Working with plastikard

[SquireBev]

Having spent most of the afternoon trying to cut out window holes from a sheet of 40thou plastikard and coming away with my fingers aching, I've decided there must be a better way.

 

What is it, please?

 

 

I've been using a stanley knife for heavy work and a bog-standard X-Acto thing for the finer stuff, but it feels like I'm carving away to no avail.

What am I doing wrong? Is it simply that 40thou is too thick?

[Baby Deltic]

Use a scalpel, not a Stanley knife. Is light progressive cuts to cut through the plasticard, don't try and cut through in one go. I recommend a Swann Morton scalpel with 10A blades, plus a good steel rule with finger guards.

[Edwin_m]

I find it helps to score the edges of the window then score the diagonals more deeply. Pushing in the centre of the window (possibly using a tool rather than a finger) should cause it to split into four triangles that can be snapped off.

[Chubber]

I don't know why you plastic chappies keep doing it, trying to separate pieces of styrene by repeatedly forcing a vee-shaped wedge deeper and deeper into the dratted stuff.

 

To cut you need a tool with

 

1. Cutting rake.............a tool design that actually wants to bury itself in the material as you use it

 

2. Cutting clearance....a tool design that allows the cutting tip to go deeper into the material without rubbing on the sides of the cut you have just made and jamming there

 

3. Cutting tip support...a tool design that prevents the cutting tip digging in too much or snapping off

 

 

The gadget below will do all that, cutting clean swarf-like spirals of plastic card as it cuts, ground from an old hand hacksaw blade [preferably 'All-hard'] it will cut any thickness of plastic card a modeller is likely to use, as well as effortlessly making beautiful weatherboarding from plain sheet, made from an old machine hacksaw blade it will cut 1/4" Plexiglass for yacht windows.

 

So, all you need is a grinding wheel and/or a friendly mechanic!

 

Best wishes,

 

Doug

 

[stewartingram]

I have always used an XACTO and kept the knife sharp with a stone, my blades last until I break the tip off! I find the Stanley to be too chunky, and scalpels to be , well, 'delicate'; I've just got used to XACTO from experience over 50 years!

 

For cutting windows, I drill a small hole near each corner, no need to be too precise, then dot a cut from hole to hole. IE the 4 sides, and corner to corner, giving 4 triangles. For thick sheet, it is not necessary to go right through; 3 or 4 light strokes with a sharp knife against a steel rule should be enough. The just push your finger through, the triangles will break out under pressure. Once the window is formed it is easy to trim to shape with a knife and file. As you get more practise, you can be more accurate ith the drilling and initial cutting, making less tidying at the end.

 

And don't forget, if the blade slips, make sure its not going to slice you!

 

Stewart

[SquireBev]

I find it helps to score the edges of the window then score the diagonals more deeply. Pushing in the centre of the window (possibly using a tool rather than a finger) should cause it to split into four triangles that can be snapped off.

 

You know, I never even considered cutting diagonals...

Will give it a try

[hoovernut]

I have special plastic which looks a bit like the tool that chubber posted. I believe I got from squires some time ago. It also has replaceable blades

[brossard]

I agree that cutting windows out of 0.040" plastic card can be trying. Contrary to what was reported above, I prefer to use an Olfa knife (similar to Stanley) for the job. It has some weight and the blade is stiff. I find the Xacto scalpel blades to be too flimsy (could be that I'm heavy handed I suppose) for cutting through 0.040". I like to use an Olfa heavy duty cutter for scribing. It resembles the tool pictured above. http://olfa.com/UtilityKnivesList.aspx?C=8&snLocation=2&gclid=CJGx4s-Hta8CFcjb4AodJElcig

 

John

[Baby Deltic]

The reason I favour a Swann Morton scalpel over other cutting means is generally that the blades are of top quality and far sharper than many of the other blades on the market. The Swann Morton is mainly used by surgeons, so it also provides excellent control for fine work. You don't need to use brute force or push hard because the blade will do the work if it is sharp enough.

[Branwell]

It's probably a bit old fashioned, but I drill round the inside edge of the window, pop the remaining plastic out and then file the opening to size - takes a bit longer, but it works for me.

[Colin parks]

Hi Bev,

 

Is there any reason that you are using 40thou. plasticard sheet? Are you making a carriage or a building?!

 

If you were to use 20 thou. instead you would need half the effort. David Jenkinson used to cut his 7mm scale coach sides from this thickness and doesn't take that much force to cut through. I use the same thicknes for 4mm carriage models. You can't go far wrong with a Swann Morton brass craft knife handle fitted with a No. 1 blade. DJ advised to cut diagonally across the window corners then cut the verticals and horizontals using repeated light strokes.

 

With the parts with windows cut, they can then be reinforced with strips 20 thou. sheet covering the inside. Lamination will help avoid warping of the parts too.

 

Colin

[SquireBev]

It's a building, specifically a mill, so you can imagine the number of windows I have to cut out! I'm using 40thou so the glazing and doors have a bit of extra depth.

[asmay2002]

I don't know why you plastic chappies keep doing it, trying to separate pieces of styrene by repeatedly forcing a vee-shaped wedge deeper and deeper into the dratted stuff.

 

To cut you need a tool with

 

1. Cutting rake.............a tool design that actually wants to bury itself in the material as you use it

 

2. Cutting clearance....a tool design that allows the cutting tip to go deeper into the material without rubbing on the sides of the cut you have just made and jamming there

 

3. Cutting tip support...a tool design that prevents the cutting tip digging in too much or snapping off

 

 

The gadget below will do all that, cutting clean swarf-like spirals of plastic card as it cuts, ground from an old hand hacksaw blade [preferably 'All-hard'] it will cut any thickness of plastic card a modeller is likely to use, as well as effortlessly making beautiful weatherboarding from plain sheet, made from an old machine hacksaw blade it will cut 1/4" Plexiglass for yacht windows.

 

So, all you need is a grinding wheel and/or a friendly mechanic!

 

Or you could just buy yourself an OLFA P cutter which covers all of points 1-3 e.g.

 

http://www.greatart....TER-cutters.htm

 

and it saves you the cost of the grinder...

[R A Watson]

It's a building, specifically a mill, so you can imagine the number of windows I have to cut out! I'm using 40thou so the glazing and doors have a bit of extra depth.

 

After our previous conversation it's nice to see you are having a go

 

There is no need to cut right through the plasticard just a deep score and break out the unwanted should suffice, a tip I use is to drill a reasonably large hoe where the diagonals cross and use a pair of long nosed pliers through the hole to manipulate the waste bit.

[phixer64]

Use a square drill bit...

[clecklewyke]

I will shortly have to do this for a large mill and am considering the use of wood chisels. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Ian

[Steve Williams]

I use the method that involves scribing diagonals. However, I still find that the four corners are not quite as sharp as I would want. As the plastic sections break off, I tend to get slight rounding of the right-angles, which then need a bit of dressing.

[Guest]

Have a look through one or two of my blogs, there's plenty of illustrations on techniques that I use when constructing buildings in styrene. Hope they are of some help, Regards Snitzl.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1082/entry-8981-construction-for-kimberley-large-brick-semi/

[SquireBev]

Cheers, will have a look through.

[Peter Bedding]

I don't know why you plastic chappies keep doing it, trying to separate pieces of styrene by repeatedly forcing a vee-shaped wedge deeper and deeper into the dratted stuff.

 

To cut you need a tool with

 

1. Cutting rake.............a tool design that actually wants to bury itself in the material as you use it

 

2. Cutting clearance....a tool design that allows the cutting tip to go deeper into the material without rubbing on the sides of the cut you have just made and jamming there

 

3. Cutting tip support...a tool design that prevents the cutting tip digging in too much or snapping off

 

 

The gadget below will do all that, cutting clean swarf-like spirals of plastic card as it cuts, ground from an old hand hacksaw blade [preferably 'All-hard'] it will cut any thickness of plastic card a modeller is likely to use, as well as effortlessly making beautiful weatherboarding from plain sheet, made from an old machine hacksaw blade it will cut 1/4" Plexiglass for yacht windows.

 

So, all you need is a grinding wheel and/or a friendly mechanic!

 

Best wishes,

 

Doug

 

 

I have understood for quite a while that home made tools of this style were known as "scrawkers".

 

PB

[Steve Williams]

Have a look through one or two of my blogs, there's plenty of illustrations on techniques that I use when constructing buildings in styrene. Hope they are of some help, Regards Snitzl.

 

http://www.rmweb.co....rge-brick-semi/

 

Some useful stuff there. Thanks.

[Mark 37]

I think I've tried all of the above (truly) and they all work, it's what you find that works for you. I often find it depends on the thickness of styrene. I will however say a paper guillotine obtained from a stationary store is very good up to about 1mm thick for cutting square edges (sorry, I know that's no good for windows).

 

Mark

[Steve Williams]

I think I've tried all of the above (truly) and they all work, it's what you find that works for you. I often find it depends on the thickness of styrene. I will however say a paper guillotine obtained from a stationary store is very good up to about 1mm thick for cutting square edges (sorry, I know that's no good for windows).

 

Mark

 

Is that the traditional guillotine or the rotary sliding type? (1mm, that's 40thou isn't it?)

[Mark 37]

Sorry should have been more specific. It's the hand one not rotary (i should try the rotary) and yes 40thou is 1mm.

 

Hope this helps.

 

mark

[N15class]

Use a square drill bit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiqAXiTQBg

 

This is the same as a mortice cutter in carpentry.