Cutting OC703

[JohnDavisNYC]

Hi... I'm doing a renovation on our control room, and will be doing some additional acoustic treatment... namely superchunks in the front two corners and some big traps in a rack alcove and above the machine closet....

what is the safest way to cut this stuff so that I don't die in 2 months... obviously wear a mask... do it outside.... but what tool? jig saw? sounds really messy and itchy.... lotsa fiberglass dust everywhere.... utility knife? slow but cleaner.

john

[Al_Huero]

I've used scissors for cutting up to 2-in thick sheets. Works fine. You need to make a couple of passes and wear gloves.

[jrsgodfrey]

Electric knife, like you use for Thanksgiving turkey. Or, if just straight cuts, mat knife and a nice heavy straight edge.

[JohnDavisNYC]

hmmm... electric knife... that sounds pretty quick. I will be making ALOT of cuts, so something relatively fast is the best.

any other ideas?

j

[raw-tracks]

I've heard of folks using an electric knife. Sounds like it would work well. Haven't tried it myself. I just use one of those grey razor blade knives you use for cutting carpet, etc. Works well on up to 2" material. 4" is a bit harder, but I've made it work.

[norton]

The absolute best way to cut 703 OR rock wool for that matter is a serrated knife.

.... a long serrated knife... razor blades don't work well at all...lots of shed.

For some reason the kitchen knife pulls right through the stuff with a nice straight line and leaves little if any crap floating around in the air.

I'm sure an electric knife would work great... but it's got to be overkill. the bread knife thing's just too easy.

[markitzero]

They make insulation knives (non-serrated) that are cheap and cut like butter. Available at home depot or Lowes. You won't die. Why is everyone so scared of insulation? people work with this stuff all day everyday and are perfectly fine... I should know, I used to install industrial ductwork, most of which had to be wrapped in fiberglass insulation. It's itchy, so wear long sleeves. But that's it.

[Cyan421]

i was wondering if a dry wall saw would be good?

[ledogboy]

I made corner traps out of 703, and I had a lot of 45 degree angles to cut. So I actually used a table saw. It might seem like overkill, but the angles were perfect and the panels sit nice and flush against the wall. Of course, I was in a freaking moon suit to keep all the crap off of me.
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[JWL]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... fiberglass

[markitzero]

i was wondering if a dry wall saw would be good?

Not if unless you want to rip the hell out of the fiberglass.

And what's with the t-shirt around the face in that video? Did someone sprinkle anthrax on the 703? Seriously, it's just fiberglass.

[mjau]

You probably are already doing this, but wearing long sleeves helps when working around any kind of insulation. I've made the mistake in the past of not doing so...itchy, itchy, itchy for days.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i just use a regular old box cutter type knife. perfectly simple, the fiberglass doesn't shed.

and like markitzero said, you're not going to die from being around the stuff for a little bit. the spray adhesive i use to secure the fabric on the panels is orders of magnitude worse than the fiberglass itself.

[trodden]

serrated bread knife.

where long sleeves and gloves. Duct tape the end of the sleeves around your gloves to keep it from getting in there.

don't forget to pull your mask down from your forhead like I do.

[linus]

John;

You saw all the OC703 treatment I had in my space. I made every cut with an electric knife (like for the thanksgiving turkey) and it was effortless. Cost me $15 at Macy's. Just don't use it for the turkey afterwards unless you like the taste of glass...

Wear a long sleeve shirt buttoned all the way up, mask, and glasses. Clean up by using a vacuum cleaner (better if it has a hepa filter). Don't sweep up as that will just send all the bits airborne again.

You can borrow mine if you want. I won't need it for the next few weeks.

Linus