G10 fibre glass sheet A5

Van-Wild

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Does anyone know where I can find a sheet of G10 fibre glass? I only want a single sheet of about A5 or A4 for a little handicraft project over summer.

All I can find on the Web are companies who mass produce
 

Van-Wild

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Does it need to be a particular colour? What thickness?
I'm thinking 2mm or 3mm. Not too fussed on the colour.

I'm basically gonna try my hand at making a book mark first. See what it's like to work with. So a book mark will need cutting, corners put on it, maybe a hole drilled through for a cord, sanding, that kind of thing.
 

C_Claycomb

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I hate working with G10. Dulls saws, drills, mills, and files very quickly. After just a couple milling operations I had made the end of a HSS 13mm cutter serrated, and measurably smaller diameter! Used a new Valorbe file on some and in a few minutes the end of all the teeth were shiny blunt.

Dust makes skin itch. Wet sanding is the way to go, wearing nitrile gloves. Loose fibres on cut edges can get into skin.

Its the densest non-metal knife handle material and adds a lot of mass.
 
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just_john

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Mar 22, 2012
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As mentioned, it's horrible stuff to work with

If you don't need it for it's strength, you could try phenolic resin sheets, is cheaper and not quite so spiteful to work with
 

Nice65

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GPS Agencies used to sell G10 sheet, but now sell Korex, which is a safer alternative. It may not be what you’re looking for, but from the sound of your project idea, there are some nice acrylics and kirinite patterns.

What you’re describing doing involves abrading and cutting, G10 is filthy, dangerous stuff and as well as gloves you will need a proper full face mask, preferably one of the air fed ones.

 

Van-Wild

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Thatlnks for all your input. I've gone and got a single sheet of it to work on.

I heed the warning about the dust, blunting of tools, skin irritation and the like.

I'll only be using hand tools. I'll wear a mask and do it in the back garden in the fresh air. Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to cut it and shape it with hand tools only?

My thinking is mark out the shape with a sharpie, cut as close to it as I dare using multiple fine tooth hacksaw blades, then wet sand it down to the finished article. Thoughts.......?
 

TLM

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Nov 16, 2019
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Whatever you do, do it wet so that no dust gets around. Hacksaw works OK just have some extra blades.

Do you really need the glass fiber reinforcement or would cotton or polyester do? A lot less troublesome.
 

Woody girl

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I once worked in a factory for a few months where we manufactured fibre glass petrol pumps and raf pilot helmets among other things. Also owned a couple of reliants that needed fibre glass repairs, I won't touch the stuff if I can get away from it nowadays. As has been said, filthy and dangerous stuff. I used to be a cutter, cutting the sheets of fiber to shape and size, and we had no safety equipment such as masks etc. Mind, it was the 70's!
Definatly all the safety stuff you can muster, the itch is ferocious if you get the dust on you, I used to be ripping my clothes off on the way up the stairs when I got home at night, literaly itching to get in the shower to wash it off as fast as possible!...journey home was a nightmare of itch and irritation, and a proper mask if you are sanding.
Don't take chances. Personaly I'd find a different thing to work with as has been suggested.
If you do use it, don't forget to seal any cut, or sanded edges. minute fibres can shed, and you won't know.
 

Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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Thatlnks for all your input. I've gone and got a single sheet of it to work on.

I heed the warning about the dust, blunting of tools, skin irritation and the like.

I'll only be using hand tools. I'll wear a mask and do it in the back garden in the fresh air. Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to cut it and shape it with hand tools only?

My thinking is mark out the shape with a sharpie, cut as close to it as I dare using multiple fine tooth hacksaw blades, then wet sand it down to the finished article. Thoughts.......?
That’s pretty much it, as far as my experience goes with using it for knife handles. Just treat it like anything else you’d shape. I’d use abrasives mainly if possible rather than blunt blades and files.
 
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HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
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I buy mine in sheet form from Ground flat stock, (GFS supplies) If you look in the options, you can get them in 150mm x 300mm sheets. 3.2mm thickness in this link. ( more colours in 6.4mm)

They have other thicknesses and types of G10 too.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,166
159
W. Yorkshire

I hate working with G10. Dulls saws, drills, mills, and files very quickly. After just a couple milling operations I had made the end of a HSS 13mm cutter serrated, and measurably smaller diameter! Used a new Valorbe file on some and in a few minutes the end of all the teeth were shiny blunt.

Dust makes skin itch. Wet sanding is the way to go, wearing nitrile gloves. Loose fibres on cut edges can get into skin.

Its the densest non-metal knife handle material and adds a lot of mass.
Drilling G10 is fine, But cutting it with anything other than an angle grinder 1mm slitting disc or diamond scroll saw blade is a big no no. It would kill them in inches
 

just_john

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Mar 22, 2012
302
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Wet tile cutter is excellent for cutting g10, slides straight through it. Good luck with anything else except a metal bandsaw. I once tried a £30 metal blade on my wood bandsaws slowest setting, lasted a whole inch......whoops
 
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C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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With G10, you get better cutting (toothed saws, mills, drills) with low speed, high feed. Meaning that your cutting tool takes fewer big bites. The worst is high speed, low feed, which means that the cutting edge is passing the ends of the glass fibres many more times.
Stills kills the edges, but slightly slower than if you are turning at high speed.
 
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Van-Wild

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G10 sheet has arrived! .

I've seen on t'interwebs that carbide tipped large toothed saw blades work a treat. Anyone recommend a handsaw that's carbide tipped for G10?
 
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