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Cutting ACM

simon haysom

simon haysom

Simon
Hi there!.

As you can guess I'm a newbie to signage (offset printing background). Is there a relatively cheap accurate way to cut ACM. (I'm looking for a tool or bit of equipment) for some reason I'm getting a lot of small ACM work ( Curb side parking signs, small information signs etc.). Just scoring with a knife and snapping is to slow (and not accurate enough) and I'm allways freaking out that a staff member is going slip and take the end of there finger off. (You should see our health and safety laws here). I do have a large Vertical substrate cutter. (FSC Fletcher Substrate Cutter) but this is not suitable for small cuts. I'm only a small shop and don't want to spend thousands (my ROI would not be good enough). At this stage I'm thinking of getting them all cut out and I'll just keep in store as blanks. (If I can find a local business that can do this for me, not holding my breath).

Your thoughts are appreciated.

thanks Simon
 
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simon haysom

simon haysom

Simon
Thanks Guys. Table saw? do you mean a standard woodworks circular saw? will google"keencut evoluton" but I doubt thay have an agent in this part of the world (New Zealand) and might be
over my budget. (max of 5k second hand).
 
balstestrat

balstestrat

Problem Solver
simon haysom said:
Thanks Guys. Table saw? do you mean a standard woodworks circular saw? will google"keencut evoluton" but I doubt thay have an agent in this part of the world (New Zealand) and might be
over my budget. (max of 5k second hand).
Click to expand...
Evolution is way less than 5k, maybe 1-2k. You should be able to snatch a Steeltrak for less than 5k.
 
simon haysom

simon haysom

Simon
Evolution might be the way to go. (as long as it will cut 5mm ACM) Will see if there is an agent over here. I don't like my chances of a second hand one but will try ebay. Thanks.
 
Patentagosse

Patentagosse

New Member
Most vertical cutters will only take 3mm-4mm thick panels (which kinda sucks when you push for 6mm for construction sites and other abusive environments. I hate to file all the edges to avoid injuries (customers) so yes table saw with 81 teeth blade for plastics makes great cut but there's airborn debris all over the place 6ft around the saw. I don't have a separate room for that so it's pretty incompatible with my laminating equipement. Another 15min lost vaccuming the shop. Someday I'm gonna break the bank and buy one of those but knowing it will only be used for regular 1/8" (3mm) panels. What's good with KeenCut / SafetySpeed / Fletcher is the use of the 2 cutting wheels that create a "round-cut" edge like factory cuts. No more sanding but only on straight edges... if you have a shape to cut, wether you do it by hand with a reciprocrating saw or have it cut by someone else using a router (CNC). I love 2nd option but still makes razor-sharp edges thought. Nothing's perfect...
 
Joseph44708

Joseph44708

I Drink And I Know Things
As Gino said, Table Saw.
Circuclar Saw, Jig Saw.
After cutting use a metal file on the edges to take the sharp edges off.
 
Z

zspace

Premium Subscriber
simon haysom said:
Thanks Guys. Table saw? do you mean a standard woodworks circular saw? will google"keencut evoluton" but I doubt thay have an agent in this part of the world (New Zealand) and might be
over my budget. (max of 5k second hand).
Click to expand...
Yes, a standard table saw, or panel saw will cut ACM just fine. If you use a blade designed for cutting aluminum you can get a clean edge that doesn't need to be de-burred.
 
Ray Miller

Ray Miller

Owner
I use a table saw for acm when I'm cutting small pieces. Using the fence and making the same size cuts at a time, saves a lot of time. The other day I used my jig saw to cut 10mm alumalite for a free form shape. It cut like butter. You must figure in the size of the blade and if you need exact sizes you might need to discuss with your client if a blade width will matter. In most cases it won't. When cutting small pieces I've always noticed the material seems to bend from cutting. Almost twists it.
 
signage

signage

New Member
JBurton said:
I don't know why this doesn't get handed out more often.
Click to expand...
Because it is easier to ask here than look it up!

even an older manual
 

Attachments

  • ACM - Dibond - Fabrication Manual.pdf
    1.2 MB · Views: 414
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2B

2B

Active Member
We have a SteelTrak and cut 6mm regularly.

NOTE: extra "weight" is needed to pull the handle, but it leaves a nice clean cut
 
K

karst41

New Member
simon haysom said:
Hi there!.

As you can guess I'm a newbie to signage (offset printing background). Is there a relatively cheap accurate way to cut ACM. (I'm looking for a tool or bit of equipment) for some reason I'm getting a lot of small ACM work ( Curb side parking signs, small information signs etc.). Just scoring with a knife and snapping is to slow (and not accurate enough) and I'm allways freaking out that a staff member is going slip and take the end of there finger off. (You should see our health and safety laws here). I do have a large Vertical substrate cutter. (FSC Fletcher Substrate Cutter) but this is not suitable for small cuts. I'm only a small shop and don't want to spend thousands (my ROI would not be good enough). At this stage I'm thinking of getting them all cut out and I'll just keep in store as blanks. (If I can find a local business that can do this for me, not holding my breath).

Your thoughts are appreciated.

thanks Simon
Click to expand...
You can use a knife (Foka in Portuguese) and straight edge. Pain in the rear and do not forget "Nominal"
when packing in a box to ship.

Table Saw, and what you are not being told.
I have a Dewalt portable on a roll out stand 10" blade easy enough right? Wrong

1. You need to buy a Diablo blade for Plastics and Metal I think it has 90 teeth and cost
about $100. Just for the Blade. Do not be foolish and go buy a regular 80 tooth carbide
it aint and I mean to tell you it aint the same blade and will do a poor job.

The Diablo blade that Cost $100 has three edge carbide teeth, and when you match the correct feed rate
the edges are beautiful.

2. Regular tables saws RPM is too fast, and I repeat that feed rate is highly important.
If you Donkey Kong a bunch of cuts and stacked cuts, you going to ruin that $100 Blade.

3. I am strongly considering buying a VariAc off eBay. Basically you plug the saw into the variac
and drop the Voltage to slow down the RPM of the Blade practice with a few scraps.

4. A stiff leather apron, Safety Glasses and 3m Head Phones.

5. Vacuum. If you buy a rigid shop vac you need to go to the plumbing dept to get the rubber step down reducer
Takes like 2.5" and drops to 1.5 or something like that. Then go get a roll of the self adhesive weather stripping.
You desperately need this to seal off the shop vac, the little black chips go everywhere and the foam striping
seals off the vac and increases the vacuum. Im not joking it is a must.

6. All cuts Outside. but you already know this.
Pay your supplier to cut down the sheets is the better option

7 For Everybody.
Go to Lowes. In the Hardware dept they have knife and scissor sharpeners.
There is the Yellow one that has the ceramic X cut on one side and Carbide x cut on the other side
These do a killer job of DeBurring the ACM One fast pass each side. Light and Fast to avoid chatter
with the Carbide side. You can make quick work of that process.

I have made Tens of Thousands of small ACM signs and that's how you get it done.

BTW. Buy this 'fish from Piedmont Plastics or Calsak plastics Cut fee is only $30.
Spec NO Back Cuts and make your sizes to Nominal with is the Width of the Blade

a 6" x 12" sign board will be 5.875" x 11.875" there should be no waste of the ACM
all drops should be useable to a minimum 4"x8" Nominal.
so do keep that in mind. Materials management makes you money.
Scraps in the trash can is money you will never see.

Like that CapitolOne Commercial "Whats in your Wallet"

Whats in Your Trash Can or How Much Money is in your trash can. It can Easily be next years Vacation
PCB Florida or Grand Cayman

Cheers
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
Lots of good suggestions. For years we mostly cut on the track saw or table saw with a good fine blade.
Few years back picked up a used 52" stomp shear, wish I'd bought one years ago.
 
Pewter0000

Pewter0000

Graphic Design | Production
We've used the table saw for a while, but boy the Keen Cut has made ACM (and other substrates) easy breezy.
 
d fleming

d fleming

Premium Subscriber
Small stuff, table saw with triple chip blade, then side of a screwdriver on rough edges to clean up. I keep a sanding block handy for finish edge just to get it sweet.
 
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