Ron Heggs Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 To increase productivity and ensure accuracy in the structural modelling I am presently undertaking, there is a need for a plastic strip cutter which will produce hundreds of identical length pieces without having to measure or check each one individually before and/or after cutting It is specifically limited to plastic strip with a thickness of 20thou or less, a width of upto 10mm, and a final cut length of no more than 100mm (see ** below) Cutting 11 pieces 8.75mm in length from a plastic strip 20thou thick, 5mm wide and 300mm long, gave the following results - 8.74mm x 3 pieces 8.75mm x 4 pieces 8.76mm x 4 pieces plus waste This is well within my target accuracy for construction purposes of ± 10thou (0.25mm) The guillotine uses 2 pieces of 20mm x 30mm aluminium angle 150mm long fixed to a wooden base 20mm x 58mm x 300mm A 9mm Stanley Snap-off blade is pivoted between two 20mm x 30mm x 35mm angle pieces, with two pieces of steel strip 1.5mm x 10mm x 120mm clamping the blade and used as the handle. The angle pieces holding the blade are fitted into a slot in the wooden base **(additional pieces of 20mm x 30mm x 35mm angle have been produced to allow use of 18mm blades for thicker and/or wider plastic strip) Another piece of angle is slotted for use as an adjustable stop .... seempullz !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted March 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2011 Nice tool that, I will have to remember the idea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph R Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Very neat Ron, it must help you alot with the amount of plastic you are using! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Very neat Ron, it must help you a lot with the amount of plastic you are using! Hi, Ralph Keeping well ? I just had to find a solution for all the construction still ahead, i.e. remainder of Cornbrook Viaduct Bridge #2, and the 1894 Castlefield Viaduct Bridge, which is approx. 4.5m long A similar tool, but bulkier was £26 + p&p to Spain, not an economic solution Cheers Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 As with all tools there comes a time when it becomes necessary through use that improvements have to be made The excessive (normal for me) use that the guillotine is getting has shown that the blade is cutting deep into the wooden base, causing the plastic strip to bend into the trough before it is cut and producing deformed cut ends The solution is to embed a strip of aluminium into the base as an anvil, the surface of the anvil flush with the top of the base. The anvil is fixed with epoxy The anvil is trapped under the guide bars and flush with the top of the base, and thus parallel to the blade edge when it is fully home So it is now back to full steam ahead Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 At the request of a number of members, the following drawing and parts list provides the information necessary to build your own guillotine - Parts list - #1 - 20mm x 56mm x 301mm Wood - Planed smooth all round #2 - 30mm x 20mm x 1.5mm Aluminium Angle - 150mm #3 - 30mm x 20mm x 1.5mm Aluminium Angle - 150mm #4 - 30mm x 20mm x 1.5mm Aluminium Angle - 150mm with 130mm x 3mm slot #5 - 30mm x 20mm x 1.5mm Aluminium Angle - 40mm #6 - 30mm x 20mm x 1.5mm Aluminium Angle - 40mm #7 - 10mm x 1.5mm x 35mm Aluminium Strip #8 - 10mm x 1.5mm x 120mm Steel Strip #9 - 10mm x 1.5mm x 120mm Steel Strip 9mm Stanley Snap-off Blade - Full length M3 x 10mm Pan Head Machine screws and nuts - 3 off (pivot for blade through #5 & #6, and clamping blade to handle #8 & #9) 3mm x 15mm Countersunk Head Wood Screws - Chipboard type - 12 off (fixing Aluminium angle parts #2 - #6 to wood base) 3mm x 15mm Pan Head Wood Screws - Chipboard type - 2 off (clamping screws for adjustable backstop) Assembly details can be viewed in the previous posts Any questions - please ask Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 ... for those who want to achieve angled cuts to their strips - this link to a post in another thread may be of some use - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-castlefield-viaducts-modelling-structures/page__view__findpost__p__481774 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Hi Ron That's very nice, I just (!) use a NWSL Chopper II for cutting plastic and wood strip - did you consider one of those or do comparisons? Your design certainly seems better suited to cutting longer pieces consistently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 10800, on 08 September 2011 - 19:59 , said: Hi Ron That's very nice, I just (!) use a NWSL Chopper II for cutting plastic and wood strip - did you consider one of those or do comparisons? Your design certainly seems better suited to cutting longer pieces consistently. Hi Rod, Yes, I looked closely at the Chopper, but at £26 + p&p to Spain, a homemade one was much cheaper and could be custom made to suit my own requirements - literally cutting thousands of identical strips in varying dimensions for my bridges. viaducts and train shed structures Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Ah, thanks Ron - now I know what the £26 alternative was! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Thanks Martin & Stu !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I wonder if G.W. Models might consider an exquisitely engineered version.....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stadman Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 Nice piece of workmanship. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Thanks Craig & Richard !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Heggs Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Nice piece of workmanship. Thanks Kevin for your interest and comment Ron Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.