Cutting Composites, Fiberglass Dust Safety and Ecological Considerations for Workspaces.

We have talked a good bit about how to go from wanting a fiberglass part to having it made.
I think we need a thread dedicated to how to make despite the dangerous bit of composites.

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linking stuff here

Don’t eat it.

Seriously tho, the best way i have found to cut it while minimising airborne dust is with a grout removal blade in a vibrating tool.

It takes fuckin forever, but does a reasonably neat job and minimal airborne dust.

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Well there go my plans for the evening

in the most popular thread/guide we have the guidance seems to be just go outside dawn PPE and cut away.

Since I do not own where I live and who does loves pristine nature, the idea of making a bunch of glass dust then leaving it or even letting it get on the ground in the first place… would totally not fly.

it seems then I need some kind of tent to contain all the mess from cutting that can somehow be cleaned.

I guess I will go right on to talk about how I need to construct some kind of serious dust containment, thinking something akin to but a little less extreme than a sandblasting cabinet.
image
maybe one of these with a door is what I want. I guess I have a old childs tent that could be repurosed.

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Use extraction at the cutting head I find the most important. Diamond blades are pretty good.
Like Al says, one of the vibrating tools is great but slow. Wear gloves, mask and overalls.
A thin grinding disk will make short work of anything but fling it everywhere. If you can have someone holding a vac over the area you cut, all the better.

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do you have any special filter in the shop vac? do you use it for only fiberglass?

Or a blower. Aim it straight over your shitty neighbour’s fence.

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You mean just the other end of the extractor.

nvm I am not thinking very hard

I think the filters are cotton.

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I hold the vaccum in my left on full succ mode and a dremel with a cutoff disc in my right. :smiley: Works like a charm, no glass fiber dust anywhere. Still wearing my big respirator though. And safty glasses. Don’t forget those.

Wouldn’t recommend using an angle grinder, as the big disk is not easily succable, thus stuff everywhere.

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Something like this is mandatory.

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Scroll saw works pretty well, and because it’s toothed cutting rather than grinding, seems to have less dust. Can be tricky snd slow for strange shapes and thick cuts. And mega PPE

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Man dude i rent and i just got for it and let it fly. Sweep and vacuum when you’re done all good (hardwood floors)

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A little of water helps a lot with the airborne dusty and keeps your tools lasting longer as plastic wont “weld” to it

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My only option for space that is not the ground is in a shed with deck like flooring. So letting it get on the floor can’t happen.

That is why the sandblast cabinet/tent idea makes sense to me. I could try putting a blower to make negative air pressure for a good result I think.

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Get a cardboard box big enough to hold the enclosure, the cutting tool and your hands. Cut holes for your hands. Cut a hole for viewing and cover it with clear tape of some kind. Cut hole for hose of vacuum.

Have fun

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HSS LLC… homeless sandblasting service.

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This is what I use. Has filters and extra filtering in the bags.

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Any chance you could film a clip of how you empty it out?

None. :rofl:
It’s a simple bag that has a shutter that you pull across when its full and dispose of into the garbage.

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