Mark, not sure if you are following this thread. I was going to suggest a hacksaw too. However, you stated that kevlar is a whole different animal and implied that hacksaw won't work. May I ask what you use to cut Kevlar and what happens if you try to cut with a hacksaw?

Thanks.

Mo,
Any way one looks at it, prior or post the addition of epoxy, Aramid (Kevlar) is a PITA to cut! It is one of the most abrasion-resistant fabrics known which, inherently, resists being cut as well. Hence, Aramid fabric requires special shears / scissors specifically designed just for it with specific cutting angles with a micro serrated edge to “grab” the fibers rather than allow them to be simply “squeezed out” ahead of the actual cutting surfaces. It has its own molecular structure and it is advised to designate separate cutting instruments for use only with Aramid and not contaminated / compromised / dulled with other fabrics like FG or CF. Reputable composite suppliers offer specific “Kevlar shears” and they can be pricey!
After Aramid has been laminated with epoxy into a rigid structure, cutting can become even more difficult, at least if a clean cut is paramount. While HSS (high speed steel) may offer a sharper initial edge than carbide, the abrasive nature of Aramid requires the cutting edge retention of carbide; HHS will dull extremely quickly. The 10in, 108 tooth, carbide saw blade I use for cutting flat Aramid laminates requires sharpening after only 20-30ft of cutting to retain a sharp, fuzz-free edge. At $125.00 for the blade and $50.00 to resharpen it, it can become quite expensive.
The tapered, woven CF / Aramid slip rings I fabricate for my Tennessee handles are only .030in thick. I cut them off of the tapered mandrel / form / mold with a utility knife; but each cut requires using two blades! Even so, the heat generated while “slicing”, even with just the tip of the blade produces a bulge in the plastic on either side of the cut. Only careful sanding with finer and finer sandpaper will produce an edge without the all-to-common “Aramid fuzzies”.
All said and done, FG and CF are MUCH easier to deal with than Aramid. Because of that, it is not surprising that blank manufacturers have avoided the benefits of Aramid’s toughness in favor of easier to employ fabrics such as FG and CF. I still say the ultimate, big game, offshore rod would be constructed of Aramid.
Hopefully, this has shed some light on your question.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Mark, just got back to this thread. FASCINATION. I had no idea. So you fabricte ring for the TN handles. What else do you fabricate with aramid? And why - weight? something else? I can take this off thread and email if you wish. Always looking to learn when it comes to Ultralight stuff.


Thanks.

UPDATE: Thanks for all the input on this. I tried several methods mentioned here with the remaining piece of Texalium. I tried the Dremel with the saw blade rather than the abrasive blade. It still caused some melting as mentioned and the cut was not as straight as needed. So the problem of squaring it persisted. I tried to put the end up against a sanding disc and that just burned the ends.
I also used the jeweler's saw and the cut came out straighter but it left some of the ends flared out and fibrous (the fuzzies?). It is the straightest of all the cuts but now I do not know how to trim some of those fuzzy fibrous ends? Maybe use a lighter? Braided line shears? Any ideas?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2021 08:59AM by Dennis Penton.

I just wrap a piece of masking tape around the tube where I want to cut it, and use my DeWalt miter saw. Cuts very clean with no splintering