Cutting G10

Rick Lowe

Rick Lowe

Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Messages
1,331
Just finished cutting some handle slabs from G10 for the first time. Used my table bandsaw. Got them cut, finally, but ruined a new blade in the process. It was a 1/4" wide, 6 tpi blade. Any suggestions on what might work better?
Thanks,
Rick
 
If you are bandsawing it you should pretend it was metal, slow speed and maybe a 14 TPI blade. It will still dull your blades. I use worn blades myself and just accept that G10 is a slow-cut material, using new blades/cutting tools seems wasteful to me with the rapid wear it causes.
 
A tile cutting saw . I plan on taking my slabs to the tile shop and have them cut em-up .
 
I hear ya brother....lol

I just spent 35-45 min cutting some of Jim's G-11 yesterday. 1/8" x 2" x 5" off of that beastly 3/4" thick monster....lol Its worth it though.....A wet tile saw is in order:thumbup: I wish I would have set it on the medium pulley, once i did that it cut just fine:eek: Still a pain though.

ONeill said:
A tile cutting saw . I plan on taking my slabs to the tile shop and have them cut em-up .
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I have found that a wet cut tile saw is the best choice. Pick a cheap one up at HF or pick one up at a yard sale. The diamond blade cuts like butter, water keeps dust to a minimum, and there is little fear of cutting yourself. :thumbup:
 
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Thanks guys! All that makes a lot of sense. After finishing the handle, it was worth the effort even though I still prefer natural materials
 
Wow you guys think too much about this. I use a 4.5" grinder with a metal cut of wheel on it, works great. When I get the ruff shape sorted out I use a 36 grit belt on my grinder to take it to shape better. Small amount of wast but it is super fast, I can cut out a set of handles in a few min easy.
 
I've found that my bandsaw with a 18 tpi blade works well. It cuts thru it like butter.
 
kungfumo said:
Wow you guys think too much about this. I use a 4.5" grinder with a metal cut of wheel on it, works great. When I get the ruff shape sorted out I use a 36 grit belt on my grinder to take it to shape better. Small amount of wast but it is super fast, I can cut out a set of handles in a few min easy.
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you are correct that a metal cutting abrasive wheel on a handheld grinder will indeed cut G10/G11, however, I prefer the cleaner and "more parallel" cut I get with the diamond blade on my table saw. Makes for easier setup when flattening scales. But in a pinch you can split blocks and even rough profile with an abrasive wheel.
 
After wearing out a band saw blade and my patience, I put an old blade on my 12" chopsaw, donned a mask, and cut away (outside). It took about 1 minute per cut. A tile saw would be better, but I don't have one.
 
FWIW, G10 can be cut with fiber cut-off wheels in a rotary tool. This allows for very low waste. Keep the speed, rate and depth of cut low to prevent horrendous stenches, copious amounts of noxious smoke and badly-burned material. Cutting it too fast WILL really p*ss off your housemates. Use every safety measure you have. It makes a lot of very fine dust.

It can also be cut with a hacksaw, but you'll wear out your elbow long before you make any money. Meaning, you'll have more time in the project than the project is worth.

It seems to drill without any particular problems.

I despise working with the stuff, but it does make an extremely durable and stable handle, and customers seem to be willing to pay for it. It's also available in some colors (notably, blaze orange) that aren't generally available in other materials.
 
How would something like this work for cutting G10 on a hobbyist level? Also how much harder is it to cut micarta? Is it possible to cut micarta with basic hand tools?
 
unky_gumbi said:
How would something like this work for cutting G10 on a hobbyist level? Also how much harder is it to cut micarta? Is it possible to cut micarta with basic hand tools?
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I think with 1/10 Hp, it is going to take a loooong time to get through anything over .25 thick. I have used a diamond blade on a bandsaw at work that worked great. Low dust and went right though it.

I think that micarta and phenolic are reasonably close to the same in composition and I have no problems cutting phenolic with basic hand tools.

Hope this helps..


Bill
 
Yeah I don't think I will be cutting anything much over 1/8" thick, I would only use G10 for folder scales, I like wood on my fixed blades, but I might be willing to give micarta a try soon, been playing with a friends RC5 lately and I sort of like the feel.
 
I use my harbor freight bandsaw to cut everything I use. Kydex, steel, wood, G10. I use 10-14 tpi blades I buy from NWA. He is a knifemaker and has his own forum here. Hit him up for what blade to buy.
 
As suggested by a forum member....I picked up an 18 tpi (59 1/2") from Lowe's for my Delta band saw.
Cut's through G-10, Micarta, and hardwoods very nicely. Just go slow.
And at $8 or so, if it doesn't last a real long time...Lowe's is just 10 minutes away!:D:thumbup:
 
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