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Carbon Fiber Tube Cutting, Drilling and Slotting
Round and square carbon tubes cut square, drilled across, slotted and bonded to metal fittings by shops that do it daily. Reply within 24 business hours.
What good shops do differently
A carbon tube is easy to cut badly. A hacksaw or an abrasive disc without support leaves a frayed, splintered end, and a cross hole drilled freehand pushes out a ring of fibres on the far wall. Shops that machine tubes every day use diamond saw blades or grinding wheels, support the tube in a split collet or V-block, and drill with backing on the inside.
The tube itself decides a lot. Roll-wrapped tubes have plies at several angles and take cross holes and slots well. Pultruded tubes have every fibre running lengthwise. They are straight and cheap, but a slot or a hole near the end can split them. Tell us which one you have or let the shop propose it.
How the job runs
Cut to length
Diamond blade or grinding wheel with the tube clamped near the cut, so the end stays square and clean.
Drill and slot
Cross holes with a mandrel or backing inside the tube, slots on a mill with a fixture.
Prepare the bond
Bond surfaces are abraded and cleaned. Metal fittings are sized to leave the right glue gap.
Bond and cure
Fittings are bonded with structural epoxy in a jig so the assembly stays straight.
Typical capability
Planning values from shops that do this work. They are typical, not promised. The shop that quotes you confirms what it can hold on your part.
| Tube size | OD 4 to 100 mm typical, round or square. Longer than 2 m needs a shop with the space to support it. |
| Cut length tolerance | ±0.05 to ±0.1 mm typical, with square ends. |
| Cross holes | Up to about 1/3 of the OD in roll-wrapped tube. Smaller in pultruded tube. |
| ID and OD | ID set by the mandrel, OD by grinding or sanding. Ground OD can hold ±0.05 mm. |
| Bonded fittings | Aluminium, titanium or stainless. Glue gap typically 0.1 to 0.2 mm. |
| Straightness | Set by the tube maker. Check it before you call tight runout on the drawing. |
Put this on your drawing
A complete RFQ gets a firm quote the first time instead of a list of questions.
- STEP file plus a PDF with OD, ID, length and every hole and slot
- Tube type (roll-wrapped or pultruded) and finish, or the loads so the shop can propose one
- Hole positions relative to one end, and their angle to each other
- Fittings and bond length, if the shop bonds them
- End finish: as cut, chamfered or sealed
- Quantity per order and per year
Mistakes that raise the price
- Slots in pultruded tubeA long slot in a tube with only axial fibres splits along the slot. Use roll-wrapped tube or a shorter slot with round ends.
- Holes near the endKeep cross holes at least two diameters from the tube end, or bond a fitting first and drill through both.
- Press fits into carbonPressing a metal pin into a carbon tube cracks the wall. Bond fittings with a defined glue gap instead.
Send your part
We match it with up to 3 shops that do this work every day. Free for buyers. For full details, use the full RFQ form.
Read first
Questions about carbon fiber tube machining
Also see sheet and plate cutting and drilling and trimming.
Can you supply the tube and the fittings?
Shops quote the tube, the machined metal fittings and the bonding as one job, or machining only if you send your own tubes.
How do I stop the cut end from fraying?
Cut with a diamond blade or wheel, support the tube right next to the cut and seal the end with thin epoxy if it will be exposed.
Is roll-wrapped tube always better?
No. For a straight strut loaded along its length, pultruded tube is stiffer for the money. Roll-wrapped tube is better when there are holes, slots, torsion or bending.