What tool/saw are most people using when cutting a blank down. Particularly a heavy offshore blank. I've done some searches but not too much is said about what type of saw is used. Any suggestions?

I use a plain old hack saw. One thing I do though to help prevent splinters is to wrap masking tape in the area I am going to cut, I also cut most of the way through one side then turn it over and cut from the other side. Just trying not to splinter the glass or graphite. If you do make a little mistake it is usually easy to hide under the buttcap or grip. It would be nice to have all the fancy tools but I dont so I make do.

Fine tooth hacksaw would work. I use a cutoff wheel on my Dremel.

I agree. The cutoff wheel for the dremel is pretty slick. Just make sure not to breathe in the graphite or fiberglass dust and wear safety glasses just in case.

Dremel with cut-off wheel. Mark the location of the cut with masking tape and use eye protection. Dress cut edges with a fine file. If you don't have a Dremel, a triangular file is probably the next best thing to use.

Stan

I use a jewelers saw which is basically just a VERY fine Hacksaw. Saw, a little, rotate the blank a little, saw a little more. The Exacto "Hobby Saw" can also be used.

Derek

Harbor Frieght sells a 4" mini chopsaw. I added a metal-cutting composite 4" saw blade to it (looks like a thin grinding wheel). Cuts right through a thick walled blank in seconds. Leaves a nice clean splinter-free cut. I picked up the chop saw on sale for $24.99. I've made hundreds of cuts with it with practically no wear on the saw or blade. Made a nice wooden fence for the saw that holds the blank perpendicular to the blade for exact 90* angle cuts.

Lou

I use a Dremel. I buy Diamonds blades them from a lipadery company. Veary high quality at a fraction of the cost I can get them form other places.

If you are cutting enough to justify the cost you might want to try a diamond blade in a chop saw or MITRE saw. I have a diamond blade that I have cut literally hundred of pieces of graphite with and it does a really nice job and is very fast. The diamond blade also does a very nice job of cutting cork. Both the graphite and the cork end up with a very nice straight, fine edge where they have been cut.