Todd Hart Posted January 8 Share #1 Posted January 8 I was using my chopper to cut 56-11mm x 4mm x 4mm Ramen strips. I didn't realize after cutting the first 8 pieces that my guide was moving slightly so now I have about 20 pieces of varying lengths. The lesson learned is don't try to cut 4mm x 4mm pieces of wood with the chopper. wefalck, Canute and mtaylor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcox Posted February 3 Share #2 Posted February 3 I've learned to cut things a little long and sand down to final length when using a chopper, especially when they are on the thicker side. That said, yea 4mm wood is a little thick at least for my DIY chopper. Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcreekdad Posted March 3 Share #3 Posted March 3 I threw my chopper away years ago. Couldn't get a straight vertical cut out of it. Wish there was something else to get perfectly straight vertical cuts. Bob Cleek, Canute, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AON Posted March 3 Share #4 Posted March 3 regardless how I cut my pieces, I always cut them a bit long and then sneak up on them with the table top disk sander to get the finished length allanyed, catopower, Canute and 1 other 4 Quote Alan O'Neill "only dead fish go with the flow" Ongoing Build (31 Dec 2013) - HMS BELLEROPHON (1786), POF scratch build, scale 1:64, 74 gun 3rd rate Man of War, Arrogant Class Member of the Model Shipwrights of Niagara, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada (2016), and the Nautical Research Guild (since 2014) Associate member of the Nautical Research and Model Ship Society (2021) Offshore member of The Society of Model Shipwrights (2021) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard44 Posted March 3 Share #5 Posted March 3 7 hours ago, bigcreekdad said: I threw my chopper away years ago. Couldn't get a straight vertical cut out of it. Wish there was something else to get perfectly straight vertical cuts. You could look at this tool. I have one and it works very well. https://www.micromark.com/Miter-Rite Cheers Canute 1 Quote Richard Next build: Completed builds: AL's Endeavour, Corel's Bellona, Amati's Xebec, Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72 Alexander Arbuthnot, Christiaan Brunings, Pevensey all by World of Paperships HMS Pegasus by Victory Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcreekdad Posted March 4 Share #6 Posted March 4 Thanks Richard....looks pretty sturdy. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlwhitt Posted March 4 Share #7 Posted March 4 18 hours ago, Richard44 said: You could look at this tool. I have one and it works very well. https://www.micromark.com/Miter-Rite Cheers Or this one that I have works great, but it's limited on size and flexibility for angles: https://www.micromark.com/Extra-Long-Micro-Miter-Box Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Rick Current Build: MS Mayflower II Completed: MS USF Essex, MS USS Constitution Cross Section, MS 18th Century Armed Longboat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard44 Posted March 5 Share #8 Posted March 5 17 hours ago, bigcreekdad said: Thanks Richard....looks pretty sturdy. I fastened mine to a board, then fashioned a moveable stop from aluminium (aluminum 😁) angle so that I could cut multiple pieces all the same length. Cheers mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Richard Next build: Completed builds: AL's Endeavour, Corel's Bellona, Amati's Xebec, Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72 Alexander Arbuthnot, Christiaan Brunings, Pevensey all by World of Paperships HMS Pegasus by Victory Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr PR Posted March 7 Share #9 Posted March 7 It's made from tough football helmet plastic!" mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Phil Current build: https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/19611-albatros-by-dr-pr-mantua-scale-140-about-1815/&tab=comments#comment-601276 Previous build: https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/19321-uss-oklahoma-city-clg-5-1971-3d-cad-model/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted March 7 Share #10 Posted March 7 (edited) It all depends on the 'chopper' you have. When I was a student, during vacations I worked in a DIY store and one of my tasks was to cut picture frames to order. The foot-operated 'chopper' would cut mitre notches for frames as much as 50 mm thick ... Edited March 7 by wefalck mtaylor, allanyed and Canute 3 Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snug Harbor Johnny Posted March 7 Share #11 Posted March 7 Having a very sharp steel blade is key. I'm talking about 'razor sharp', which really needs a sharpening jig to get the right angle on the water stones used ... and also a final 2 degree finer bevel at the very edge - then stropped. The process starts with being sure the back face is truly FLAT. wefalck, mtaylor and Canute 3 Quote Completed builds: Khufu Solar Barge - 1:72 Woody Joe Current project(s): Gorch Fock restoration 1:100, Billing Wasa (bust) - 1:100 Billings, Great Harry (bust) 1:88 ex. Sergal 1:65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaager Posted March 7 Share #12 Posted March 7 On 3/5/2024 at 3:35 AM, Richard44 said: I fastened mine to a board, I have an original version of the Dobson J never found a way to get satisfactory work out of it. The whole unit wants to move and rock when the blade is being used. After your comment, I can see that it being fixed to a large enough base solves that problem. It does greatly increase the real estate occupied by the device though. The blade is inside a sleeve and held vertical by two plastic screws - and I have not been successful in finding the sweet spot between a wobble and too much friction for the blade to slide easily. The grab helps cause the sliding and rocking. The stock wants to move back and forth with the blade. The brass wires for a hold down are too flimsy. It requires four hands. If fixed to a base, it is then down to three hands. I am not sure that razor saws models that allow for just the steel blade to be replaced are thin enough to fit the sleeve. This important because I have come to prefer a cut being on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke. Canute, allanyed and mtaylor 3 Quote NRG member 45 years Current: HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing HMS Beagle 1831 refiit 10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842 Flying Fish 1838 pilot schooner - framed - ready for stern timbers Porpose II 1836 brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers Vincennes 1825 Sloop-of-War - timbers assembled, need shaping Peacock 1828 Sloop-of -War - timbers ready for assembly Sea Gull 1838 pilot schooner - timbers ready for assembly Relief 1835 ship - timbers ready for assembly Other Portsmouth 1843 Sloop-of-War - timbers ready for assembly Le Commerce de Marseilles 1788 118 cannons - framed La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted March 7 Share #13 Posted March 7 ... but this thing is just a miniaturised mitre-saw, not a 'chopper', i.e. there is a saw-blade with teeth. From an engineering perspective, this thing is not a terribly intelligent design, as it lacks a proper adjustable guidance for the saw-blade. If anything, there should be a gib-strip to control the clearance with which the saw moves. Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossR Posted March 7 Share #14 Posted March 7 On 3/3/2024 at 7:51 AM, bigcreekdad said: I threw my chopper away years ago. Couldn't get a straight vertical cut out of it. Wish there was something else to get perfectly straight vertical cuts. I am a little late with this info, but I think bigcreekdad’s issue of straight vertical cuts may be solved with a single bevel blade. See my review of the Ultimation Slicer. It isn’t inexpensive, so some modelers will stay away. If you can justify the price it is very well made. I have seen YouTube videos of people using it on material that looks to be about 4 mm thick, but I don’t think go any bigger though. Aon’s solution works also. mtaylor, Canute and wefalck 3 Quote Completed Build: HMS Beagle - Occre Current Build: Frigate Diana - Occre https://modelshipworld.com/topic/33530-frigate-diana-by-rossr-occre-185/ On the Shelf: Santisima Trinidad Cross Section - Occre, NRG Half Hull, the US Brig Syren - Model Shipways and USF Essex - Model Shipways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard44 Posted March 7 Share #15 Posted March 7 4 hours ago, Jaager said: The blade is inside a sleeve and held vertical by two plastic screws - and I have not been successful in finding the sweet spot between a wobble and too much friction for the blade to slide easily. Hi Jaager, The screws are now metal, but it is fiddly trying to get that sweet spot. I had no trouble with stock moving around, but I was only ever cutting small sectioned wood. It's not perfect, but it worked for me. Cheers Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Richard Next build: Completed builds: AL's Endeavour, Corel's Bellona, Amati's Xebec, Billing's Roar Ege, Panart's Armed Launch Ships' Boats - Vanguard 1:64 and Master Korabel 1:72 Alexander Arbuthnot, Christiaan Brunings, Pevensey all by World of Paperships HMS Pegasus by Victory Captain John Smith's Shallop by Pavel Nitikin Rumpler "Taube" 1911 by HMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Kimmer Posted March 11 Share #16 Posted March 11 I use the RP Toolz Cutter, It is aluminum and very sturdy and cuts very well. I make a cut a little long and then make a second cut where I'm shaving just a small amount of material off the stock part. RossR, Canute, mnewsholme and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgstakes Posted March 29 Share #17 Posted March 29 thought I would chime in here as well with the ultimation slicer and sander. Better yet look at this video. Definitely worth the money. Hopefully it will load. Video.mov Ryland Craze, Vlax, Canute and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.