2. misc-audio
  3. 1163602950

How to cut sorbothane?

I recently read a glowing review of Herbie's Big Fat Discs, which are 5/16" thick by 1 5/16" diameter sorbothane discs. So, I did some research and I found a huge variety of sorbothane sheets available at McMaster-Carr. I bought a 12"x12" by 1/4" sheet of 40 durometer sorbothane for $29.

Does anyone have a clever and easy method for cutting discs out of this sheet other than scissors? I was thinking of a sharpened cookie cutter type thing as a tool which could be hammered down on the sorbothane, effectively cuttting a disc...

BTW, I can get 8 discs out of this $29 12"x12" sheet (with useful scrap left over), and 8 Herbie's Big Fat Discs would cost just under $90.
tvad
tvad OP
9,467 posts
 
To describe all sorbothane generally as squishy is not accurate. Sorbothane (or ultra-soft polyurethane) is squishy or firm...depending on the durometer, which ranges from 30 to 70: 30 being about like a racquetball and 70 being similar to a pencil eraser.

For more info, search "sorbothane" on www.mcmaster.com.

Earlier in the thread, I stated that Herbie's Big Fat Dots are sorbothane. This was erroneous, and I should have been more careful about that statement. For that I extend my apologies to Steve (Herbie's).

It still may be valuable for those interested to compare the Big Fat Dots to sorbothane of a similar firmness. One never knows what's going to work best in any given system.
herbies
9 posts
 
I'll bet you any amount of money McMaster-Carr stocks precisely the same sorbothane used by Herbie.-Tvad

Okay, I'll bet one million dollars. (Herbie's Audio Lab does not use Sorbothane or any variant of Sorbothane.)

Best regards,

Steve Herbelin
Herbie's Audio Lab
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
See if you can access a lab supply catalog. There is a device used to cut holes in rubber stoppers used to connect various pieces of glass ware. I don't know max diameter available. The device is basically T shaped - the horizontal being a handle (like a wine bottle opener). The vertical being a cylindrical cutting tool (circumference of bottom edge sharpened)...the diameter determining the size of the hole you create in the rubber stopper. Haven't worked in a lab in some years...might be old tech now replaced by something more convenient. Typically, these came as a "nested set" of multiple sized tools...smaller diameter inside larger inside large etc etc. The rubber we cut was very hard (and thick, 1" or so). Seems like it should work on sorbothane - I just don't know what diameter you are looking for.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
http://www.allpaxcorp.com/cgi-bin/a/products/punch.html?id=exRaobFb

Check out the link above...you want a hollow puch gasket cutting tool (I think). Don't know costs or if you can just buy one size.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
Tvad - Hey - sorry, I missed that you'd already purchased a punch! ("nevermind")
More to discover