PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED BELOW. CUTTING CARBON FIBER IS A HAZARDOUS PROCESS AND YOU MUST TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT INJURY!


Carbon Fiber safety tips:
This is not the end all list of precautions that you must take when handling Carbon Fiber (CF). Just like with RC and this hobby, working on the cars and kits presents a dangerous environment. It could be a spinning hazard from a clutch bell, toxin hazard from cells that are leaking or nitro fuel, heat from a over heated engine or pipe, or a 8 pound object traveling towards your body at 60mph. CF presents a hazard as well. But, if the right safety measures and steps are taken then you will reap a benefit from its use.


Benefits:
-Smaller pieces of CF can decorate an RC piece. They can wrap around or go on top of aluminum pieces. CF can add a unique look to your RC as a cosmetic ornament or it can serve as a rigid lightweight component of the vehicle.
-Larger pieces provide strength without weight, resistance to fatigue unlike aluminum that will eventually break, resists corrosion and expansion, and has dampening characteristics.

Personal safety:

- Work in a well-ventilated area! CF dust is very hazardous to your lungs! Do not try to cut without good ventilation.
- Protect your eyes! Wear goggles or some form of eye protection. The CF dust does present a eye irritant and you do not want this dust to scratch anything fragile inside the eye.
- Protect your skin!! CF is a skin irritant that can provide red rashes and some degree of pain. Where long sleeved shirts, gloves, and wrap your face up if you feel that you need to.
-Protect your lungs! Wear a mask so that you don’t breath in the strands of CF or dust. This will attack your mucous membranes.


-IF AT ANY TIME A SITUATION PRESENTS ITSELF, WHETHER COVERED OR NOT COVERED HERE, AND IT IS REALIZED, THEN STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING TILL THE SITUATION IS CORRECTED OR MADE SAFE. If you feel that you need more protective equipment or anything else to make you, and those around you safer, then DO IT!
-If you have animals around, remove them from the area as well. Think about our four legged friends as well!!

Cutting:
-try to position templates so that you will maximize the use of the CF and also avoid re-work due to non-precise cuts or holes. A bit of extra time spend on this can save you a lot of extra time and cash. This of your CF panel as a jigsaw and try and fit as many parts onto it as you can even before you make the first cut.
- Make relief cuts whenever possible to allow smaller pieces to fall out of your way while you cut.
-Several methods are available to cut your carbon including rotary dremel tools, jigsaws or jagged edged blades. For small parts the dremel tool will work best but you may need to use a jigsaw with a fine toothed blade for larger parts.
-Blades with a jagged tooth design might rip the edge of the CF. You can fix this later by sanding it down or using masking tape along the sides of the cut edges.

Clean up:

-Wash the CF that you cut with water.
-Wash left over CF with water.
-Wash your hands and/ or take a shower (close your eyes at first and lean into the water so that nothing goes down your body).
-Wash the clothes that you wore.
-You can clean the edges of your cut CF by rubbing it with a 100 grit sand paper and then moving up to a 300 to 400 grit sand paper.
-Dress the edges of your cut edges with something that will encapsulate it. Super glue, CA glue or clear nail polish works.
-Clean the work area, and the area around it, right away. Don’t let the dust remain.


Thanks to Brian D. for providing additional info and suggestions for this article.