Cutting Carbon fiber

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Advice
#1

I am thinking about getting carbon fiber plate so that I can replace quad parts on the fly (no pun intended). I have a couple of questions:

  1. if cutting with appropriate bits, do I need to seal the sides after cutting or does it come out pretty clean?

  2. this is the big one: safety. I understand that the shredded CF is nasty stuff. How do you stay safe? I figure that I will wear a respirator and try to get it vacuumed up however, I know that there will be some residual stuff around. What precautions have you (you being anyone who has CNCed CF) taken?

#2

I would assume its comes out clean. You can use water, even a squirt bottle and keep it very wet. easiest, safest way is to keep it just under water in a small container of some kind.

#3

I never thought about cutting underwater. Wouldn’t there be a risk of damaging me spindle though?

#4

More at risk than usual but not by much. I have some water cutting videos up and there are tons of others.

#5

What kind of bit are you supposed to use to cut Carbon fiber?
Would a regular wood bit work?

#6

Nope. It would tear up the fiber. You’d need one like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-8-125-CARBIDE-DIAMOND-CUT-ROUTER-BURR-FT-CVD-COATED-CARBON-FIBER-/381947503163?hash=item58edd8623b