What is the best and safest way to cut carbon fiber? I realize you don’t want to breath the dust. How do you do it? On the picture below I’d like to cut off the 2 holes for the 2.4GHZ antennas. 

I usually just wear a respirator and use a Dremel type tool with a small cutoff wheel.

That or belt sander and grind it off.

Water is also your friend with any type of dust. Consider keep the carbon wet while you cut it.

I've only cut small pieces like that quickly with a dremel - even then it's pretty rare. But in those cases I just use a medical mask and make sure clean the area as soon as I'm done.

As far as bits, I'd start with the disc to cut off just above the red line. Then a sanding cylinder to flatten it out.

Especially something that small. Just cut it next to a shopvac.

vacuum cleaner next to the dremel for small jobs, additional mask isnt wrong. its just better than without, it doesnt the full job for dust free workbench.

All good advice. I have Dremel cutoff wheels. Can I use them wet? I can use a pump from tile saw to keep wet.

(14-Mar-2021, 06:47 AM)Kevin2112 Wrote: All good advice. I have Dremel cutoff wheels. Can I use them wet? I can use a pump from tile saw to keep wet.

If you wet the disc water will fly off in a split second, just use a vacuum cleaner with dremel and a mask preferably outside the house...

Just make sure the dremel is spinning away from you as that is the primary direction the dust will go. Yea that's gonna get messy with water and the disc.

Being the disc is so thin, small  and smooth I wouldn’t think it would kick to much water. I’ll do it outside to make sure.

Another thing with using any power tools with carbon is the dust in conductive and can short gear. I've burnt out a Dremel and extraction fan with carbon dust. that being said I was working with a lot more carbon than in a drone, but still. keep it clean and save your gear.

(15-Mar-2021, 03:38 AM)Ricky.M Wrote: Another thing with using any power tools with carbon is the dust in conductive and can short gear. I've burnt out a Dremel and extraction fan with carbon dust. that being said I was working with a lot more carbon than in a drone, but still. keep it clean and save your gear.

Good point never thought of that as working with carbon materials is totally new to me!

I have also used a standard bench grinder to shave off small pieces and tips; like the tips of arms.

I'm clearly late to the party, but my thoughts anyways

I avoid cutting carbon with rotary tools if i can because sometimes it'll catch and cause a small delamination., I normally use a Hacksaw with the part in a vice and just occasionally tip water over it to prevent dust. Its very important to use a fine tooth blade and get a good quality sharp one.

Speaking of water, just watched a Done Mesh video on this CNC projects. He shaved tabs off recently cut CF parts over a pan of water. I thought that was brilliantly simple.