Best Knives to Use?

[Hai-Lee]

Nice selection of FB working tools BUT where is your sand paper and sanding block?

Have fun!

 

[mayan]

If one were thrifty and skilled, I think you could do it all (minus cutting wire) with that red utility knife. You'd need lots of replacement blades, though.

I agree with you on this. I tend to use only the blade of the knife for everything exept for wire.

 

[buzzbomb]

Nice selection of FB working tools BUT where is your sand paper and sanding block?

Have fun!

Too messy. The carpet is already crying in pain!

 

[mayan]

Too messy. The carpet is already crying in pain!

That's the reason I quite using it too.

 

[Hai-Lee]

Sorry my build area doesn't have carpet!

On some of my builds not sanding means extremely accurate cutting ans that includes some impossibly tight curves and corners!
I can live with a blunt knife, but not without my sandpaper!

Have fun!

 

[buzzbomb]

Sorry my build area doesn't have carpet!

On some of my builds not sanding means extremely accurate cutting ans that includes some impossibly tight curves and corners!
I can live with a blunt knife, but not without my sandpaper!

Have fun!

Sorry, mate. I'd rather have a sharp knife and live without the sandpaper. I've never cut myself on sandpaper before, but a blunt knife? Yep. Got stories, there!

I can see where the sandpaper would make a wonderful, even complicated bevel really easy. It's not hard to picture. With the carpet and my sinuses? Nah. Bad idea. I wish I could go that route, because I've seen pictures of how pretty a bevel it can make. I've got to stick with cruder methods, I'm afraid.

 

[Hai-Lee]

Sorry, mate. I'd rather have a sharp knife and live without the sandpaper. I've never cut myself on sandpaper before, but a blunt knife? Yep. Got stories, there!

I can see where the sandpaper would make a wonderful, even complicated bevel really easy. It's not hard to picture. With the carpet and my sinuses? Nah. Bad idea. I wish I could go that route, because I've seen pictures of how pretty a bevel it can make. I've got to stick with cruder methods, I'm afraid.

I also suffer the old sinus issues and I must have cut myself more than most in the past but I learned albeit slowly. I need those crisp and accurate cuts and bevels for the retail side of my design and build business. Actually I do not really use blunt knives but I do have a board of fine sandpaper that I use to wipe and hone blunt blades unless they have chipped cutting edges!

Each to his own as always!

have fun!

 

[slipshift]

All you need to round off your collection is a machete I like your idea to cut skewers with a pipe cutter, I've been using a dog and cat toenail clipper. For sanding I have some of my wife's emery boards and paint stirrers with sandpaper glued to them.

Jim

 

[Kendalf]

I've been using a dog and cat toenail clipper. For sanding I have some of my wife's emery boards and paint stirrers with sandpaper glued to them.

Clippers is a great idea! Let me see if we can find ours.

I use foam sanding blocks.

 

[slipshift]

Another thing I found handy was a smaller nozzle for my glue gun. I bought this set http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07421F6J8/?tag=lstir-20 which were all long nose nozzles. Unfortunately, the long nose allows the glue to cool down when coming out so I had to trim it shorter. Works great now and uses less glue.

Jim

 

[buzzbomb]

I use Xacto type knives, since they are one I have used for years, you need to change the blade every 3 sheets of board. Paper in particular dulls the edge of blades really fast. For bevel cuts I use a Stanley type blade as shown above, with a steel rule.
Bevel cut like that-
View attachment 123276

I somehow missed that sweet bevel and those awesome rounded edges. I gotta get me a hobby iron!

 

[FDS]

I just used the clothes iron, do it prior to assembly, we never use the iron in my house so it was just sitting there!

 

[buzzbomb]

I just used the clothes iron, do it prior to assembly, we never use the iron in my house so it was just sitting there!

Wow. That is an awesome mental image! Here is my version:

"What the heck, I'm building a frackin' plane ya'll! Somebody hold my beer. That clothes iron over there ain't doin' nothin' anyways. I got me an idea! Oooh, that's a nice smooth edge! What? You once had a tool that used heat to flatten clothing? I've no idea what the heck you're talking about. This here thing is a bonafide foamboard edge-melder! I'm pretty sure it said it on the box. You don't have to take my word for it, just look at the results!"

 

[FDS]

Pretty much that. Substitute “beer” for “tea” and you have the whole thing down!
Life is too short to iron clothes, plenty long enough to iron foamboard model aeroplanes.
It looked a lot like this...

 

[mayan]

Pretty much that. Substitute “beer” for “tea” and you have the whole thing down!
Life is too short to iron clothes, plenty long enough to iron foamboard model aeroplanes.
It looked a lot like this...
View attachment 123644

One picture worth a thousand words!

 

[jamboree1]

I have to admit that I have tried just about every way of cutting foam manually that you can think of and keep going back to the cheap Dollar Tree snap off blades. I suspect that the blades are so cheap and thin that it actually helps. And I find it useful at times to extend the blade out to do some cuts such as beveling. For straight line cuts I use a steel edged ruler or a steel straight edge, don't use aluminum as a sharp knife can cut into it.

 

[buzzbomb]

Pretty much that. Substitute “beer” for “tea” and you have the whole thing down!
Life is too short to iron clothes, plenty long enough to iron foamboard model aeroplanes.
It looked a lot like this...
View attachment 123644

THAT ROCKS!!

 

[skymaster]

Hello everyone. for me i started with the X-Acto knife but its kind of hard to keep a straight line, so i started using the one's from dollar tree. bought 2 and one is still in the package. my dad used to work with roses and plants and fruit trees and the knifes that they used were always super sharp that a doctor could do surgery with them. so i sharpen the dollar tree knife the same way every time it gets dull. so if you want to give it a try here's how you do it . get a piece of wood make sure it's smooth and flat. buy a piece of sandpaper i'm using 1500 grit 1000 is good too. glue it to the piece of wood and you got your sharpener.

 

[Keno]

Well pretty much read all the above but forgive me If I repeat someone comment. I scratch build and cut out most of my project, but occasionally do purchase a speed build kit. My favorite cutting tools is a Fiskars 9MM blade break off tool. I prefer Fiskars as the blade does not pull out of it holder as easy than others. For long cuts I use the 18 MM break off tool, as it is easier to hold perpendicular to the cut. Then of course I use the old X-Acto knife for cutting out small radius curves and holes. But for any of these cutting tools if you break its tip move to the next blade. I guess we could spend some money here and go ceramic. Well anyway said enough I wish everyone to have great evening, night, morning or day where ever you are at.

 

[jross]

I remember as a kid my mom would give me a royal dressing down if I used her sewing scissors to cut paper. I got in less trouble when I smashed up her car. Paper kills blades. I use the X-Acto and Olfa knives. Not really sure it's worth spending extra on the Olfa as even those dull out pretty quick. Some great suggestions here. I'm gonna try a few of them out.