working with G11

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Joined
Sep 29, 2009
Messages
1,614
I just got my shipment of G11 today and while I'm not exactly ready to make up some scales or anything with it I would like to possibly try a few things with it. So I was wondering:

What can be used to cut it with? (best and other workable options please)

How easy is it to work with regarding sanding, shaping, etc?

Is it something where having good ventilation and/or respirator on when working with is suggested or required or is it not necessary? (we're talking small scale stuff at the moment not working with it 8 hours a day)
 
G10/11 or similar products definitely need respiratory protection. They are glass fiber products, and you don't want that stuff in your lungs. It can create bronchitis at the least and scarring in the lung in the long term.

For just about any handle material and even just plain old steel, you've got to protect your lungs. Those super fine particles produced by powered grinding don't just give you black snot, but they also find their way deep inside your lungs. Get a good half mask respirator with appropriate P100 cartridges. Many woods can be toxic, and many people also have or can easily develop severe allergies to certain woods with repeated exposure.

As for working with it, it can be tough to cut, but I've used a bandsaw. Others have used tile saws. It shapes and sands very well, and is very tough overall.

--nathan
 
Think you can get through it with a power jigsaw? Also the band saw you used was it geared more for metal cutting or wood? I have access to a bandsaw but it's a wood bandsaw so it runs a lot faster than one designed for metal from what I understand
 
My saw is a metal cutting saw. Can't say how it would cut on a wood cutting saw or by jigsaw. I'm sure others here will chime in and give you their experiences.

--nathan
 
When I was slicing the potluck G11 into slabs, I used a wet tile saw. For profiling, I used my metal-cutting bandsaw. It destroyed my wood-cutting bandsaw blade in a matter of seconds.
 
What about putting a metal cutting blade on the bandsaw? It runs considerably faster than what you would use for metal though. Would that cause a problem?

I figured I could always use a handsaw as well but trying to save that as a last resort.
 
This is how I've been doing it, with a metal cutting disc and holding the material manually feeding it in. Draw lines where you want the cut. to split the 3/4" material to make scales, draw lines all the way around and work the cut on 2 sides, make sure your start cut is straight and the rest will be straight. :)

cut%20g11-1.jpg


cut%20g11-2.jpg
 
Phillip Dobson said:
I just got a diamond blade (MK-99 Turbo Edge) for my tablesaw and it works perfectly for this stuff.
Click to expand...

I was just doing some searching for this blade and I've found 2 different. One is a continuous cut (looks like one you'd likely find on a tile cutter) Says it's for tile and marble. And the other is a segmented one says for concrete or brick. Which one are you using? Or does it not really matter?
 
I had a hard time finding it, too.

That blade really does cut well, and the price is lower than sharpening the carbide blades that I dulled before I switched.
 
I cut mine on an old 14" woodcutting bandsaw with a bimetal blade. All you really have to take into account is that relief lines have to be closer together than when cutting wood because the G10 doesn't flex the same way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top