On Wed, 21 May 2014 23:21:09 -0400, Carl Ijames wrote:

(top posting fixed)

"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...

I want to make some stuff out of carbon fiber plate, about 0.06 or 0.09
inch thick (I'm not sure which). Like this stuff:

http://www.rockwestcomposites.com/products/402-612

I need to whack out rectangles of the stuff, make tidy rectangular holes
in them, and then make numerous drilled holes (16x, 0.1" diameter).

Is it even possible to work on this stuff with hand tools? Will a
hacksaw blade or coping saw even make a dent in it? (I don't mind if I
have to replace a lot of blades -- that's why they're made disposable,
after all).

Or should I be thinking in terms of figuring out how to clamp it into my
mill and cut it with solid carbide cutters?

How nasty is the dust?

Any other bits of wisdom are appreciated.


If you don't mind a little burn mark it should laser cut real easy. No
first hand experience but I bet it dulls tooling even faster than
fiberglass.

-----
Regards,
Carl Ijames


Sorry -- I'm thinking of how I might do this in my home shop, where the
highest-tech piece of equipment I have is a cheap milling machine. Laser
cutting means sending it out, and sending it out means that it gets done
right but for lots of $$.

--
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com