Welcome, Jose. Since all "plastic lumber" is not created equal, I would talk with the company you buy it from for their recommendations.

 

Many tks for you reply. I value your suggestion that obviously arises from experience,
I am based in Guatemala and work consulting for a local sheet metal shop and moving into plastic lumber to make support structures for EV panels.
Thanks again,

José María Salvadó

 

We have a large supplier of plastics nearby (not plastic lumber, all the other stuff) and they cut a lot of different materials. Their tablesaw has a high tooth count, negative rake blade (they use a Freud LU91, but there are others). When I had a day job we bought a fair amount of stuff from them for our machines, I got a tour of their "chop shop".

 

Fred: many tks for your reply. question: when you say a high tooth count are you suggesting something around 80 or higher. Do you have any idea on blade rpm... I found lit advising saw should run between 2000-4000 rpm to ensure no heat buildup on piece being cut. Thanks for taking the time to help... Very much appreciated,

 

forgot to add that the blade speed was specifically addressing plastic lumber work...
Many tks again

 

In the 10" size their blade has 60 teeth, I think the 12" ones have 72. Their saw was a Delta Unisaw, so there was no speed adjustment. I think the blade speed on those are about 4500 RPM (that's from on a very suspect memory; mine).

 

Fred: good morning again. Thanks for your advise it has been duly noted. I'll go ahead and proceed with the saw and discs....
Have a great day,

 

My big issue with plastic lumber (like starboard (HDPE) or plastic decking) is how to deal with static cling. The bits, the "sawdust" sticks to everything and I have to shop vac forever to clean it all up. I cut some black starboard a few days ago, I'm still finding black bits and curls.

 

Mr. Hoennes - hoping I got your last name right - I never anticipated static cling could be an issue. I am planning on using a table saw with miter capability, planning to get a vaccum system attached to an "envelope" below the table containing the "sawdust".... would such an arrangement sound reasonable to you?
Many tks for sharing your issues..... If you could reccoment a vacuum equipment/ shop vac whatever, I will thank you more...
Have a great day,
Regards,

 

I'm wondering if anyone here thinks that breathing the fumes when cutting plastic lumber (PVC; Poly-vinyl Chloride?) is dangerous. I do, based on my physical reactions to those fumes. When I had a lot of cutting to do, I brought my saw outside (with tarpaulin below saw to stop plastic from entering the ground). I would certainly wear a respirator and run a room-air filter when cutting indoors.

 

Maybe we should define our terms first. By plastic lumber I usually mean HDPE, high density polyethylene, like marine starboard, composite decking (which is often a mix of plastic and sawdust or fibers), and what you often see used in outdoor furniture lately. Are we talking about something else?

 

Thanks. I'm referring mostly to exterior trim boards like Azek, Kleer, and others, which I believe are PVC and give off some very strong fumes.

 

to: kthoennes Thank you for taking the time to reply and ponder. The material you describe as what is normally used in outdoor furniture lately is exactly what we are talking about. We are testing to make supports por EV panels using "plastic lumber"

to: roots. I was totally unaware of the risks of poisoning while breathing the fumes produced when cutting plastic lumber. Instead I was focusing on the possibility producing microplastics while cutting the same material. That made me focus of respirators as well as extraction of dust. To my surprise I visited a facility where they had plastic lumber and the result of cutting is much rather " plastic curls " charged with a little static electricity that cling to textiles and a lot of other things. Plastic dust is almost non existent although I suspect that some microplastic waste would be suspended in the air for a while. I hope to address that issue with the dust extraction and will be vigilant of how everything works out. Many thanks for alerting to the possibility of generating dangerous fumes..

 

to: roots. I was totally unaware of the risks of poisoning while breathing the fumes produced when cutting plastic lumber. Instead I was focusing on the possibility producing microplastics while cutting the same material. That made me focus of respirators as well as extraction of dust. To my surprise I visited a facility where they had plastic lumber and the result of cutting is much rather " plastic curls " charged with a little static electricity that cling to textiles and a lot of other things. Plastic dust is almost non existent although I suspect that some microplastic waste would be suspended in the air for a while. I hope to address that issue with the dust extraction and will be vigilant of how everything works out. Many thanks for alerting to the possibility of generating dangerous fumes..

 

I think most woodworking saws cut plastics a bit too fast. The problems are the gasses created and the plastic melting onto the blade. If you can smell it use a respirator, I don’t think a standard dust mask will stop the chemicals.

You might be able to find some kind of blade treatment to keep your saw blades from getting covered in plastic. Teflon or dry lube maybe? I don’t know, I’m just guessing. Maybe some folks here have a recommendation.

 

I cut plastic pen blanks and turn them on the lathe. Even with an N95 mask and working outdoors, there is a chemical "plastic-y" odor when turning (cutting) plastic pen blanks with ordinary woodturning tools. It is even more noticeable when drilling the pen blanks. If you are not careful, it is possible to heat up your pen blank during drilling, which melts the plastic. The plastic can harden around your drill bit and you may wind up sacrificing the drill bit and the pen blank. I am careful and it has never happened to me, but it has happened to friends.