Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior Cutting Carbon Fiber?

I am getting the carbon fiber dash kit and wanted to make a stencil type of cutout in the material. What is the best way to cut through carbon fiber without fraying the material? I was about to get a X-acto blade and do it myself but im told its going to be extreamly hard to cut through the Carbon Fiber with a X-acto blade. I was considering getting it laser cut but im still searching for options. Any assistance or advice is apriciated.

Dry fiber, like just the cloth (not resin-treated)? Sheers...big ass scissors will cut carbon fiber cloth.

If you're talking carbon fiber that's been epoxied and hardened, a dremel tool will work. (Use a cutting bit and goggles to protect your eyes when the cutting disk shatters.)

I messed with epoxied carbon fiber for my gas door, heatshield, and behidn licenseplate and jsut used new sizors jsut go really slow or the epoxy cracks. No prob with carobnfiber though.

if its a cloth, try putting masking tape on where you want to cut and cut along the masking tape. It'll keep most of the frays intact

well the piece of Carbon Fiber that being cut is the dash kit sunglass/storage unit. so how would i start cutting in the middle of the material?

dremmel. use the cutting disks. Worked best for me. Just take your time. You can drill a hole in the middle 1st

if you use a dremel..use a real 'gas mask'. when you dremel carbon fiber it obviously makes carbon fiber dust..which is dangerous to say the least.

they sell carbon fiber sheers, u.s. composites sells them as well as practically any place that sells carbon fiber for fabrication purposes.

Yea i assumed a mask was goiung to be used Same with fiberglass. Ya know i have nver hed of the shears. Find some pics. Maybe interested.

^^ they look basically like scissors (as all shears do)

pics, info, & prices for u.s. composites:
http://www.shopmaninc.com/cutters.html

lol yea look the same Well i think it depends on waht stage carbon fiber your cutting. I think those are for if its still cloth. If you buy pre epoxied or clear coated scizors crack it. Thats waht I found out. I ued pre epoxied for my heatshelf, gas door, and rear licenseplate and i had to cut it really slow with scizors or the epoxy woudl crack, the carbon fiber was fine though.

Just remember to wear gloves and a dust mask, its quite sharp and you don't want to be breathing the dust, use a cutting bit and goggles to protect your eyes when the cutting disk shatters. Also pay attention to respiratory protection, eye protection and skin protection.
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