Does a Paper Cutter Cut Styrene Sheets?

[Trucklover]

Somewhere i remember hearing and seeing a few people talking about a paper cutter they bought from Staples (or some other supply place) that they were using to cut sheet styrene with. I cant find where i first saw this from a while ago, can someone help me out here? Anyone use a paper cutter to cut styrene with? Im thinking the thickest sheet i would cut with it would be .060 styrene

Any help is appreciated

[MountainMan]

I'm not sure how well that would work, but I'm inclined to think not very well. Different structure and resistance to paper. I suspect that your styrene might just bend and mangle instead of cutting cleanly.

Purely out of curiousity, why would you want to do this? I used to do armor modeling with a lot of styrene scratchbuilding, and I never used anything but a metal straight edge and a razor knife.

[MasonJar]

If it is a guillotine type (with the big arm you bring down on the paper) I would think not - scissors don't cut styrene all that well. If it is the kind that drags a straight or rotary blade across the paper, then maybe, since this is the easiest way to cut styrene anyway. Score with a blade held against a straight edge, and then snap.

Andrew

[Trucklover]

I'm not sure how well that would work, but I'm inclined to think not very well. Different structure and resistance to paper. I suspect that your styrene might just bend and mangle instead of cutting cleanly.

Purely out of curiousity, why would you want to do this? I used to do armor modeling with a lot of styrene scratchbuilding, and I never used anything but a metal straight edge and a razor knife.

Well, i wanna be able to cut straight lol, i seem to always manage to cut crooked when i use a metal ruler/straight edge, even with a brand new blade....

[Trucklover]

If it is a guillotine type (with the big arm you bring down on the paper) I would think not - scissors don't cut styrene all that well. If it is the kind that drags a straight or rotary blade across the paper, then maybe, since this is the easiest way to cut styrene anyway. Score with a blade held against a straight edge, and then snap.

Andrew

Andrew, no it was not the guillotine type, it was you type that drags the blade across/down. If i remember correctly, it took a couple passes with the blade being dragged across what was being cut before you could snap it off along a straight edge. I thought i remembered a thread on the "other" forum that talked about this, but i cant seem to find it over there

[doctorwayne]

My daughter bought one of those last week, at Staples, and I commented that it might be good for cutting styrene, as most cuts are a "score and snap" proposition. It's probably big enough to accommodate the small sheets from the hobby shop, but not the bigger sheets from a plastics supplier. Also, I'm not sure that .060" material would even fit under the guide for the cutter: the capacity (for cutting paper) is 10 or 15 sheets at a time.

I find that for thicker material, a utility knife (with a fresh blade) works better than an X-Acto, unless of course, you're cutting small openings into the centre of the sheet. I use a piece of 1/4"x 1" aluminum barstock as a straightedge when cutting 4'x8' sheets and work on the basement floor. This makes it easy to place my foot or knee on the near end of the bar, holding the other end down with my free hand. A couple of light to medium passes is sufficient for .060" styrene, and it will snap apart cleanly on the scored line.

Wayne

[Trucklover]

My daughter bought one of those last week, at Staples, and I commented that it might be good for cutting styrene, as most cuts are a "score and snap" proposition. It's probably big enough to accommodate the small sheets from the hobby shop, but not the bigger sheets from a plastics supplier. Also, I'm not sure that .060" material would even fit under the guide for the cutter: the capacity (for cutting paper) is 10 or 15 sheets at a time.

I find that for thicker material, a utility knife (with a fresh blade) works better than an X-Acto, unless of course, you're cutting small openings into the centre of the sheet. I use a piece of 1/4"x 1" aluminum barstock as a straightedge when cutting 4'x8' sheets and work on the basement floor. This makes it easy to place my foot or knee on the near end of the bar, holding the other end down with my free hand. A couple of light to medium passes is sufficient for .060" styrene, and it will snap apart cleanly on the scored line.

Wayne

Wayne, thanks for the tips. I like your method of cutting large sheets, this ultimately is what i would need to be doing alot, i just thought the paper cutter would be good for smaller sheets like 12x12" squares or so. I guess the only way to find out if the .060 styrene will fit in the paper cutter would be to buy one and try it out lol. If it doesnt im sure i could use it for thinner styrene ill also be using.... Thanks again guys for your replies, i think my question has been answered

[upnick]

Hi Josh,

Is this the type of paper cutter you are talking about this is mine which will fit standard sheets of plasticard and i sometimes use for multiple cuts of plastic strip no thicker than 30 thou sheets ............ but as others prefer to use a good steel rule and a new scalpel blade with several light passes and then snapped.