[TowerTalk] Machining Fiberglass

[K0FF]

Can't say about safety issues, but use common sense.
Yes the stuff is real hard on tools, and they have to use solid carbide in
the PC industry to get reasonable life. I have successfully turned bar and
rodstock on the lathe using normal tool steel cutters. Use a slow feed and
speed, and watch for dulling. You have to reshape/resharp the tool several
times during the operation. Also the smoothness of the cut can depend a lot
on the grain of the fibers.
One project I did recently was to machine some 2" dia. donuts from 1.2 inch
flat stock. The stuff looks like G-10 but 1/2 inch thick. 4 of these were
used  to transition from the ends of a 16 ft long,2" ID fiberglas tube down
to 1-1/4 solid barstock. That project was for the portable EME array.
I used some more of the barstock as the insulating elements on a 48'
aluminum tower base,  which is part of a 75M folded unipole.

Geo>K0FF
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Wagner <tomwagner@mindspring.com>
To: towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 3:56 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Machining Fiberglass


>
>I have access to some inexpensive fibeglass rods.
>Are there safety issues in machining fiberglass?
>Is fiberglass hard on tools?
>
>Thanks,
>Tom - N1MM
>
>
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