Cutting up and re-gluing car tires

[Mark Gibney]

I have to cut car tires into pieces and glue them together for an art project.
What blade can I use on a Skilsaw to cut across the threads?
And what should I use to slice off the side walls? - utility knife?

What glue can I use to glue the pieces together? Something that vulcanizes?

Any advice and insights welcome!

thanks, Mark

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I do not know but am subscribing to this thread to see how you get along.

[Steve Demuth]

CA glue (super glue) works very nicely on tire rubber. For an art project, it's probably your best bet.

I absolutely would NOT use a Skilsaw to cut tires. It's highly likely to bind and kickback, putting you in serious danger. Your best bet is probably a reciprocating saw (sawsall) with a metal cutting (12TPI or so) blade. Most tires will have steel cords or belts in them, so you need a pretty tough blade. Even with the reciprocating saw, they are tough to cut, mostly because they are difficult to immobilize, and as they move, any blade binds and just adds to the shake and rattle.

[Warren Lake]

Ginsu knife, and if you order before thursday you get a free patty stacker.

[Mel Fulks]

I don’t know if they still make non- steel belt tires , but that’s what I would want to use. Then you could cut them with a utility knife.
If you must use steel-belt tires ,I suggest using a jig -saw with a metal cutting blade. Some guys never complete their projects, but I’m
pretty sure you will make at least one of what ever it is! I suggest polyurethane glue-caulk to stick ‘em together. Only insight I can offer is
you seem to be a Gung-Ho guy. Please send pics of finished project.

[Myles Moran]

I'll join in to also recommend a metal cutting blade with a sawzall or jigsaw. I put some rubber door sweeps on doors in my shop this past weekend, and that's what I used to cut the rubber and aluminum trim. Great results.

Also I'd recommend some heavy gloves because I'm sure the steel in the tires will try to fight back at some point.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Be careful cutting the sidewalls with a knife. Must be sharp. Utility knife with new blade should work. Go slow, please be careful as the sidewalls are tough.

[Zachary Hoyt]

To cut the tire bead a thin cutting disk in an angle grinder is the best thing I've found. Much quicker than a sawzall for that part. It's not that good for cutting the rubber, though, and the smell is terrible.

[Wes Grass]

Speed = smoke. Stinky burnt rubber smoke. I'd go for something slow, like the Sawzall.

[Walter Plummer]

Years ago I tried to cut a 1/2" rubber mat for a friend with my worm drive Skilsaw. About 4" into the cut the blade was completely warped and binding. That was with the coarsest blade I had.

[Bill Dufour]

How about an oscillating tool?
Bill D

[Maurice Mcmurry]

There is a gentleman around that makes tire rubber horses for playground swings and another that makes door mats they both use old bias ply ties. I cut a hole in a tire swing made from a radial with a holes saw to let the rain water out. Now the swing is too dangerous to use.

[John K Jordan]

Years ago I tried to cut a 1/2" rubber mat for a friend with my worm drive Skilsaw. About 4" into the cut the blade was completely warped and binding. That was with the coarsest blade I had.

I cut hard rubber stall mats (3/4”, made from recycled tires) with a utility knife. First score a line then make successive cuts with the mat bent slightly over a board (the bend provides clearance to keep the blade from hanging up - maybe some lubricant would work instead but I haven’t tried that). The bending method is quick and easy but I can’t imagine this working well with a tire, even those without steel belts. I’ve drilled holes in tires and they are incredibly tough.

I wonder if powered metal shears would work. However, those I’ve seen are made for relatively thin sheet steel and the jaws may not open wide enough for a tire.

I’d look for tires without steel belts. I read somewhere that some trailer tires are still made with nylon fiber instead of steel.

JKJ

[Mark Gibney]

How about a metal-cutting bandsaw? The blade should cut through the banding, and the slow speed might help against heating up the rubber.

[Bill Dufour]

Best lubricant for cutting rubber is water.
Bill D