Changing blades

[martin goddard]

How often do you change the blade on your modelling knife?
"Change" would include disposal.

Do you also use a heavy duty Stanley type knife?

I once used those snap off blade knives many years ago.

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

I have several modelling knives, to cut different things. All have replacable / disposable blades. I don't trust the snap-off kind!

I tend to change them whenever I need a sharp cut (e.g. for paper flags). My blade for cleaning metal figures (which gets heavily abused) probably hasn't been changed in years.

Simon

[martin goddard]

You cut flags with a knife Simon. Would scissors be easier?

martin

[John Watson]

I use a Swann and Morton surgeon's scalpel. I don't change the blade until it snaps, usually because I am applying too much pressure because it is blunt or because I am trying to do something it is not designed to do. I do have a bigger craft knife but I rarely use it. When I got the scalpel, about 30 year ago, I also got a job lot of blades very cheap and I am still working my way through them.
John

[John Watson]

Also scissors for flags definitely.
John

[Colonel Kilgore]

You cut flags with a knife Simon. Would scissors be easier?

martin

I find a blade and a sharp knife to be more accurate.

I can't cut a straight line with scissors!

Simon

[martin goddard]

My problem with cutting with a knife is I tend to stop too late.
This means I cut into the next part.
I use Swann and Morton too. A very basic design but works good enough.
Straight blades.


martin

[John Watson]

Certainly sorted my appendix out! I find the best time to stop cutting, Martin, is when you see blood.
John

[Leman (Andy)]

I have a Stanley knife which is extremely useful for taking off initial under base uneveness and also great for removing figures from bases for the occasional rebase - such as the Germans and British I received recently which are not on 30mm bases. I have a good supply of lightweight, but very sharp, craftknives with snap off blades. These are extremely useful for taking off the remaining bits of under base lumps to produce a flat surface. I also use them for dealing with tricky bits of flags, such as swallow tails, and removing vestiges of sprue joins on plastic figures (I am not married to 15mm - not good at monogamy when it comes to wargaming). I never had to buy one of these as the Dutch model supplier I use often slips one in as a free gift. Other blades are a sprue cutter, small scissors, mainly for flags, and dressmaker scissors for cutting fabric, such as the cloth roads I use from Geek Villain.

[martin goddard]

hose little snips/side cutters are really useful Andy.


martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Swann Morton scalpels 10 and 10A blades. Fresh ones for cutting paper and thin card, and I relegate the older, blunter ones to whittling or flash cleaning. I even use them for applying filler to awkward places and have a couple reserved for green stuff/milliput sculpting. I also have a metal handled version of the snap blade craft knives in large and small sizes (though I find the thinner one harder to handle). The large one I use for most card/board and basing jobs as well as cutting modelling matches etc. for scenery. I even use the smaller snapped off stumps as glue and filler spreaders... waste not want not.

Neil

[Panzer21]

How often do you change the blade on your modelling knife?
"Change" would include disposal.

Do you also use a heavy duty Stanley type knife?

I once used those snap off blade knives many years ago.

martin

"Change" - when it's blunt; however, "change" doesn't mean disposal in my world.

Like others I tend to use a scalpel (ex-healthcare means I acquired a large stock of sterile expired blades and disposable scalpels). Cleaning up flash on plastic Spencer Smiths blunts them like nobody's business; but they are still sharp enough for metals and hard plastic kits. That said I don't trust them for cutting, just shaving off small amounts. Too many near misses with broken blades pinging past the face!
Really blunt blades are kept for mixing epoxy glue etc.

I do have a Stanley knife; I only use it for heavy duty work. Intended to use for Foamboard, I needed some new blades - if you order from Amazon it's age verification to cut down on knife crime!

For most cutting, I use Xuron side cutters, followed by knife and file.
Neil

[Leman (Andy)]

Oh the irony! Just tried to order a new blade for my headshaver from Amazon NL. First off they didn't have my Dutch phone number, so I gave it them. Then they didn't have my password so sent me a code to change my password. Done. Then I got confused so had to start the order over, but they had to send a code, but it did not arrive, so I clicked the thing that requests they send it again, and they gave me the option of either of my old phone numbers. Useless cretins.