Replacing a blade can be difficult, since most paper cutter blades are secured with machine tightened screws during production. Paper cutter blade replacement & sharpening It’s also a good idea to make sure there are replacement blades available at a decent price, or have someone lined up to sharpen your blade when the time comes. When selecting a machine, be sure to choose a model with steel blades (German steel is preferred in our industry) as these are of the highest quality and dull slowly. Your mileage will vary based use, number of sheets and paper weight, but it’s safe to say most quality blades will last 1 year or more with frequent use. This blade will eventually need to be sharpened or completely replaced. Paper cutters with a 20+ sheet capacity are usually equipped with a heavy duty blade. This limit is what truly separates a book plough from a paper cutter, though both will create a clean foredge when used with sharp blades. Ream cutters, on the other hand, have a steel bar in place to define the maximum height manageable by the machine. If you’re trying to trim the foredge of a book block containing more than 50 sheets, I recommend you buy a book plough or ream cutter.Ī book plough is a completely separate piece of equipment and topic, but it’s safe to say this tool can handle any size book block you put in front of it. These machines can handle various paper thicknesses, making them the most versatile for general use. Rotary Cutter Guillotine Cutter Ream Cutter Stack Cutterįor most bookbinders, I recommend a guillotine cutter with a capacity of 20-50 sheets. Each category is defined by the volume of paper the machine can handle at one time.ĭepending on paper weight (usually 20lb text), here are the general paper cutter categories and sheet capacities: To meet these needs, there are several categories of cutters to choose from. Most people will only use a simple paper cutter for single sheets, but bookbinders are often cutting anywhere from 20-80 sheets at a time. They also sport a price to match – usually falling anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000+. These larger models often require a cutting stand to maintain the machine’s weight. Some heavy duty paper cutters can go all the way up to a cutting length of 24 inches or more. This is important, so be sure to check the product specifications before you buy. My cutter has a listed length of 15,” but the actual area is only 14-3/4″. To make things easy, online retailers will often round the cutting length number up. Be sure to check the product specifications for actual size. I recommend you choose a machine with a cutting length somewhere between 12 to 18 inches.Ĭutting length is usually rounded up. I personally use 11×17 and 11×18 sheets of my favorite paper for my journals. The most commonly used paper sizes in bookbinding fall somewhere between 8-1/2 inches wide by 11-17 inches tall. The cutting length tells us the maximum dimension a sheet of paper can have to still fit in the machine. Since the height is the largest measurement, it also defines the cutting length. The cutting bar will always run vertical and parallel to the height. Cutting LengthĮvery paper cutter has a height and width, where the height is generally taller than the width. This way, when it comes time to buy one for bookbinding, you know which specs are worth paying attention to. Today, I’ll be discussing my top 3 features to look for in a paper cutter. Efficiency like this is important to all bookbinders, regardless of experience level. Paper cutters (also called ream cutters, guillotine cutters, stack cutters or rotary trimmers) allow for quick, accurate cuts across many sheets of paper at one time. In bookbinding, there are few tools more important than the paper cutter.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |