cutting sintra

trying to cut according to WOF's JP plans lots of tight cuts though. dont have a bandsaw andscoring wont work here..also dremel cutting wheel wont make those curves.

I use a utility knife. Make one good slow pass, then keep scoring it a couple of times till your all the way through.

I use a drywall cutting bit. You can get at any hardware store. But BE CAREFUL, the smoke is toxic.

CNC Laser

When I cut sintra by hand, I use an x-acto and score over until it's all of the way through.

X-acto knife with a couple of passes does the trick.
If it's a straight line you can just do one or two passes and then snap the piece off and tidy up the edges. Watch your fingers though .

I've found this to be the best thing for cutting thick sintra with a Dremel:



Doesn't gum up like the Dremel abrasive cutting wheels. The cuts are literally paper thin too. You can curve it a little bit, but for tight curves, I just make several passes at different angles and then go back and round them out with the Dremmel drum sander tool.

FYI: I've never seen these in "official" Dremel accessories, only at places that sell generic "rotary tool" accessories. I found mine at "Big Lots" (AKA Pick N Save and MacFrugals in other parts of the country) for $2.49.

I usually use a cutting wheel to cut out my rough piece of suntra as close as possible to the template. Then I switch to a sanding drum to sand to my marks. THen use sand paper to smooth the edge and sahpe.

WEAR GOGGLES AND A RESPIRATOR. A cheap dust make won't cut it. Don't breathe this stuff, espacially if it's melting.

I use a scroll saw for the big cuts and an x-acto knide for the final cuts.

I use a utility knife, as for blades I would suggest lenox blades, they're titanium and are much sharper and last longer.

wait wait wait... sintra smoke is toxic??... awwwwwwwwww ****..::looks around:: it was only once

yea the dremel is a saver and the wood or dry-wall cuting bit should work well.

Originally Posted by Marx Tandish

wait wait wait... sintra smoke is toxic??... awwwwwwwwww ****..::looks around:: it was only once

yea the dremel is a saver and the wood or dry-wall cuting bit should work well.

Chlorine Gas is very toxic, the smoke is a faint green/brown when the laser hits it. We have all of the smoke vented out of the room though.

Originally Posted by Marx Tandish

wait wait wait... sintra smoke is toxic??... awwwwwwwwww ****..::looks around:: it was only once

And you didn't inhale, right?

I found that the more fumes in the room, the less I minded working with it.

and i have found that if you you can use wood plainer for the stright edges you just have to becareful you can take off two much

Originally Posted by GCNgamer128

Chlorine Gas is very toxic, the smoke is a faint green/brown when the laser hits it. We have all of the smoke vented out of the room though.

We? Is that how you are referring to your buisness now?

Originally Posted by Hammer of Might

We? Is that how you are referring to your buisness now?

"We" as in I do not work alone.

So it's a multi man operation?

Originally Posted by GCNgamer128

"We" as in I do not work alone.

Which is smart. Working alone is not a good idea; if you injure yourself in a way that can incapacitate you (inhaling dangerous fumes, excessive bleeding, etc), it's always good to have someone there who can watch over you.

Originally Posted by Boba_Fett_03

Which is smart. Working alone is not a good idea; if you injure yourself in a way that can incapacitate you (inhaling dangerous fumes, excessive bleeding, etc), it's always good to have someone there who can watch over you.

and laugh at you too, cuz you know, its allways funny when friends get hurt. they laugh and then ask if you're ok

Originally Posted by zombierepellent

and laugh at you too, cuz you know, its allways funny when friends get hurt. they laugh and then ask if you're ok

"Throw the leg in the cooler, I'll be all right. Somebody get me a beer!"

......

I think rounded blades are a better choice than the pointed ones. The rounded you can turn corners smoother with.

I use a scroll saw though for difficult cuts, and a grinding wheel.

Others here have WAY more experience on scratch-building than I do, but here's my two cents worth:

Depending on what thickness Sintra I was cutting, I used different tools. I'm not crazy about my no-name dremel knock-off rotary tool for cutting. 3mm sintra I cut with either a jigsaw or a circular saw, fine tooth blades for both. I also use hand tools like a coping saw for sintra and a hacksaw to cut my batting helmet in half.

When I was cutting the For Sale signs, I used a sharp pair of scissors for the curves and an X-acto knife for the straight cuts. I just lay a straight edge on the line, lightly cut it and then score it a few times. It snaps clean after that.

In my painful experience, I'd suggest For Sale signs for the helmet and 3mm sintra for the body armor. The For Sale signs are more forgiving and easier to wrap into the shape of the helmet than the thicker sintra.

I'd suggest having someone around when working on this stuff, too. An extra pair of hands is always good to have around.

BTW, welcome to the Fett-head asylum!

I marked all my pieces out on a large sheet, then used a jig saw to rough cut them, and a band saw to close cut them. 3mm sintra is too thick, I think, to cut with scissors. It will also cut well with the score and snap method. make sure your razor blade is sharp, it helps alot.

-Brian

Only just noticed this thread, my advice is to use a craft knife but here's the thing... use an old blade that isn't very sharp, it works a treat.

Good luck
DAZ