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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

How can I cut rubber?

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550Doug

09-28-2004 18:07:33




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I need to cut some rubber into perfectly squared rectangles so that the squared ends can be glued together in various shapes. I"ve tried various saws ( hand & power) as well as grinders and sanders but the rubber keeps moving. Since I"m working with one-inch thick rubber, the exacto knives don"t work either. How can I get perfectly squared ends???

Thanks




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Mike B

09-30-2004 17:31:06




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
We cut rubber and urethane at work all the time. Draw a pattern on the rubber, use a new blade in your utility knife, lubricate the blade with water and take it slow. Your first pass will do little more than score the surface. After you have traced your pattern a couple of times slightly flex the rubber streching your score lines and the cutting will go quite quickly. Just keep it lubed with water.
Happy Cutting.
Mike B

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Tom Brown

09-30-2004 16:59:27




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
Find a small steel fab shop in your area that has a power shears. Something that will cut 3/8 steel will slice through 1" rubber easily. I work in a fab shop during the winters and we cut rubber for special rendering truck beds.



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Bernie in MA

09-29-2004 17:56:04




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
I cut 1/2" thick rubber 12" wide in my shop press. I ground a power hacksaw blade to a knife edge and rigged a holder for the blade so it would bottom on a strip of aluminum when it went thru the rubber.



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ScottP

09-29-2004 08:09:21




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
Doug
The best way to cut the rubber is with a jig saw.
Take the blade and sand or grind the side of the teeth off. You want it to look like a knife with teeth. It goes through the rubber like it was butter.
Scott



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Eddie Petty

09-29-2004 03:34:05




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
....in the ship building industry, we often have to machine rubber products into various shapes (lathe, mill, shaper, etc.). We use a container with dry ice to solidify the rubber to a machineable hardness...works like a charm !!!!

Ed in 'ole Virginny



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John Humphrey Morocco IN.

09-28-2004 22:21:38




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
Use a razor knife and lube it with alcohol. Try it before you reply. I used this method to make gaskets for vacuum equipment.



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Mark - IN.

09-28-2004 21:10:51




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 Hear a funny one? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
There's a coal fired power plant that I often work at that has just the tool that you need, and they aint using it, haven't since the first day installed it. Some pencil behind the desk guy got a wise idea that the fleet of trucks for a power company was spending too much money gettin' rid of tires, and could maybe mix them in with coal and burn them, as well as save money on buying coal. Went out and had someone install this giant piece of equipment to grind the tires up into like 1"x1" squares, and mix them in with the coal, and send them into the unit burners, and save BIG $$$. This thing is like two stories tall, longer than a semi, and has two giant horizontal bits that intermesh like cork screws. Well, they fired it up, ground those tires to bits, mixed it in with the coal, sent the mixture up the conveyor into the burners. That stack let out one big black puff of smoke, jazzed the burners up, and shut the units down for like 6 months to rebuild and clean. I'm pretty sure someone lost theor job(s) for that one.

If you really want something to give you perfect 1"x1" square pieces of rubber, I'm pretty sure that they'll give it to you for free. Gonna take you a few semis to haul it out of there, but... A decade later, and there's still pieces of rubber lying around that thing on the ground.

You oughta see this thing, it's huge. How big's your barn?

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Davis In SC

09-28-2004 21:30:23




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 Re: Hear a funny one? in reply to Mark - IN., 09-28-2004 21:10:51  
Sad thing is, I bet the one that got fired was an underling. The one that thought it up is probably in a corporate office now.... Regards, Davis



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Keith-OR

09-28-2004 20:44:42




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
I was going to tell you just poke a hole in it she will never know, But read your post !!!!!
Try a scroll saw with super fine plate. I have one of those saws designed to cut floam rubber,don't know if it will cut solid rubber.



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bobs

09-28-2004 20:22:39




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
I have one of the power cutters with the smooth blade. I have not tried it on thick rubber but is works great on thick foam. This cutter was designed for cutting thick stacks of cloth. I got mine when a tarpolian manufacture sold out.



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Joe (Wa)

09-28-2004 19:00:12




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
Freeze the rubber and cut with a fine tooth minimum off-set saw while still hard.

Joe



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NC Wayne

09-28-2004 18:51:46




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
I don't know that they make any kind of an attachment for any of your "common" power tools but I know the guys at our local belting/rubber/hose supply house have a special saw they use to cut stuff. What I've seen of it it appears to be a smooth type blade and it has a foot that slides along the table under the material and it ramps it up into the blade as you move into the material. I don't know how much of this type of work you need to do but it may pay you to find one of these tools if you have alot to do. I don't even know where to suggest to look for them other than to call a supplier and see who makes the one they have. Good luck.

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Bob

09-28-2004 18:11:50




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 Re: How can I cut rubber? in reply to 550Doug, 09-28-2004 18:07:33  
Have you tried a bandsaw with a thin and narrow blade? And maybe some soapy water for lube?

Watch the fingers!



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