Emerygs
Newbie
I recently cut a 15" x 151" x 2" Skidoo track down to 14.25" for my Phazer. Thought I'd put this out there just to save someone there fingers after using a table saw. (Had it running then chickened out, I like my fingers). Also I was able to do the whole track myself, no help required.
All I used was a carpet style OLFA knife (the one with the hooked blades), a OLFA knife straight blade, a 18 TPI hack saw style blade for my Saws-all, and a 4" Grinder.
I considered using my table saw but when I realized how easy and accurate it is to cut the rubber with a blade I was hooked. The steps I followed were simple, just lots of repetition. Still, the whole thing took about four to five hours and the quality is excellent. (Looks factory other than the bars).
1. Place 3/8" (whatever thickness you want to take off each side)thick plywood jig on track edge and mark with a pen up the lug and along the track. I used 3/8 cause 15"-3/8"-3/8"= 14 1/4".
2. Cut the track with hooked knife up to the next lug.
3. Cut the lug with the straight blade using long sweeping cuts, like cutting a turkey!
4. Cut as close to the reinforcement bars as possible without touching the blade to the fiberglass, it dulls them real quick.
5. Use Saws-all to cut bar.
6. Repeat.
7. Every so often the Saws-all doesn't cut perfect so I would grind the excess with my grinder. I made a point of leaving excess after a while cause it looked so nice ground down. Makes for a nice seal to the edge because it melts it just slightly.
I used less than 2 hooked blades (four fresh edges per blade), about 8 straight blades, 2 Saws-all blades and my grinder wheel just looks a little blacker. Other than my time I think it probably cost $25.00 for tools. A lot cheaper than my table saw was!! In my opinion it was way safer just took a little longer.
Good luck!
Em
All I used was a carpet style OLFA knife (the one with the hooked blades), a OLFA knife straight blade, a 18 TPI hack saw style blade for my Saws-all, and a 4" Grinder.
I considered using my table saw but when I realized how easy and accurate it is to cut the rubber with a blade I was hooked. The steps I followed were simple, just lots of repetition. Still, the whole thing took about four to five hours and the quality is excellent. (Looks factory other than the bars).
1. Place 3/8" (whatever thickness you want to take off each side)thick plywood jig on track edge and mark with a pen up the lug and along the track. I used 3/8 cause 15"-3/8"-3/8"= 14 1/4".
2. Cut the track with hooked knife up to the next lug.
3. Cut the lug with the straight blade using long sweeping cuts, like cutting a turkey!
4. Cut as close to the reinforcement bars as possible without touching the blade to the fiberglass, it dulls them real quick.
5. Use Saws-all to cut bar.
6. Repeat.
7. Every so often the Saws-all doesn't cut perfect so I would grind the excess with my grinder. I made a point of leaving excess after a while cause it looked so nice ground down. Makes for a nice seal to the edge because it melts it just slightly.
I used less than 2 hooked blades (four fresh edges per blade), about 8 straight blades, 2 Saws-all blades and my grinder wheel just looks a little blacker. Other than my time I think it probably cost $25.00 for tools. A lot cheaper than my table saw was!! In my opinion it was way safer just took a little longer.
Good luck!
Em
I cut down a 153" Nytro track to 14-1/2". I used a saws-all and a 3' piece of 1" square tube for a guide. The 1" square tube sitting on the outside drive lugs lets you cut the perfect amount off of each side of the track to get to just under 14-1/2". I used C clamps to clamp the square tube in place and just ran the saws-all along the tube to get a nice straight cut. Used a couple of blades up and took about 2hrs. One side took most of the time because the fiberglass was molded a bit off to one side so I only had to cut through a few on the one side.
Sorry to thread jack but thought I would throw out the method I used.
Sorry to thread jack but thought I would throw out the method I used.
Emerygs
Newbie
Not at all Lowedog, the more ideas the better, just thought the table saw seemed risky!! Good thought using the drive lugs. Makes me rethink whether the side of the track was really that straight...oh well, too late now!
Similar threads
