Tool to cut hardboard?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am building a waybill box out of 3/16" hardboard.

  1. What is the best way to cut the material? Sabre saw, Razor etc

  2. What is the best type of Adhesive to join this material?

2

You can do it with a really fine tablesaw blade. Same with jigsaw…really fine. I would probably go with one of those Rotozip cutters. Wear a dust mask also. Not sure about glue but I would think CA and some small brads would do the trick.

3

I would use a table or radial arm saw with an extremely fine toothed blade to minimize tearing and dust. If you use a sabre saw again use as fine a blade as you can get and c clamp a fence to the hardboard for a straight cut.

4

I cut my 1" splines out of 4’ x 8’ sheets using my radial arm saw. I rolled the saw outside to do it and the dust cloud set a Radar Defence Alert off in Russia.

5

I cut my layout fascia out of 1/8" Masonite - using a 64 tooth blade in my radial arm saw. I cut 16" wide strips with a special support table on each side. I used PL200 adhesive and 1 1/8" wire nails from my pneumatic nailer.

The bill boxes are a combination of Masonite ands birch plywood. Glued together(Tite Bond) in a jig, and nailed after pre-drilling the holes(way too much work)!

Jim

6

I cut mine on my table saw and the blade is my regular blade I use for all cuts - NOT a fine tooth blade as others suggest

And it cuts the Masonite just fine!

Let the blade do the cutting and it will cut properly!

And I probably have cut 25 - 4 x 8 shets for the layout

BOB H - Clarion, PA

7

What adhesive are you using?

Harold

8

if you cut slots into thicker side pieces, the masonite just slides into place. Look at house kitchen or desk drawers are put together

9

Me too, just a regular general purpose blade with carbide teeth. I did all of mine using my Skil saw. Cut from the side which will be the rear on the finished product, and it’ll look fine.

Wayne

10

Just finished cutting a router template from 1/8 inch hardboard. Used my sabre saw and the finest tooth blade I had. Did a very smooth neat cut. I have also used a 7-1/4 60 tooth blade in one of my circular saws to cut hardboard. Just don’t push the blade too fast into the cut and you get a nice clean cut with minimal tear-out along the cut line.

I picked up the piece of hardboard at my local Lowe’s for a dollar from behind their large panel cut off saw station. They had several scraps of hardboard. Will try buying more scraps when I get ready for facia as they had several pieces about 2 ft wide by 8 ft long in their scrap pile.

11

Thanks. I now have a pretty good idea on the cut. Now what about joining all the pieces together?

Goo, CA, Gorilla glue, ETC

Harold

12

Hi Harold,

My preference for non-porous material like hardboard would be DAP Weldwood Original Contact Cement. For porous materials like plywood butted joints would be Carpenters Yellow glue. Both when applied correctly have very strong bonds.

Take Care!

Frank

13

I have an Air Pin Nailer and now only use it to attach anything!

I have Pin Nails from 3/4" to 1 5/8" so I will cover quite a range!

I use 1/8" masonite for just about anything as it is easy to cut and Nail!

I use it for backdrops and Fascia as well as Car Card Boxes!

For the sides of the Car Card Boxes I just use 3/4" wood cut to the width needed.

The Boxes are usually screwed together or just Pin Nailed and White Glue as the case may be.

Using the Pin Nailer leaves a very small pin hole that can be filled easily and quickly if one wants to paint the Masonite!

BOB H - Clarion, PA

14

I’ve found that a small hand sander used on the edges will allow you to get a nice clean “factory” edge even if you cut with a fairly crude saw. Round the edges with the sander and it will look great.

15

LION uses table saw.

Him NEVER changes the blade, but uses whatever the last user happend to put on the saw. At the moment it has some huge nasty looking thing with teeth about an inch apart. But it made a fine neat cut, so what else have I to ask for.

SAVE the sawdust, it works real good in your paper machae.

ROAR

16

I’ve cut 1/8th inch hardboard for my fascia with my table saw, using an 80 tooth carbide tipped blade. You can use blades with fewer teeth, but there’s always more risk of tearout. I then cut the top of the fascia to the scenery contours using a fine-tipped sabre-saw blade.

I’ve attached the fascia with screws, but after reading the posts here I think I’ll change to an air nailer. However, if I were gluing I would definitely use a construction adhesive . . . it holds virtually anything together.

17

Either a sabre saw or table saw with a fine blade for cutting. Clean up the edges with sandpaper.

Attach to benchwork with wood screws. Use yellow carpenters glue on the hardboard.