Thread: Routing Compressed Fibre Cement

BT,
I hope you're charging heaps for this! I would:
1) definitely hook the router up to a dust extractor/vacuum
2) use a "disposable" router, ie: a cheapie

You'll probably find, depending on how many metres of slot you need to cut, that you'll wreck a number of router bits, and possibly a few routers and if you use a domestic type vacuum to suck up the dust, possibly a vacuum or two as well. There's no chance of just using MDF I suppose?

Actually of there's a fair bit to cut, I'd look at one of the high pressure water jet cutting services. They have no problems cutting fancy designs into highly vitrified tiles, so CFC shouldn't be a problem.

Mick

Do it with an old (or someone else's ) router, ditto the bit.

Would be pretty abrasive on the bit I'd reckon, & you don't want the dust in the machine (or you for that matter )


Cheers.................Sean

Have you ever tried cutting compressed flat sheet?

Remember this is cement that you want to cut...... like concrete....... except with finer agrigate.

Cutting this stuff with a grinder is not one of the fastest or cleanest jobs in town.

I had to cut some speaker holes in this stuff once with a jigsaw.. very expensive carbide tipped blade.... very slow cutting speed..... Very slow job.

Routing this stuff... with wood working tools...... forget it.

I recon you would probably get about 4 inches before the router bit was completely and utterly stuffed and forget plunging you will need to use a masonry drill to make a start hole.

sorry but I call em like I see em.

high preasuer watter cutting would be the only serious option.

cheers

Originally Posted by bondi_tram

I want to route 18 mm thick Compressed Fibre Cement sheets to create neat "slots" in the sheeting using a hand held router. Apart from obvious health precautions :eek: (masking ,doing this outdoors) is here anything else I need to consider. I want to use these sheets in a shop fit out.

Have you considered using a stone cutting wheel in a cheap power saw and just the slots as a series of adjacent parallel passes. You will need to set up some kind of jig to guide the saw.

Bondi Tram,
What do you want to make?

Hire a small concrete cutting saw and diamond blade, make up a guide jig and connect the hose... nothing else will last(thats everyday available).
Like the others have said a water cutting service, water cutting can produce a very accurate line and nice smooth finish. Its pressurised at some phenomenally crazy pressure and a abrasive is added to the water.
I've seen it in action at work, they were cutting out some hard alloy from the bottom of a furnace that jackhammers wouldn't touch... the water cut through the alloy... through the bottom of the furnace then the 1meter of special heat proof concrete underneath furnace... they not use it any more!

High preasure water cutting is amazing.
I saw the demo when a bloke baught the first one into the country quite some years ago.

in his demonstration he cut the same map of australia from a variety of materials including a concrete paver and a lions christmas cake.

very funky technology.

cheers

Originally Posted by soundman

in his demonstration he cut the same map of australia from a variety of materials including a concrete paver and a lions christmas cake.

Which one was harder

Cheers, Jack

Thanks a lot to all the members who posted responses to my query.

Looks like I should go the water cutting route! I'll contact some of the companies I can see in the Yellow Pages.

I don't mind subbing this out as I wasn't keen on cutting into cement sheeting in the first place. They want to cut slots for acrylic shelving normally used in slat walls
http://www.displaydecorations.com.au...ay%20boxes.htm

(top right pic)

BT,
why do they want to use CFC? No, don't tell me, some idiot inferior decorator liked the industrial look.

Mick

James Hardie market a circular saw blade specifically designed/made for compresed fibre boards.

Forget the router i have put my planer with carbide blades down and accidently planed the concrete for only a second and the blades were gone router bits are in the same boat.But I have cut heaps cfc sheets with a speacial jig saw blade it looks like a flat medal blade with little chunks of carbide stuck to it.They cut normal sheets no problem and you could drill the ends of the slots and use the jig saw with a straight edge to cut the slots.I would say that is the cheapest way to do it but i dont know if that would be neat enough.