OK - From all accounts and pictures I have seen on other posts, there appear to be imperfections in the edge using blade cutters or a Festool. From reports I read hear and elsewhere, blade cutters leave an indentation on at least one side and is especially tricky at the corners. A Festool may do a good, maybe better job but leaves irregular edges that need to be filed smooth, and appears to also leave some marks in the core.
One person mentioned using a 42" sander to sand down the sides. I hadn't thought of that but understand how that might work well. My local supplier uses a panel saw to cut dibond, and I suppose I could use a large 42" sander like that to remove many imperfections. Any one else use a large sander like this to good effect? They can be expensive and consume a fair amount of space, so if there's any smaller sanding device that works nearly as well I'm all ears.
As you know now I always have an alternative for the generally accepted methods :-)
I thought if I cut through one layer of aluminium the e-panel or whatever brand composite it probably can be broken. Searching whether that has been done by others already, I saw some threads in the sign web sites that described it. They used Keencut Javelins etc with a Stanley blade or similar to score the aluminium, up to 3mm DiBond as I understand it.
I ended up with a 5' long and heavy, L shaped aluminium profile + 2 clamps + table with a steel top edge + a Sencys knife with 25mm wide blades (the sword of snap-off-blade knives) + a 4 feet long light wooden beam. All available already, the knife was bought after all kinds of other knives showed flaws for this method. Scoring, breaking, bending/fatiguing the other alu layer is all done at the same spot after the sheet is clamped up at the table's steel edge with the alu profile. The beam used to apply even pressure on the 4' wide overhanging e-panel for the break (+ bending several times) so it it will not be warped. A thinner blade cutter to cut through the remaining back side protection foil. The edges are not usable for display so have to be sanded but for me it is different, the print is laminated first and then every edge is cut off with the board cutter, 5-7mm waste there. Perfect edge in my opinion, slight bending of the alu edge at the lamination side is acceptable. Like with using a circular saw all the separated pieces remain plane, something that is not happening with rotary cutters. The shop stays clean, no saw dust. With e-panel cuts that have to be wider than 4' and for larger e-panel sizes I use an ordinary circular saw outdoors to make the first cuts to handier sizes. 5' x 10' e-panels are sometimes more economic.
Contemplating an all steps integrated, vertical version of this tool with air pressure clamping. I know I can design and make it but it has to be sensible in relation with the amount of work I actually do in e-panel mounting. There is a nice DIY canvas stretcher/mounter here that cost me a fortnight to make and is hardly ever used after I made the 75 canvasses it was made for :-) Enjoyed the work though.
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htmJanuary 2016 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots