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Basschamp167

Cutting G10 Circuit Board?

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Hey folks, 

I'm starting to get back into lure building after a 2 year hiatus. I used to make mostly muskie lures, but I want to start making suspending jerkbaits for bass. I want to make my diving lips from G10 circuit board but I am not sure how I would go about cutting it. I would assume a rotary tool with a cut-off wheel would do?

 

Thanks, 

Zach

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I think a fine tooth benchtop bandsaw would give you better control.  If it was me I would probably try to find a speed and feed that worked on the little CNC router and cut them out in batches with tabs holding them in the sheet until I am ready to break them out and finish off the tabs on the sander. 

 

I think it was Vodkaman who came up with the idea of using an inverted sabre saw in a table to get a bandsaw like experience without going the expense of an actual bandsaw. 

 

A rotary tool with a slitting saw blade might work ok, but I am not sure I would want to cut any kind of resin material like circuit boards with either a particle of fiber cut off wheel.  I keep a rotary flex shaft hanging on the pegboard all the time, tooled up with a fiber cut off wheel, but I only use it for cutting metal.  Even aluminum gums it up faster than it can cut.  Brass and steel cut nicely with it though. 

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Depends on the thickness.  I use 1/32" G-10 for bass baits.  For cutting it, the easiest and fastest by far is metal snips.  I use Wiss straight cut compound metal snips, about $12 at Home Depot.  Cut a little outside the line, then take it down to the exact line with a Dremel fine sanding cylinder.  Some guys who build large batches of baits prefer to stack lip material with adhesive, tape on a template, and cut out the stack with a band saw.  My maximum batch of baits is 6, so it's just as fast to do them one by one.

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I think I asked a similar question two years ago, and got the same reply from BobP... and he is right!

Bandsaw blade wear down FAST when cutting G10.  I've had several blades break after extended use.

 

The snips have been flawless for 2 years.  They cut it like scissors do paper, perfect.  Also, you don't have near as much of the fiberglass dust floating around like you would using a bandsaw. 

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Kind of a thread hijack but it's been a while and I figured its better than starting a new thread. Can y'all recommend a source for g-10?

Even though you're a dirty, lowdown thread hijackin' DAWG, let this Vol point you towards McMaster-Carr. They have everything under the Big Orange sun hardware and fastener wise.... They also carry G10 and polycarbonate sheet...

As a bonus they are located in Atlanta and ship within 1 day to me in Fayetteville... Here's the link:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#garolite/=na62zz

Edited by bluetickhound
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McMaster-Carr does sell G-10, which they classify under the generic name of "Garolite".  Garolite, G10, FR2, Micarta are all synonyms or variants of the same circuit board material.  The rub comes when you want a particular color.  It comes in a wide variety.  When I last ordered from McMaster, the G10 was a dull yellow.  Their G11 was a more pleasing light green color.  You need to ask the color before you order.  A white-slightly-greenish G10 is the most used color for crankbait lips.  I used to get mine online from ASP Rocketry, a site for rocket hobby builders.  But a buddy I directed there told me they had switched their G10 to a different color.  So I'm now adrift.

 

If anyone has found white G10 online lately, I'd appreciate hearing about it. 

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Well you know it's a good site when a tenessee fan can muster the kindness to help out ga boy. I appreciate it but I'm going to hold off and see what else I can find. If they can get it to me that fast then I'll wait until I'm closer to being ready for it. Bob, thank you and please keep us updated if you find anything.

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Ha! If there's anything that will bring most Southern boys together regardless of school affiliation it's fishing.... And maybe the Braves....

Bob

Here's a link I found that has all sorts of colors of G10... You gotta scroll down a ways to get to the white but it's there.

http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/micarta.htm#G10-White

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Of the usual availability .036 is what I use... If fractional thickness is available 1/32" is what I go with. Use the yellow handle Wiss tin snips to cut it with and dremel down to final shape. To me i prefer to use G10 (or micarta, garlolite, circuit board.... Whatever you want to call it...) over lexan for the crankbaits I build, which are balsa and tend to run shallow (5 feet or less) as the lakes in my area are shallow (most being resevoirs averaging 15 feet or less) anyway. No need for me to try to make a deep diver....

Edited by bluetickhound
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For small runs' I use a hand held shear and if additional shaping is required. I disc or belt sand. I have a manual operated sheet metal shear that works nicely for straight cuts coffin shaped lips. If I use a scroll or band saw I stack saw them. The general rule of thumb is that three saw teeth must contact the thickness of what your cutting.The glass fibers quickly dull the blades,so in most cases I don't use this method. Water jet cutting or die cutting would be good for large runs.I cut my Poly carbonate/Lexan lips on a laser. I have also CNC routed G10 with a solid carbide bit with a diamond pattern with a drill point.

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For small runs' I use a hand held shear and if additional shaping is required. I disc or belt sand. I have a manual operated sheet metal shear that works nicely for straight cuts coffin shaped lips. If I use a scroll or band saw I stack saw them. The general rule of thumb is that three saw teeth must contact the thickness of what your cutting.The glass fibers quickly dull the blades,so in most cases I don't use this method. Water jet cutting or die cutting would be good for large runs.I cut my Poly carbonate/Lexan lips on a laser. I have also CNC routed G10 with a solid carbide bit with a diamond pattern with a drill point.

I am so so jealous of your toys!

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Yes, It a pretty darn nice perk.

I have 30 years with the same company. But to be honest I get more satisfaction from using my hands. I like to try a lot of different designs and I am always tweaking things. I am quite often thinking about my next modification or design before I complete the one in hand. So for the most part it is hard to justify doing a large run of anything. I recently proto typed a multi layer Sintra crank bait that Utilized the laser to cut out each of the 5 layers profile. Well enough for now I believe that I have veered off topic far enough for now.

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