# Cutting Rubber



## longshot (Jan 14, 2010)

OK yall I could use some advice/help. I have been cutting my own bands and I hav had a devil of a time doing it. So far I have cut 2 sets. The first with very sharp scissors and the second with an exacto blade. Neither cut very well. They both ended up uneven with the occassional jagged spot that ends up stretching wierd and could become a tear. With the scissors I had to hold the rubber, not easy it kept flopping around and I could not cut straight. With the exacto blad I laid the rubber down to cut, but it would not cut clean through, it kept stretching the rubber. I eventually had to hold the rubber flat with the palm of my had and do a sawing type of cut to get through it.

Would someone or several people be willing to share their methods for cutting bands?


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## Norwegian Wood (Jan 12, 2010)

The best is to use a rotary cutter, but if you don`t have one, you should try to add some tape on both sides of the rubber before you use your scissors.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

You need a very solid ruler for cutting bands. If you press the ruler down firmly, you can even use a sharp cutter, but a rotary cutter is better.

A steel ruler works best.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

cutting bands on the cheap


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## mxred91 (Aug 8, 2010)

I apply masking tape on one side, mark the pattern, and cut with my wife's "good" scissors. She has a "really good" pair of scissors, but she hides them, says I will ruin them, can't imagine why.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

The best way is to press then out with a steel rule die in a 5-ton press. Failing that, a roller cutter.

The point is they both work in the same way, pressing through the rubber. Draw cuts (scalpel) don't work and nor do scissors.


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

I have best results with masking tape and good scissors.

Don't know why, i don't have good result with rotary cutter, but i know that s the way to go


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

joseph_curwen said:


> I have best results with masking tape and good scissors.
> 
> Don't know why, i don't have good result with rotary cutter, but i know that s the way to go


HI Everybody!
First,i beg you pardon,i know i didn't introduced myself yet.May be some of you guys remember me as shooter2j on USA S-F.
But as i have learn so mush from all of you,i'd like to share few tricks


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

First; J-C (Where near are you from?) i had the same problem than you at first with the rotary cutter
With some bands(the ones from decathlon),no problems to cut.But they're not the better ones for our needs.
Then i found some black thera and the first band set was a pitty.Like the other bands,i was pulling the cutter.
So,i tried two things that works well for me.

Instead of pulling,i'm now pushing

And,mostly important i think,you have to give a little angle against the rule.A side angle,not a vertical one.
The closed part of the angle have to be on the way(on the side) your cutter go.Hope i'm clear enough.


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

shooter13 said:


> First; J-C (Where near are you from?) i had the same problem than you at first with the rotary cutter
> With some bands(the ones from decathlon),no problems to cut.But they're not the better ones for our needs.
> Then i found some black thera and the first band set was a pitty.Like the other bands,i was pulling the cutter.
> So,i tried two things that works well for me.
> ...


Hello shooter13, i am from Toulouse

i don't have problem any more since i found a good rotary cutter, the cheapest one from Cultura.
I bought the bands from Decathlon too, but as you said, not good enough for our purpose.

I stick with black thera now


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

Second
For all of you who use (or whant to try) rotary cutter and crying for the price(it's my case),here"s some few tricks

A good and clean(no breaks on the edges) rule.You have to push hard on the rule not to let the ruber move 
during the cut.
To protect the sharpness of your blade don't use a cardbord under the ruber.it Will kill the sharpness.
A soft board like the ones you use for the kitchen is ok for me.
This way (without saying i'm very very carefull with the blade),i have cut more than 50 bansets with one blade and hope it 
will do the same yet before to die

I don't want to give unrespect to Torsten (And the other Germans shooter with Buterfly style,I LOVE YOUR WORK, Thanks a lot)
but i think this way my bandset Have nearly the same quality than his.


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

J-C ,i'm near from Paris
Where did you find your black therra please?
I found mine at : merlot sport


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

shooter13 said:


> J-C ,i'm near from Paris
> Where did you find your black therra please?
> I found mine at : merlot sport


I was lucky to find a few rolls on "leboncoin.fr" site

glad to see another french fellow among us


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

Third and last

An idea came to me in order to sharpen your rotary blades .But as i didn't nead it yet,i didn't tried it yet.

You nead a dremel for that and the little tool for polishing metal,with dremel or other paste (thoothpaste)...

By aplying softly with a very litle angle (in order to make the blade turning slowly with the rotation of the tool) it apears to me you should
give a new Youth to your blades.

If somebody tries this before me,thanks to give a return to all of us.

Cheers.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I am a knife sharpening enthusiast and I would always buy a new rotary blade. If forced to sharpen a rotary blade, I'd use 1,000 grit silicon carbide paper wet face up a mousepad and grind the disc around flat on the sandpaper. The small deformation of the mousepad will apply a little edge sharpening. A dremel may completely ruin a circular blade unless you are very skilled or use a precision jig.


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

ZDP-189 said:


> I am a knife sharpening enthusiast and I would always buy a new rotary blade. If forced to sharpen a rotary blade, I'd use 1,000 grit silicon carbide paper wet face up a mousepad and grind the disc around flat on the sandpaper. The small deformation of the mousepad will apply a little edge sharpening. A dremel may completely ruin a circular blade unless you are very skilled or use a precision jig.


Which brand of rotary cutter do you use mate? Also do you think that thinner bands are easier to cut cleanly?


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I use Olfa rotary cutters when I'm not using the die cutter. Thinner rubber cut more easily. The hardest to cut that I have found is Linatex.


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

ZDP-189 said:


> I use Olfa rotary cutters when I'm not using the die cutter. Thinner rubber cut more easily. The hardest to cut that I have found is Linatex.


Thanks, which diameter do you use?


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I use the small diameter, but wish I had bought the large one. It was a matter of price and I was not that into cutting rubber at that point.


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

ZDP-189 said:


> I use the small diameter, but wish I had bought the large one. It was a matter of price and I was not that into cutting rubber at that point.


OK, I'll get the 45mm then!


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I know this is gonna horrify you, Dan, but I have a Fiskars rotary cutter that works real well. I also bought a Olfa because of all the praise in here.
I now cut my bands by taping them and using my favorite tool -- my razor sharp Swedish Mora. It cuts them just as well. I use the same technique as shot in the foot (Jeff) does. 
I also have a regular old office paper cutter like Flatband uses that does a good job, too, if used right.
I never opened the package that the Olfa came in, instead I traded it for a really nice slingshot.

The Mora and the right technique do the job just fine. And it's easy to tell because you need a perfect cut, no leeway. And that's what I get. My bands last as long as any I buy of the same configuration.

So there!


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## Frodo (Dec 19, 2009)

Before i bought a role-cutter i used to cut my cheap discounter flats with a scissor. I cutted them straight. They lasted very long. Much longer than my

TB-black-butterfly-bands. Not so much performance but i really killed some cans. Now i'm using a 45mm olfa cutter. I would never go back to scissors!


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