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29-08-2019, 21:03
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Waukegan, IL
Boat: Columbia 10.7
Posts: 670
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How do you cut this fiberglass?
I bought this woven fiberglass cloth a few months ago. I tried to use it recently and had a hell of a time trying to cut the cloth. I’ve several types of scissors, razor blades and even bought an electric scissors and nothing works. I even took the cloth to a friend who cuts canvas and sail cloth and none of his professional shears work on this stuff.
All my methods work with normal fiberglass cloth and mat. The electric scissors cuts through everything except this cloth.
Does anyone have a suggestion of how i can cut this cloth?
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29-08-2019, 21:15
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 11,832
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Pics of the cloth? What weight is it?
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29-08-2019, 21:41
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Tampa, FL
Boat: Yankee 30'
Posts: 211
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Local fiberglass store sold me a pair of largish orange handles / gold colored blades (Fisk?) scissors that have very fine serration on the blades. I do a lot of precision glass work with cloth and they cut cloth very well. The reason they work well is because the serration grips the cross threads and keep them from being pushed towards the tips and bunching up as you cut. That said, I have got some time ago some unusual very tightly woven 4 oz cloth that is hard to cut no matter the serrated sheers.
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29-08-2019, 21:59
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: san diego
Boat: yorktown custom 40' cutter
Posts: 323
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
sounds like kevlar. my wiss shears cut 36oz biax no problem, but not 6oz kevlar or dynema thread. most suppliers sell special shears just for kevlar...
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30-08-2019, 01:37
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 11,832
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Quote:
Originally Posted by robwilk37
sounds like kevlar. my wiss shears cut 36oz biax no problem, but not 6oz kevlar or dynema thread. most suppliers sell special shears just for kevlar...
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That's what I was thinking.
Hope he posts some pics
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30-08-2019, 04:28
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Minnesota, USA
Boat: 21' trailer sailor & 8' sailing dinghy
Posts: 1,742
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Same here, all glass and carbon fiber cut fine with the oversized scissors/shears from fiberglass supplier and a similar pair from a surplus store. Those same shears struggled to get through Kevlar/Carbon hybrids and Technora Vectornet that I had as samples. Serrated shears would have been better but I did not see myself continuing with those types of reinforcement so I did not get any.
Also hoping OP posts up more specific details about the cloth.
__________________
Big dreams, small boats...
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30-08-2019, 06:13
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,602
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
A bit off thread but recently I found (of all things) tin-snips perfect for cutting CSM.
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30-08-2019, 09:07
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Waukegan, IL
Boat: Columbia 10.7
Posts: 670
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Here is a picture of the cloth. It has an odd pattern. It's definitely not Kevlar or carbon fiber.
FYI, I was able to cut it with work shears and a razor blade, but it took forever and did not leave a clean edge. All my cutting tools cut normal woven and mat cloth with no issues. The electric scissors (brand new) cut everything else like butter.
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30-08-2019, 09:09
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Georgian Bay
Boat: Ericson 35-2
Posts: 162
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
curently recoring my decks and using this rotary cutter... works like a charm with the material flat and not moving ahead of the shears, can so easily cut the pattern you need. Works like a charm. No idea about kevlar however.
ok, looked and looked... nowhere here do I see how I can attach a pic.
Maybe the link will work
https://www.fibreglast.com/product/O...rs_Fabric_Aids
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30-08-2019, 09:10
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: san diego
Boat: yorktown custom 40' cutter
Posts: 323
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
hmmm, thought id seen it all. weird weave, definitely not kevlar. so ill ask the stupid question... are your scissors sharp?
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30-08-2019, 09:25
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Cruising the world
Boat: Hylas 54
Posts: 413
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Put masking tape along the line you wish to cut. Cut through the tape. When you wet the cloth out with resin the tape will come off easily.
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30-08-2019, 09:46
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Los Angeles Harbor
Posts: 223
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Try using blue painter's tape rolled down firmly, then cut through the tape. I've used this technique to cut kevlar with good hand shears.
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30-08-2019, 09:57
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Southern MD, Chesapeake Bay
Boat: Catalina & Maycraft
Posts: 996
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
That's a great point about the tape trick. I didn't know that, but it makes sense. Must keep it from squishing. Even regular fiberglass cloth seems slippery with scissors.
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30-08-2019, 09:58
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 90
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
When Aramid fibers first became common in the early '80s the shop next door to my shop contracted to build silo covers for a certain type of missile. The owner came over to my shop (we also did boat upholstery) with a sample of the fabric and said, "Check this out, it takes a special kind of scissors to cut this stuff." I said. "Nonsense, my shears will cut thru that like butter."
My scissors couldn't cut through it at all. So he showed me the scissors they had to buy to work with the stuff and they looked exactly like mine. They cut thru that Aramid fiber like it was Sunbrella because of the metal used to make the shears.
Find a pair of "Kevlar shears" if you need to do more of this type of work. You can always resell them to recoup some of the money when you're finished.
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30-08-2019, 10:02
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2014
Location: So Cal
Boat: Beneteau 38 Nordlund 72, Marquess 55, Jenneau 49
Posts: 541
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Re: How do you cut this fiberglass?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigjim
Here is a picture of the cloth. It has an odd pattern. It's definitely not Kevlar or carbon fiber.
FYI, I was able to cut it with work shears and a razor blade, but it took forever and did not leave a clean edge. All my cutting tools cut normal woven and mat cloth with no issues. The electric scissors (brand new) cut everything else like butter.
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It looks strong. Where did you get it?
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