0 T22 | eBay

    High revs on the spindle(I use 24000 rpm), it makes clean sharp cuts.
    The dust is quite bad so I have the router enclosed in a box.

    Waterjet can be troublesome since it tends to delaminate the CF when water penetrates the different layers.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    4
    I too am interested in buying a small bench top machine to cut out parts for RC hobbies. I was thinking of using a LASER machine but this thread is quickly convincing me otherwise...shucks!
    Is there any alternatives for cutting CF besides a router...that is...something reasonably priced for a small hobbyist to play with.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    11
    Well, a dremel and a cuttingdisk works fine if you want to cut CF as cheap as possible(by hand), hacksaw works to. Watch out for the dust though!

    A CNC Laser would be far more expensive to build than a CNC router with a simple spindle on it. On my first machine a milled quite a bit of CF with a cheap wood router($30) mounted as a spindle, but since they are air cooled they will suck up the CF dust and fail eventually.
    I now use a watercooled VFD spindle.

    In my opinion a CNC router is the cheapest an simplest way to mill CF automaticly, if you are crafty you could buld one for less than $200.
    Search for scrapped laserprinters and salvage the steppers, buy a CNC controller of ebay, 3A will do, use ACME leadscrews and flexible couplings from Ebay, build our own linear rails from pipe and rollerblade bearings and a piece of MDF and your good to go.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    4
    Sweet. I'm so going to do this. Now you said it could possibly be done for as little as $200. If my budget was closer to say $500, what upgrades would you focus on first in the homebuilt design mentioned?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    11
    I used the JGRO design om my first machine, plans are available here on the forum.
    I used it quite alot but after a while I wanted something a bit more powerful for milling aluminium.

    I built a new redesigned router similar to the JGRO design but beefier and more ridgid.
    I used proper linear rails and ballscrews, a watercooled 2,2 kw VFD spindle. I made more parts on the router from aluminium instead of MDF.

    The weakest part of the JGRO design are the homebuilt linear rails(pipe and rollerblade bearings), a first upgrade would be to replace them with proper ones(SBR20).
    I bought mine from:
    linearmotionbearings store on eBay!

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