Dan Vadas

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Bruce, that's the same one I posted the Link to in my first post  . The accompanying video is worth a look, but don'y be fooled by how easy she makes it look - they are rather large circles she's cutting in it  .
 
"Did your wrist hurt after making the 120 cuts for the 12 wheels?"
Not really Moab, I didn't make them all in one go - that would have been the equivalent of tying Ratlines on a 3-master  .
 
Glad to be of assistance guys.
 
Cheers, Danny

Bruce, that's the same one I posted the Link to in my first post  . The accompanying video is worth a look, but don'y be fooled by how easy she makes it look - they are rather large circles she's cutting in it  .
 
"Did your wrist hurt after making the 120 cuts for the 12 wheels?"
Not really Moab, I didn't make them all in one go - that would have been the equivalent of tying Ratlines on a 3-master  .
 
Glad to be of assistance guys.
 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Here you go David and Moab, I've made a mini-Tutorial on how I use it. I hope you find it useful.
 
Thanks all for your remarks and Likes. An update will be following shortly.
 
Cheers, Danny

Thanks for the description, Dan. The cutter I had used was the yellow Olfa one. I shall try again!

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Here you go David and Moab, I've made a mini-Tutorial on how I use it. I hope you find it useful.
 
Thanks all for your remarks and Likes. An update will be following shortly.
 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all,
 
 Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, thinking it might be a useful tool. I gave up on it after a couple of tries, relegating it to the "Useless Tools" drawer :

 Recently I needed to cut about 200 circular discs (including the inner cuts of 1/3 of them) from thin card for the wheels of a Locomotive I'm building from Card - I started a Build Log for it in the Shore Leave forum (a Link to it is HERE). So I resurrected this device and gave it another go. Here are the results of a bit of (successful) experimentation :
And here are the secrets I discovered on how to use this formerly useless tool.
 
1. Buy a decent quality one. I actually snapped the first one I bought (one like this)- it broke under a bit of pressure. I can't really give you any tips on which one to buy, but I found the one in the picture above to work OK. There are probably better ones out there - check on Ebay or Amazon. I also found THIS beast, a German made Ecobra - I have no idea of the cost of it, but it looks quite sturdy and comes with several different types of cutters. There is a video on how to use it in that Link, it's a bit different to my tips - they make it look SO easy  .
 
2. Always use a SHARP blade. As with any type of cutting blunt blades are a no-no. The centering needle also needs to be sharp or it slips and won't work properly. I only had to change to a new blade after cutting about 150 circles. The cutting face should be pointing toward you, and the part rotated in a clockwise direction.
 
3. Use a Cutting Mat. The needle needs to be stable, and it can be pushed into the mat without damaging it. An unstable needle will slip.
 
4. Keep the tool VERTICAL when cutting on anything other than thin paper. This is very important when cutting through thicker or tougher material, as the blade will wander off-line if it's held on an angle. I use the grip in the pic below, with the end of the centre shaft nestled in the palm of my hand between thumb and forefinger :

4. Use LIGHT pressure on the blade and take small "bites" as you use a combination of moving the blade and rotating the card at the same time with your other hand, holding the part firmly down against the mat so it can't rise up and change the angle of cut. This applies to smaller diameter circles like the one above, larger circles are much easier to cut.
 
5. When cutting thicker card (0.5mm or thicker) several rotations will be needed. Don't attempt to cut right through in one pass, the blade WILL wander off-line. How many rotations will depend on the thickness and density of the material being cut, as well as how much pressure you put on the blade. Less pressure is best.
 
6. DO NOT push the blade downward so hard that it bites into the cutting mat more than making a slight scratch. The blade will bind up and shift.
 
7. These tools are not designed to cut through wood as it will follow the grain, but it can be done in densely grained timber like Boxwood or Swiss Pear. Many more rotations of the circle and much lighter pressure on the blade will be needed, especially as the blade follows the grain.
 
8. Cut OUTER circles FIRST if multiple cuts are needed on a part, or you will lose your centre.
 
9. Forget the scale on the tool, it isn't particularly accurate. Use a rule to measure the diameter, or use the part itself. Test it on some scrap before cutting the part, to make sure it is set up OK.
 
10. Some experimentation will be needed before starting to cut the "real thing" to get the feel of it all. Take the time to get it right on some scrap before committing to the printed part of a card model.
 
Here are the results of some of the wheels I made. There are up to 10 discs in each wheel :

 
Cheers, Danny

Now I fitted the crank pins to all the larger wheels. I've glued them in with PVA, so I cut a groove in the pin with a Xacto knife. This stops the brass pin from slipping :


I fitted the six axles. They are all a nice tight "push-in" fit and shouldn't move again. However I filed out the hole for the Driving wheel axle so it COULD turn - once the cranks are installed both sides will then turn in unison :

Now it's on to the main brakes, quite a big job. Here are the parts for one of the 12 brake shoes. I've glued the inner pads on, but I may have to remove them again later (easily done with a single-edge razor blade) if there isn't enough clearance to the wheel flange. I had to do this on the bogie's brakes, and Stephan also found out that it was necessary on his model. We'll see :

I used a 1mm wire to keep everything aligned while gluing the pieces together :

All done. The contact surfaces will be cleaned up as I fit each assembly, they will need to be sanded to get clearance to the wheel rim :

On to the brake control arms. All the parts are prepared ready for fitting together :



Once again a simple jig made accurate assembly easier :
 

 


That's it for now. I'll move on to fitting the brake assemblies to the main frame next.
 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all, thanks to all those who have commented and "liked" my build so far. My eyesight has been deteriorating lately, hopefully it's just a result of the chemotherapy I've been on and it will return to "normal" after it's over. I can still see well enough with my 8x Optivisor so the build can continue.
 
The wheels. These took me a week to make. Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, but never had any success with it at the time I tried it. I decided to give it another go and see if I could work out how to actually use it, because there are a LOT of circles to cut - something like 8 or 10 for each of the 12 wheels 

I worked out the technique to make not only a success of it but to cut circles that were better than I could do by hand in MUCH less time. I'll put up a topic in "Tips and Tricks" a bit later to explain my method. Here's the result, and a pic of most of the parts needed :


To assemble a wheel I made this simple jig. It's probably THE most useful jig I've ever made, turning out excellent results consistently :


There are three different types of the main wheels - two Driving wheels (top), two middle wheels without flanges (left) and 8 of the rest (right) :

I'm using the laser cut reinforcements as you can see. These are a bit different to the two wheels I made earlier, so I decided to scrap them and start over. The rim is 1mm narrower than the centre, and the spokes need to be sloped for them to fit properly. I achieved this by carefully cutting the rim off one disc and shaving the spokes down to zero thickness at the outer end. The wheel in the pic is one of the smaller ones which I made last. The large wheels have 12 spokes on most of them :




Once all the discs were glued together I sanded the edge flat using a sanding stick with 150 grit paper :

Then I glued the main edging on, followed by the rear flange on those that had one. There was no edging for the thinner flange, so I printed up some matching grey colour, cut it into 1.5mm strips and glued them on. It looks better than just painting them :


All the large wheels completed :


I modified my jig for the smaller wheels, as they only had a centre hole :

Last job was to clean up the centre hole so that they turned freely on the axles. I used a small diamond coated round file :

All the wheels. Most of them still need a spacer and wire for the crank :

Danny

I've glued up the complete main frames. Very little trimming or adjusting was necessary, and I'm more than happy with the results. Especially considering all the dramas I had to get to this point  .
 
Now to make 16 more wheels, see you all again in a week or so  :





Danny

Thank you Mark, Caroline and Ken  .
 
The smaller bogie wheels have fewer parts than the main ones, so making one didn't take all that long :

 The kit supplied a template for gluing the spokes to the rims, there are 3 of these - one for the bogie wheels and two for the drive wheels as two of those are different to the other 10. I turned the templates into jigs by mounting the thin paper to heavy card and adding some stops where needed to make assembly of the others much easier later on :


The finished wheel :



I needed the wheel to align the brakes properly. Here are some of the parts for the mechanism :

One brake completed :


Danny

I think I've worked out why it's taken Stephan a couple of years to get a little bit past this stage - the wheels  . One wheel took me 12 hours to make - 17 more to go. At this stage I'm only making one large and one small wheel, as I need to check a few measurements before continuing on with the brake assemblies, and my laser-cut frames and wheels are still on the way from Poland.
 
The parts for one of the driving wheels. Nearly every part needed to be laminated to 1mm thick card. I'd ordered 10 sheets of 0.5mm and 10 of 1mm card from GPM two weeks ago, it arrived yesterday (pretty good for them). This card is MUCH easier to cut than the far denser card I'd bought from Officeworks :

One wheel finished :


You may notice that I'd scraped the gluing surface of one of the red discs. Most of the red parts have a coating on them, probably clear lacquer, which doesn't glue very well.
 
Danny

Now I fitted the crank pins to all the larger wheels. I've glued them in with PVA, so I cut a groove in the pin with a Xacto knife. This stops the brass pin from slipping :


I fitted the six axles. They are all a nice tight "push-in" fit and shouldn't move again. However I filed out the hole for the Driving wheel axle so it COULD turn - once the cranks are installed both sides will then turn in unison :

Now it's on to the main brakes, quite a big job. Here are the parts for one of the 12 brake shoes. I've glued the inner pads on, but I may have to remove them again later (easily done with a single-edge razor blade) if there isn't enough clearance to the wheel flange. I had to do this on the bogie's brakes, and Stephan also found out that it was necessary on his model. We'll see :

I used a 1mm wire to keep everything aligned while gluing the pieces together :

All done. The contact surfaces will be cleaned up as I fit each assembly, they will need to be sanded to get clearance to the wheel rim :

On to the brake control arms. All the parts are prepared ready for fitting together :



Once again a simple jig made accurate assembly easier :
 

 


That's it for now. I'll move on to fitting the brake assemblies to the main frame next.
 
Cheers, Danny

Hi all, thanks to all those who have commented and "liked" my build so far. My eyesight has been deteriorating lately, hopefully it's just a result of the chemotherapy I've been on and it will return to "normal" after it's over. I can still see well enough with my 8x Optivisor so the build can continue.
 
The wheels. These took me a week to make. Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, but never had any success with it at the time I tried it. I decided to give it another go and see if I could work out how to actually use it, because there are a LOT of circles to cut - something like 8 or 10 for each of the 12 wheels 

I worked out the technique to make not only a success of it but to cut circles that were better than I could do by hand in MUCH less time. I'll put up a topic in "Tips and Tricks" a bit later to explain my method. Here's the result, and a pic of most of the parts needed :


To assemble a wheel I made this simple jig. It's probably THE most useful jig I've ever made, turning out excellent results consistently :


There are three different types of the main wheels - two Driving wheels (top), two middle wheels without flanges (left) and 8 of the rest (right) :

I'm using the laser cut reinforcements as you can see. These are a bit different to the two wheels I made earlier, so I decided to scrap them and start over. The rim is 1mm narrower than the centre, and the spokes need to be sloped for them to fit properly. I achieved this by carefully cutting the rim off one disc and shaving the spokes down to zero thickness at the outer end. The wheel in the pic is one of the smaller ones which I made last. The large wheels have 12 spokes on most of them :




Once all the discs were glued together I sanded the edge flat using a sanding stick with 150 grit paper :

Then I glued the main edging on, followed by the rear flange on those that had one. There was no edging for the thinner flange, so I printed up some matching grey colour, cut it into 1.5mm strips and glued them on. It looks better than just painting them :


All the large wheels completed :


I modified my jig for the smaller wheels, as they only had a centre hole :

Last job was to clean up the centre hole so that they turned freely on the axles. I used a small diamond coated round file :

All the wheels. Most of them still need a spacer and wire for the crank :

Danny

Hi all, thanks to all those who have commented and "liked" my build so far. My eyesight has been deteriorating lately, hopefully it's just a result of the chemotherapy I've been on and it will return to "normal" after it's over. I can still see well enough with my 8x Optivisor so the build can continue.
 
The wheels. These took me a week to make. Some time ago I bought one of these Circle Cutters, but never had any success with it at the time I tried it. I decided to give it another go and see if I could work out how to actually use it, because there are a LOT of circles to cut - something like 8 or 10 for each of the 12 wheels 

I worked out the technique to make not only a success of it but to cut circles that were better than I could do by hand in MUCH less time. I'll put up a topic in "Tips and Tricks" a bit later to explain my method. Here's the result, and a pic of most of the parts needed :


To assemble a wheel I made this simple jig. It's probably THE most useful jig I've ever made, turning out excellent results consistently :


There are three different types of the main wheels - two Driving wheels (top), two middle wheels without flanges (left) and 8 of the rest (right) :

I'm using the laser cut reinforcements as you can see. These are a bit different to the two wheels I made earlier, so I decided to scrap them and start over. The rim is 1mm narrower than the centre, and the spokes need to be sloped for them to fit properly. I achieved this by carefully cutting the rim off one disc and shaving the spokes down to zero thickness at the outer end. The wheel in the pic is one of the smaller ones which I made last. The large wheels have 12 spokes on most of them :




Once all the discs were glued together I sanded the edge flat using a sanding stick with 150 grit paper :

Then I glued the main edging on, followed by the rear flange on those that had one. There was no edging for the thinner flange, so I printed up some matching grey colour, cut it into 1.5mm strips and glued them on. It looks better than just painting them :


All the large wheels completed :


I modified my jig for the smaller wheels, as they only had a centre hole :

Last job was to clean up the centre hole so that they turned freely on the axles. I used a small diamond coated round file :

All the wheels. Most of them still need a spacer and wire for the crank :

Danny