Anyone cutting carpeting or tile?

[Matt B]

This may be a strange question, but anyone cutting low pile carpeting or vinyl tile?

We're shopbot users, and would like to know if anyone is using a router to cut carpeting or tile.

I can imagine a couple of potential disasters with both - melting fibers, melting/shattering vinyl...

If possible, any recommended cutters?

Thanks!

Matt

[Kevin Taylor]

I must ask why? I bought 100 utility knife blades for $13.00 at home depot but a waterjet might work on the vinyl but the carpet you might havetoo shampo afterwords!!! good luck Kevin PS just thought of something maybe a verson of hot wire cutting might work it works on nylon and kelvar but the natral fiber's like jutback capet maybe not .

[Geof]

Cutting tile may be possible using a down spiral cutter to prevent the tile lifting but I think you would have to use a slow speed to prevent melting.

Cutting carpet might be fun; have you ever drilled through carpet and had the fibers wind tightly around your drill bit as if it was a little winch drum? AND in the process pull a thread out of about ten feet of nice expensive carpet so all the pile fibers come loose.

I have this picture in my mind of your shopbot waving a tattered mass of carpet around itself like some demented cheerleader. Go ahead DO IT but promise to take pictures.

[alt.don]

For carpet I'd probably go with something along the vinyl graphic cutters. mount a heavier duty circular blade that rolls along and cuts the carpet into the spindle with it powered off and hope for the best.

[Matt B]

Thanks to each of you for responding to a thread that I most certainly thought was dead. Your recommendations, both serious and humorous, are greatly appreciated.

The carpet tile that I was considering cutting was a felted material, which machined quite nicely at a slow speed (-10K rpm) and did not melt - the linoleum tiles had a tendency to shatter along the edges -they were not jute backed, which made it a bit easier cutting with an o flute.

Thanks!

Matt B.