The Kitebuilder.com Forum

Kitesquid · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 8:32 am Post subject:

All,

Who lives near a plastics store that can do a little reasearch for us?

I dont live near one at all Sad

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KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

kitepoor · Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Posts: 103

I wasn't going to even touch a rotary cutter till I could be sure that I could afford to own it. I only like to purchase tools that I am sure I know all the costs. Don't ask me what my cabinet software cost.

Is there a first, second, third choice in diameter, and brand?
I love really nice steel!! (also don't ask what the last custom knife I purchased cost)
_________________
Randy
How come the nicest kite weather comes
when I have the most work to do

Kitesquid · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:50 pm Post subject:

Olfa blades in what ever handle feels good to you

The bigger the diamater the straigher your cuts will be and the less often you will have to sharpen em.

The smaller the diamater, the tigher the curves can be but the more often you will have to sharpen em.

Some people just use snap off blade knives or scalpes or hobby knives.

I have all of the above and use them all when the job requires it.

I would recomend your first purchase be the LARGEST diamater rotary cutter and a sharpener.

BTW on my sharpener I removed the corse sand papaer and replaced it with Crocus cloth to get an EXTRA FNE edge on my blades.

I also recomed that yo buy at least 1 spare blade so incase you nick one or just dont want to shapren yours while you have a project on the table, you have an option.
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

kitepoor · Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Posts: 103

What do they do to people who try their knives on the flooring samples at the big box stores?

I need to find someone with some commercial flooring, I bet there is somethign in that group that may be cool. Hospital flooring? soft, tough, and in a 6' roll?
_________________
Randy
How come the nicest kite weather comes
when I have the most work to do

woodpekr · Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 42 Location: USA Oregon Portland

I just got back from TAP plastics http://www.tapplastics.com/, They're a West coast outfit with a couple storefronts not far from me. Two of their employees, who have geen cutting mats at home, and I discussed using other surfaces for cutting. One of them does several hours of scrap booking a week and does all of her cutting on an HDPE (High Density Polyethelene) board. That's the white cutting board that you see everywhere. They sell it for $2.60 a square foot at 1/8 inch thickness. So I got a 2' x 2' piece for $10.40. Considerably less than a self healing mat the same size. This place will custom cut any size or shape. Anyhow she says that she cuts a lot on it and when it gets too scratched she just flips it over. When botth sides get scratched her husband sands it smooth for her and she's ready to go again.

--Rich
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Rich Durant
Portland, Oregon

kitepoor · Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Posts: 103

HDPE? I wonder how that compares with UHMW The last time I was at the machine shop I saw the place where they keep that. Lots of different thickness and shapes...

Thank you, I'll see if anyone around here has that.
_________________
Randy
How come the nicest kite weather comes
when I have the most work to do

Kitesquid · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:07 am Post subject:

woodpekr · Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 42 Location: USA Oregon Portland

Kitesquid · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 12:48 pm Post subject:

but if you could buy the green mat material in a 4x8' sheet (or bigger) you would want to roll it up to be able to store/transport it easly..

IIRC HDPE is rather stiff compared to the green mat stuff...
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

kiteguy · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 254 Location: Kansas

Ksquid, I have been wondering what that IIRC is that you put into a lot of your messages. Is it a secret?

d'oh!

stevef · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 7:48 am Post subject:

IIRC = If I Recall Correctly?

S
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Kitesquid · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 8:13 am Post subject:

Steve is right....

IIRC = If I Remember Corectly...

I think?

Sorry about the accryonym

Does anybody know what GNDN stands for????

Sorry about the hijack...
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

kitepoor · Joined: 05 Sep 2003 Posts: 103

I went to the plastics place and asked to see the 3/8x15x48 HDPE she quoted to me at $20 each. The guy that took me to the warehouse said that I could have all I wanted for $5 each. So I bought 8. Santa may give me the olpha rotary cutters next weekend (if he gets over the flu), then I can try them out
_________________
Randy
How come the nicest kite weather comes
when I have the most work to do

Kitesquid · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:51 pm Post subject:

Tileing them sounds good!!!!!

You are so lucky to have a plastics shop near you!!!

I dont live at the end of the earth, but you can see it from my front porch.
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.