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need ideas
Ruger4me
Member, Moderator Posts: 3,864 ******
On the best tool to use to cut up a thick (about an inch or so) rubber stall mat. I'm thinking either circular saw or reciprocating saw. If either of these is a good idea, what type of blade?
Comments
The saw blades will heat up ad stick. Just had a friend go through this and the best tools were a utility knife to make the initial cut (using a straight edge as a guide) and then folding that cut open a bit and finishing with a hook knife.
I cut one for under my gun safe. I just used a utility knife. It worked well.
Youtube agrees with NeoBlackdog. ^^^^^^^
I used a circular saw to cut out for fender wells in a truck bed.
If you bend it so the cut will open up most any saw/knife will do.
I you use a saw with variable speed slow it down so you won't melt the rubber and cause problems.
The liners on pecan harvesters are hard thick rubber. I make the initial cut (actually a fast mark line) with my grinder with a cutoff blade. The I fold it at the cut and just use a sharp pocket knife to cut the rest of the way through it. Don
I’ve used a utility knife and a metal square to keep it straight. Either a couple passes with the knife of a gold and finish cut works. Last thing you want to do is get it hot. Stuff stinks like a burnout!
Lubing it as you go also helps if cutting with a knife.
whatever you use make sure it has a very sharp edge. you may have to resharpen a couple of times before you finish but what others have suggested about folding the cut open and then making another cut will work. make sure your knife remains sharp.
Hot rubber.
Couple industrious fellows near here went to recycling tires. Humm a silage chopper would a make a perfect "tire chopper"
All went good for a couple minutes then the FD had to be called.😕
Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I'll let ya know how it all works out when I try later this week, today I'm still dealing with new faucet install and a leaky cut off valve...
I often cut 3/4 with the band saw with a sharp blade.
Carpet cuts well on the band saw too. Fuzzy side down.
I needed a few thick rubber washers and none of the hardware stores had anything close.I picked up a piece of a recap that a truck tire had thrown,put a hole saw bit in the drill press and started cutting the washers.Bad idea.When the hole saw blade got hot the rubber started sticking and turned into a gooey,oily mess with an aroma that you will remember a long time.
Sawzall, low speed, coarse blade, WD-40 while you cut, lots of it. Done it with a hand held jigsaw too. A hotknife works great to remove the lugs off mudder tires, but it sucks on something like the mats.
i will just say be careful
not one of my better days or best ideas about 25 some odd years ago I was cutting a rubber mat in the back of a full size blazer I was working on it had a roll bar in the back ( factory option )
I had my left hand on the roll bar for leverage and using my right hand to pull the knife thru the mat the knife jumped out of the rubber as I was puling way too hard, my left index finger was sliced ( it was backed by the roll bar) and took a direct hit . sliced right into my 2nd knuckle and deep . any way to shorten up the story I still do not have complete feeling in that finger . for a few years after If I did injury it while working I would not realize it until I seen blood running . over time enough feeling came back so at least I have some sensation in it .
I would go water jet.
Ditch-Runner yes I definitely am going to take my time and be careful. Mostly because arthritis has my hands and fingers well below 50% capabilities which is why I'm asking for suggestions, doing anything causes some pain/discomfort but I still have to get things done. Thanks for your suggestions everyone. By the way I'm using the like button to acknowledge your thoughts/ideas or the LOL if you made me chuckle.