posted
Does anybody know of a way to cut 3/16" foam board, ultra mount type product on a router table so that the edge cut quality is clean? These materials have a kraft paper face on both sides of the foam core and the face or top side of my cut seems to tear the edge.
I've tried several bits, feed rates, spindle speeds with little success.
Figured someone out here must have tried to cut this stuff.
Thanks in advance to and ideas or suggestions.
So far we've tried cutting with double edge straight flute bit at varying setups.
Have a compression bit ordered to try next.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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Bob, I haven't had any luck routing the raw foamboard either... But, if I painted the surface with Krylon matte clear, it helped eliminate the fuzzy edges conciderably. 2 coats usually, the more the better. Good Luck, Jeff
p.s. it will melt the edges, so I make sure I have extra material bordering my route path.
-------------------- Jeffrey P. Lang Olde Lang Signs Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Can your rig up a swivel knife to the router? If so, maybe you could run that pass through first to cut the paper. I'm not sure if this would cut deep enough, but a few passes may help too.
Good Luck...
-------------------- Pat Neve, Jr. 321-537-8675 Capt. Sign
Can you disable the router motor itself and maybe just install a razor knife (X-acto) in place of the bit, making it into a big plotter (with drag knife)?
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
I have had pretty Good luck Cutting Blue Board with a Sprial Bit. You got the right Idea using the Compression bit you should do pretty well with that. If not use a Down Cut sprial it wont rip the paper.
posted
You might think about clamping a sacrificial layer on top and using a spiral upcut bit designed for plexiglass cutting. The omsrud bits are razor sharp and might be able to cut your foam without tearout. No guarantees.
ernie
-------------------- Ernie Balch Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 518-885-9899 Posts: 405 | From: Malta, NY | Registered: Jan 2003
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Some good ideas. Thought of the swivel knife idea but some of the cuts are intricate and it would take a few passes Im sure. With several hundred to possibly two thousand it would take several lifetimes at that rate.
Hotwire wont work on foamboard that hard and that thick.
I have a company going to do a test cut with waterjet.
The downward spiral idea is a good one I hadnt thought to try. We only have the upward spirals.
Hopefull the compression bit will be the ticket or the waterjet.
I'll let you know what ends up working when I find it. Thanks for the replys so far.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
I had this problem with paint mask, try doing an engrave path first using an engraving tool set just deep enough to cut through the paper it seemed to work with paint mask.
Dennis
-------------------- Dennis Raap Raap Signs Posts: 840 | From: Coopersville, MI | Registered: Feb 2003
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I’ve been playing with the SignFoam product for a couple of weeks and found that if I cut at 18,000 rpm at medium feed rate I can get a pretty good result. I cut the piece of ½ in the picture first with profile cutter then overcut with a corner/beveller. Like I said, I’m playing with the stuff so I’ve tried sanding with 400 up to 1500 wet dry paper and it seems to respond well.
-------------------- Pat Phipps Custom Trophy & Design Glenn Dale. MD ______________________ _ "A Man Don't Learn A Lesson Less It Costs Him Blood or Money " Posts: 78 | From: Glenn Dale, Maryland | Registered: Feb 2003
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-------------------- Bill Jarvis Rookie432@AOL.com
"A customer is someone who deals with you. A GOOD customer is someone who refuses to deal with anyone else." Posts: 81 | From: Cambridge, Ohio, USA | Registered: Oct 2000
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Bill its very close but Im not sure it will cut 3/16" thick material. I know the blade would have to be at least a 60 degree and Im also not sure how sharp the blade would stay after cutting through a few hundred or so pieces.
again thanks to everyone with a suggestion..
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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Bob, Just ran a quick test on some scrap.. The Down cut worked good. 12000 at 1.5 IPS no fuzzys.. Put a Piece of Masonite or some other sacrafice under so you can cut all the way through.
-------------------- Pat Phipps Custom Trophy & Design Glenn Dale. MD ______________________ _ "A Man Don't Learn A Lesson Less It Costs Him Blood or Money " Posts: 78 | From: Glenn Dale, Maryland | Registered: Feb 2003
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Amy Brown: Thank you so much for your—delightful edification. It’s nice to see that someone else can bring something useful to the discussion.
-------------------- Pat Phipps Custom Trophy & Design Glenn Dale. MD ______________________ _ "A Man Don't Learn A Lesson Less It Costs Him Blood or Money " Posts: 78 | From: Glenn Dale, Maryland | Registered: Feb 2003
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Pat (Phipps), I was not trying to be a jerk. I was simply stating that the two were not the same and wouldn't help to answer Bob's question. I thought you may want to understand the difference as well. Also, I used your last name because another Pat has posted as well. Lighten up!!
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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Bob, if that downcut bit technique works for you, be sure to let us all know. I've had a similar problem with sticky back plain paper on rigid stock. Vinyl cuts clean, but nothing seems to work with paper. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I cut alot of ultraboard and mounted, laminated stuff. Have cut some foamcore/gatorfoam. I found that using the down cut spiral left alot of junk in the edge and some meltback. The onsrud salesman was here one day and he gave me a bit to try. It is an up cut spiral but has a sharper helix and it has worked great for me even on doublesided prints. It is the onsrud 63-775. I run it at 18,000 rpm and a feed rate of between 150-200.With a brand new bit the 200 speed is great. Just keep an eye it, because once it starts to dull it will lift the edge. Hope this helps.
Kevin
-------------------- Kevin Sparling Georgia Airbrush & Signs 2323 Shallowford Rd. Marietta, GA Posts: 24 | From: Marietta, GA | Registered: Feb 2003
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