Silly paper cutting problem

NedL · Nov 12, 2015

I have 7x11 film holders, and I like to shoot paper negatives.
I've got a guillotine-arm cutter and also a rolling blade cutter.

The first time I cut a sheet of 11x14 paper in half, one half fit perfectly in the holder and the other half didn't quite fit.
So the next time, I was very careful to cut the paper exactly in half, and then BOTH sides didn't fit!
I've been trimming the edges slightly with a pair of scissors, but it would be nicer to have a clean straight edge.

So here's the problem: when I tried to cut a very thin strip off the edge of the paper, the pressure from the rolling blade makes the edge of the paper move and the paper curls slightly, so the cut doesn't make it all the way across. The same thing happens with the guillotine cutter.

Anyone know a simple trick to cut a very thin sliver off the edge? I thought of putting a piece of tape all along the edge, and that might work, but it's fussy. Also I'm going to need to do this with vellum, and the tape could possibly damage that paper....

Sirius Glass · Nov 12, 2015

You have to clamp the paper down well to use the rolling blade cutter. You might want to use photographic paper rather than silly paper.

NedL · Nov 12, 2015

The rolling blade cutter is an inexpensive fiskars.... and you're right, it clamps on both sides and the problem starts near the middle where there isn't enough pressure to clamp the paper well. Maybe I need a better rolling blade cutter, or to add some extra clamps....

Darned silly paper!

Sirius Glass · Nov 13, 2015

I thought you meant a cheaper version of one of these
https://jet.com/product/detail/abe7...77162741b7f5&gclid=CPmx8PzOjMkCFUiEfgodcMMMtA

NedL · Nov 13, 2015

That one looks pretty solid. I wonder how well that arm clamps down where the blade goes across, and whether it applies pressure on both sides of the blade.

Mine has a metal arm with foam underneath that clamps down on the paper, and the blade runs across one side of it. Now that you got me thinking about how the clamping works, I got it out and can see why it doesn't work. The blade runs along one side of the arm, and the foam does not extend all the way to the edge... no way it can hold down the paper on the little sliver I'm trying to cut off.

I'm going to the art store this weekend to see what good ones look like. Thanks!

pdeeh · Nov 13, 2015

Before I had a cutter all my critical cutting was done with a long straight-edge and a scalpel (Swann-Morton of course) with a fresh blade.

I found I could certainly trim less than a mm from a paper edge, dead straight and cleanly, so long as I had a decent surface to cut on, good light and didn't rush.

Generally now I use a big heavy Fellowes office paper cutter. For very thin flexible stuff (lith film for instance) it still moves a bit and I go back to knifing it, but for paper it's absolutely fine.

AlanC · Nov 13, 2015

I would second using a straight edge and a scalpel. To cut the exact same size every time you should be able to make a cutting board with a stop for the paper and stops for the straight edge. The cutting board could be a self-healing matt, available from craft shops, and the stops made from thin wood strips glued on with double-sised adhesive tape.

Another way round your problem when using the guillotine arm cutter would be to hold a metal straight edge down on top of the paper, very close to the edge being cut. This will stop the paper lifting up. I've done this with sheet film when cutting 10x8 down to four 5x4 sheets, an operation which leaves a spare 2mm to be cut off.

Alan

removed account4 · Nov 13, 2015

nedL

when you cut the paper do you have your hand on the paper
putting pressure DOWN on it with a piece of matboard ( or just your hand )
sometimes a little direct pressure doesn't allow the paper to move.
i fold paper in half ( sometimes ) perfectly in half ( emulsion to emulsion )
i use a bone folder to make a nice crease and cut the crease in the guillotine .. both sides are the same width
and the few mm that trims off with the cutter is enough to fit in the film holders.
at least with my swing arm cutters the slower i pull the arm down the more it pulls the paper to be un-even
so a steady full downward motion too ..

winger · Nov 13, 2015

I'm pretty good with a scalpel blade (used them all the time at the lab and can cut a cross-section of a piece of paint to be thin enough to look through it on a microscope), but I wouldn't suggest them in the dark. If you're cutting the paper before using it (which I'd assume since you're trying to get them in a holder), using something that keeps your fingers away from the cutting edge is preferable. I have a rolling blade cutter and sometimes cut lith film for my 4x5 holders. I figured out the exact size I needed to cut by using a real sheet of film and put masking tape on the cutter so I could line up the edges in the dark and cut it to the right size. This way, I'm not trying to cut tiny slivers off every piece.

Bill Burk · Nov 13, 2015

I have something similar to this (boy this is in rough shape) that does a great job taking off slivers and the rack lets you pick a repeatable size.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Kutrimmer-Heavy-Duty-Paper-Trimmer-14-5-Guillotine-Cutter-W-Germany-ku1-/111820170021?hash=item1a09006325:g:T08AAOSw14xWQMy6

NedL · Nov 13, 2015

Hi Bethe, I do exactly the same thing for cutting film, my rolling blade cutter has tape that I can edge the film against in the dark. I've never taken the guillotine cutter into the darkroom for obvious reasons! But I can use a safelight with photopaper. I'll try Alan and John's suggestions tonight... and if that doesn't work out I'll buy myself a good scalpel!

Bill, I've never seen a cutter with a bar like that to hold the paper in place. That solves the problem!

blindpig · Nov 13, 2015

Hey Ned,
Before you give up on your rotary, try pushing the cutter toward the bar at the top instead of pulling it down away from the bar(which would be the normal accepted way to use it).I've used this trick to keep the material being cut from creeping slightly askew and resulting in slightly inaccurate cuts.
Another thing done routinely is to hold the material down with my hand and not depend on the pressure bar(mostly do this with a small paper between my fingers and the material being cut preventing finger prints etc.).
Just a thought,good luck.
Don

Tom Taylor · Nov 13, 2015

When I cut mat board, I measure the size with a straight edge and put a little tick mark on either side of the board and line up the cut with those marks. Takes a little extra time but the cuts are precise.

Thomas

NedL · Nov 13, 2015

Thanks Don I'll try that! And Tom that's a good idea for cutting mat board, where I've had cuts come out slightly out-of-square for similar reasons.

Sirius Glass · Nov 13, 2015

Bill Burk said:
I have something similar to this (boy this is in rough shape) that does a great job taking off slivers and the rack lets you pick a repeatable size.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Kut...170021?hash=item1a09006325:g:T08AAOSw14xWQMy6

Even with heavy weight on the paper, I have had the paper turn under the blade of a guillotine cutter and it had a sharp blade. Stick with a rotary cutter.

pschwart · Nov 13, 2015

NedL said:
I have 7x11 film holders, and I like to shoot paper negatives.
I've got a guillotine-arm cutter and also a rolling blade cutter.

The first time I cut a sheet of 11x14 paper in half, one half fit perfectly in the holder and the other half didn't quite fit.
So the next time, I was very careful to cut the paper exactly in half, and then BOTH sides didn't fit!
I've been trimming the edges slightly with a pair of scissors, but it would be nicer to have a clean straight edge.

So here's the problem: when I tried to cut a very thin strip off the edge of the paper, the pressure from the rolling blade makes the edge of the paper move and the paper curls slightly, so the cut doesn't make it all the way across. The same thing happens with the guillotine cutter.

Anyone know a simple trick to cut a very thin sliver off the edge? I thought of putting a piece of tape all along the edge, and that might work, but it's fussy. Also I'm going to need to do this with vellum, and the tape could possibly damage that paper....

Get a good quality rotary cutter. I use a Rototrim and it has no trouble taking slivers off of film, photo papers, watercolor papers, or carbon tissue.

NedL · Nov 13, 2015

pschwart said:
Get a good quality rotary cutter. I use a Rototrim and it has no trouble taking slivers off of film, photo papers, watercolor papers, or carbon tissue.

Thanks. I'm meeting a fellow APUGger tomorrow afternoon and the best art store in our county just happens to be on the way to where we're meeting... so I'll stop by and look at them, and Rototrim in particular. I'm going to try some of the suggestions in this thread in about 1/2 hour. Cheers!

NedL · Nov 13, 2015

Here's the report back:

I cut the first piece a hair under 7 inches wide, and as usual got a nice neat cut and it went into the film holder perfectly.
That left the other half slightly too wide. I carefully put it in the cutter, and then held it down with a piece of clean matboard like John suggested... and started the cut from the other end as Don suggested. The paper started to lift after I'd cut about two inches, so I got that mat board right up as close to the cut as possible and really held it down. Then I started the cut over again, and .... a perfect 1 mm sliver was cut off along the whole length, and into the holder it went!

I gotta admit, I didn't think it was going to work, but it was easy once I went at it the right way

Big thanks to everyone for all the advice.
If I need to trim vellum, I think I'll try Alan's suggestion and firmly press a metal ruler right up next to the cutting blade. I'm still going to look at those Rototrim cutters tomorrow.

StephenT · Nov 13, 2015

I would recommend a Rotatrim. Pricey perhaps, but built to do the job.

Sirius Glass · Nov 13, 2015

NedL said:
Here's the report back:

I cut the first piece a hair under 7 inches wide, and as usual got a nice neat cut and it went into the film holder perfectly.
That left the other half slightly too wide. I carefully put it in the cutter, and then held it down with a piece of clean matboard like John suggested... and started the cut from the other end as Don suggested. The paper started to lift after I'd cut about two inches, so I got that mat board right up as close to the cut as possible and really held it down. Then I started the cut over again, and .... a perfect 1 mm sliver was cut off along the whole length, and into the holder it went!

I gotta admit, I didn't think it was going to work, but it was easy once I went at it the right way

Big thanks to everyone for all the advice.
If I need to trim vellum, I think I'll try Alan's suggestion and firmly press a metal ruler right up next to the cutting blade. I'm still going to look at those Rototrim cutters tomorrow.

See you get your money's worth for using APUG.

Silly paper cutting problem

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