Mayo
12-13-2012, 12:18 AM
I just finished up a job cutting some corbel pieces in a thick PVC called Azek.
I believe it's similar to Sintra or Celtec. There are previous posts going all the way back to 2007 or 2008 about feeds and speeds, which were helpful.
I needed to use a 1/4 inch bit for one set of 14 pieces and a 1/8 inch bit for a different set of 14 pieces. The 1/4 inch bit I had on hand for cutting plastics was a down cutting bit, 2 fluted, but the spiral was very shallow.
This bit cut very well however, the first pass (of 4) tightly packed shavings into the cut.
The remaining cuts cleared most material out of the cut but it left enough in place so that parts didn't shift even without tabs.
The 1/8 inch bit I had on hand was not specific for plastic cutting. It was an up cutting spiral but the spiral was very tight. This bit also packed the cut with shavings and the remaining 3 cuts were actually slightly held away from the part because of this. There was a clear line between the first and the 2nd cuts, with the 2, 3, and 4 cut passes being a fraction larger than the first pass.
This won't be noticed since the corbels will be installed about 25 feet above ground at the top of a building.
The main problem was the PVC dust which was everywhere.
Because of the re-cutting of the material in the cut, it became a sand like consistency.
The broom would only get so much of it off the floor and left a very fine powder everywhere. The solution to this was to spray the area lightly with Windex and then sweep again. I suppose just spraying a mist of water would have also worked.
The only other problem with this material is the obnoxious or noxious smell when it's being cut. Very similar to skunk odor. I have the feeling this can't be too healthy...
I believe it's similar to Sintra or Celtec. There are previous posts going all the way back to 2007 or 2008 about feeds and speeds, which were helpful.
I needed to use a 1/4 inch bit for one set of 14 pieces and a 1/8 inch bit for a different set of 14 pieces. The 1/4 inch bit I had on hand for cutting plastics was a down cutting bit, 2 fluted, but the spiral was very shallow.
This bit cut very well however, the first pass (of 4) tightly packed shavings into the cut.
The remaining cuts cleared most material out of the cut but it left enough in place so that parts didn't shift even without tabs.
The 1/8 inch bit I had on hand was not specific for plastic cutting. It was an up cutting spiral but the spiral was very tight. This bit also packed the cut with shavings and the remaining 3 cuts were actually slightly held away from the part because of this. There was a clear line between the first and the 2nd cuts, with the 2, 3, and 4 cut passes being a fraction larger than the first pass.
This won't be noticed since the corbels will be installed about 25 feet above ground at the top of a building.
The main problem was the PVC dust which was everywhere.
Because of the re-cutting of the material in the cut, it became a sand like consistency.
The broom would only get so much of it off the floor and left a very fine powder everywhere. The solution to this was to spray the area lightly with Windex and then sweep again. I suppose just spraying a mist of water would have also worked.
The only other problem with this material is the obnoxious or noxious smell when it's being cut. Very similar to skunk odor. I have the feeling this can't be too healthy...