Cutting rubber horse stall mats

[Rustyiron]

It may have been a different rubber compound but I had no trouble with a skill saw set only an 1/8 deeper cutting into a 2x directly under the cut. It was my regular carbide 18 tooth framing blade. (red freud Diablo)

 

[s219]

I have cut it a few different ways. Darn near ruined a table saw blade, although it did cut fine. But the blade was gummed up with black rubber that later would get on wood when cutting. Took years for all that rubber to wear off the blade.

The easiest way I found was with a utility knife with a new sharp blade. Took 2-3 cuts to get all the way through, but worked fairly well and was quick.

 

[Zerk]

I cut some 3/4, to make strips on sides of my bike. 2x4 underneath, each side of cut, few inchew away or more. Just want it off ground. Then I clamped 2x4 on top for straigh edge. Ran down it with sawzall. Went really quick. Smelled like burnt rubber for a bit.

I tried old circ saw, first few inches, were ok, then collapsed. Maybe different blade. But sawzall was exteremly fast, would not hesitate to do it this was. Wouldn't bother with another, for myself.


You got to be bug crazy to even think about a knife. Why???

 

[s219]

You bug crazy to even think about a knife. Why???

Honestly, it was a piece of cake with a knife. I'd do it that way again for sure. This isn't a tire or molded rubber -- it's pressed rubber.

 

[RobertBrown]

Try an electric carving knife with WD 40

 

[Creamer]

Honestly, it was a piece of cake with a knife. I'd do it that way again for sure. This isn't a tire or molded rubber -- it's pressed rubber.

Having worked in the rubber industry I totally agree. A good sharp smooth edged knife. A rolling knife like the OLFA works as well. Makes a slick clean cut and as S219 said 3 strokes with a very sharp utility knife and you are through. very quick. But change your blades often they dull very quickly.

Water, light oil, butter etc help some but if you have it so the cut opens slightly and the knife does not drag it is very easy. The work is getting the rubber the slip along on the sides of the knife - not the actual cutting.

 

[QRTRHRS]

One thing no one has mentioned about cutting stall mats is to cut them about a quarter of an inch undersized. They can buckle with warm weather but worse, if you are putting them in for horses is if a horse somehow dislodges one. Even tight, dirt can get into the seams and make it hard to get that displaced one back down flat. With a little gap, you can remove the whole mat, scrape and sweep around the parimeter and drop the mat right back into place.

Also, a couple of channel locks or visegrips make dragging those 100lb mats a bit easier.

 

[two_bit_score]

If you have a Fein multi master or similar tool they make a blade for that.

639�32�5�15, Fein Multimaster Convex Segment Blade

63903205015, Fein Multimaster Convex Segment Blade For cutting rigid material, e.g. plastic, linoleum, rubber, cardboard, leather, wire mesh, wall-to-wall carpet, and much more.

.

 

[comancheflight]

I used the horse stall mats for an exercise room and also cut them for my 8' blade...used a razor blade knife. Was a piece of cake and made beautiful cuts. One blade pretty much did it all..
Like one poster said, I used a 2 X 4 to help open the cut wich make the razor slide easily. It takes a few stokes with a straightedge but is a quick process.

 

[Wagtail]

There have been threads on this previously. My memory can't dredge up exactly what was used to cut. Perhaps a thread search........

... or just look at the bottom of this page at the "Similar Threads".