# Cutting theraband does not work out



## Dakdoeve

Hello,

I am trying to cut theraband gold with a rotary cutter (brand 'Fiskar' with a 45mm blade). I have tried this on a wooden cutting board as well as on a piece of glass. When I do this there is always at least an inch of the band which is not cut through, so I have to cut this piece for a second time, making it impossible to cut a perfectly straight line.
I have tried pushing the cutter harder/softer, rolling faster/slower etc, but nothing seems to work out. The blade is razor-sharp (cuts easily through a thick leather belt).

Am I missing something? If anyone knows what I am doing wrong, I would like to know.

Kind regards,

Danny


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## flippinout

Self healing cutting mat. all will work fine.


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## builderofstuff

that's what I use also.

Chris


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## Dakdoeve

Thanks for the quick replies! I will get one of those tomorrow and see how it goes.

Danny


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## NaturalFork

I also use a cutting mat. Be sure to also use a ruler and press hard.


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## Rayshot

In the event that you went to purchase a self healing cutting mat, saw the price, gasped, and went home empty handed, a couple thoughts.

On a cutting board, going across the grain may be a better way to cut. From my paperhanging experience cutting with the grain was fine with a razor blade that sinks into the board through paper but a rotary blade and rubber are different beasts. A thing I found on my cutting board that made cleaner cuts was to put a sheet of wax parer between the thera band and the cutting board.

As for razors, a straight edge razor works on glass (more paperhanging experience), but with a rotary blade it is not a good idea. You are mashing the very fine edge into a hard surface with the rotary blade and no fresh blade to follow once you make a revolution whereas a straight edge can keep a part of the blade from being mashed against the hard surface and continue to cut well.

Also rubber is way trickier to cut than paper, it's properties are far different.

If you used your rotary blade on glass it may not cut the elastic well even if it cuts leather. Therefore, if you find it not cutting the thera band on the cutting mat, you have a need to re-hone the blade or put a new one on.

Be careful if you are using a metal straight edge that you are not dulling the blade from the type of metal straight edge. I have a few metal straight edges I don't let my rotary blade near. Torsten has a nice metal straight edge I saw in his video that doesn't dull the blade.


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## erlkonig

Rayshot said:


> In the event that you went to purchase a self healing cutting mat, saw the price, gasped, and went home empty handed, a couple thoughts.
> 
> On a cutting board, going across the grain may be a better way to cut. From my paperhanging experience cutting with the grain was fine with a razor blade that sinks into the board through paper but a rotary blade and rubber are different beasts. A thing I found on my cutting board that made cleaner cuts was to put a sheet of wax parer between the thera band and the cutting board.
> 
> As for razors, a straight edge razor works on glass (more paperhanging experience), but with a rotary blade it is not a good idea. You are mashing the very fine edge into a hard surface with the rotary blade and no fresh blade to follow once you make a revolution whereas a straight edge can keep a part of the blade from being mashed against the hard surface and continue to cut well.
> 
> Also rubber is way trickier to cut than paper, it's properties are far different.
> 
> If you used your rotary blade on glass it may not cut the elastic well even if it cuts leather. Therefore, if you find it not cutting the thera band on the cutting mat, you have a need to re-hone the blade or put a new one on.
> 
> Be careful if you are using a metal straight edge that you are not dulling the blade from the type of metal straight edge. I have a few metal straight edges I don't let my rotary blade near. Torsten has a nice metal straight edge I saw in his video that doesn't dull the blade.


Using cutting mat , try ruler trimmer - a rotator cutter with a ruler -this stuff even better -very clean straight cut!


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## Brooklyn00003

I dont have cutting mat i allways cut on several pages of papers without any problem..

If your cutter not sharp enough anymore just roll it through the cut 2-3 times without lifting the cutter up. I t will give a 100% cut quality still


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## jskeen

I just did a lot of experimenting with this and also found that the only surface that gave a clean consistent cut through the TBG is a self healing mat. My guess is that the mat allows the cutting edge to pass through the rubber rather than just pinching it between the blade and a flat surface.

In any case I can't afford the big green ones either, but I did find a 9x12 one at Hobby Lobby for $12.99. I guess I can learn to live with the purple.

I actually didn't buy a roller knife either, just a couple of refill blades and turned a handle on my lathe from a pen blank and a bolt.

I find the blades quite easy to hone on a leather strop with some tripoli buffing compound rubbed into it. You can make a strop from a relatively small strip of leather by gluing it to a flat piece of wood.

James


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## Egregious Ed

I have had great success cutting theraband on a piece of acrylic plastic (glazing substitute) with the protective coating left on. I get very good cutter life if only used on rubber. Once I've used a cutter for pouches it's no longer sharp enough for rubber even if it still cuts leather cleanly.


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## Dakdoeve

Great information guys, thanks. Today I have been working on my first selfmade slingshot which took me a little longer then expected, therefore I had no time to go to the store. Tomorrow is a sunday and since I have plenty of paper as well as acrylic plastic I will give it a try with those and see how it works out. I took some friends with me in my slingshot-madness so if the cutting thing does not work out I could buy a self healing cutter mat together with them.
I will post my experiences after this weekend.

Danny


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## Rayshot

erlkonig said:


> In the event that you went to purchase a self healing cutting mat, saw the price, gasped, and went home empty handed, a couple thoughts.
> 
> On a cutting board, going across the grain may be a better way to cut. From my paperhanging experience cutting with the grain was fine with a razor blade that sinks into the board through paper but a rotary blade and rubber are different beasts. A thing I found on my cutting board that made cleaner cuts was to put a sheet of wax parer between the thera band and the cutting board.
> 
> As for razors, a straight edge razor works on glass (more paperhanging experience), but with a rotary blade it is not a good idea. You are mashing the very fine edge into a hard surface with the rotary blade and no fresh blade to follow once you make a revolution whereas a straight edge can keep a part of the blade from being mashed against the hard surface and continue to cut well.
> 
> Also rubber is way trickier to cut than paper, it's properties are far different.
> 
> If you used your rotary blade on glass it may not cut the elastic well even if it cuts leather. Therefore, if you find it not cutting the thera band on the cutting mat, you have a need to re-hone the blade or put a new one on.
> 
> Be careful if you are using a metal straight edge that you are not dulling the blade from the type of metal straight edge. I have a few metal straight edges I don't let my rotary blade near. Torsten has a nice metal straight edge I saw in his video that doesn't dull the blade.


Using cutting mat , try ruler trimmer - a rotator cutter with a ruler -this stuff even better -very clean straight cut!
[/quote]

Yeah I have a cutting mat. They aren't cheap but it is money well spent if one is going to cut a good bit of latex, I love it! And now I wish I bought a bigger one.


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## coyotebarren

I have found that using a 12x12 floor tile {3/32 thick made of some sort of pressed materiaL} that has adhesive factory applied and has a layer of a waxy type paper that prevents the tile from sticking till necessary. The adhesive on the tile holds the thereband firmly in place while rolling the cutting wheel over it. Latex peels right off and the tile is reusable if you keep the waxy paper on it after your done. It allows VERY precise cuts to be made and doesnt dull the cutting wheel. The material that the tile is made of is very similar in properties to the cutting mats spoken of by others. A single tile can be bought for less than a dollar at a big box home store. I have a cutting mat but it is inferior to the tile because it doesnt hold the latex in place . When the cutting wheel gets dull use a ceramic knife sharpener to restore the edge to lethal sharpness. the knife sharpeners that I am writing of are the little pocket kind that use crossed ceramic rods mounted in a frame of plastic, about 2.5 inches square and about 3 dollars. I have ruined my only roller blade numerous times and have resharpened it many times. Havent bought a replacement blade yet.


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## gamekeeper john

i use to cut mine on a glass chopping board, it worked fine but i was getting through a lot of blades, since i have got a self healing mat and this is much better, also 1 of the first blades i purchased had a blunt bit about 10mm long, this was cutting most of the theraband but always leaving a bit uncut were the blunt part was, i now change my blades every week or so, its much easier with a sharp blade, john


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## dgui

Your taking too big a bite. I have no trouble if I cut back and forth but only 3/8 to 1/2 inch at a time and I use a clear plastic rule as a guid for the blade. A hammer grip with the fiskar handle pointed straight up and about 15 pounds of steady pressure and hold the handle like a fist grip. Sharp blade or dull it will cut it just fine.


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## dgui

Dakdoeve said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am trying to cut theraband gold with a rotary cutter (brand 'Fiskar' with a 45mm blade). I have tried this on a wooden cutting board as well as on a piece of glass. When I do this there is always at least an inch of the band which is not cut through, so I have to cut this piece for a second time, making it impossible to cut a perfectly straight line.
> I have tried pushing the cutter harder/softer, rolling faster/slower etc, but nothing seems to work out. The blade is razor-sharp (cuts easily through a thick leather belt).
> 
> Am I missing something? If anyone knows what I am doing wrong, I would like to know.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Danny


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## gamekeeper john

this is a vid i put on youtube quiet a bit ago, containg pretty much all you need to know about cutting bands, (the catapults in this vid are from my old range) john


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## Hagencopen

I use a plastic board used for cutting quilt strips. I bought it at Wally mart for like 8 bucks. 24 inch length, 6 inch width, It's labeled the same as a ruler, makes for fast and easy cutting to any length / width.


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## mckee

get a new blade or sharpen it


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## Dakdoeve

Thanks for all the info, I bought new blades and a cutting mat but did not have the time yet to build a slingshot. So I will see hopefully next weekend how it works out.


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## dgui

Dakdoeve said:


> Thanks for all the info, I bought new blades and a cutting mat but did not have the time yet to build a slingshot. So I will see hopefully next weekend how it works out.


Dont know about other cutters but the Fiskars has the nut and between each cutting of a single band I alway check the nut to only ensure it is slightly snug and not too lose or the blade will cut the band with an alternating wider and thinner cut but not square so just make sure the nut is only slightly snug.


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## philly

dgui said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am trying to cut theraband gold with a rotary cutter (brand 'Fiskar' with a 45mm blade). I have tried this on a wooden cutting board as well as on a piece of glass. When I do this there is always at least an inch of the band which is not cut through, so I have to cut this piece for a second time, making it impossible to cut a perfectly straight line.
> I have tried pushing the cutter harder/softer, rolling faster/slower etc, but nothing seems to work out. The blade is razor-sharp (cuts easily through a thick leather belt).
> 
> Am I missing something? If anyone knows what I am doing wrong, I would like to know.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Danny






[/quote]

Good video John, especially like the string trick.
Philly


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