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Thread: Protective Film

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Scotland
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    3,392

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    Quote Originally Posted by angmc View Post
    Caroline, they're cheap cutters. The gap between the top and bottom bit is too big and the metal moves about when I hammer the cutter, and also the rest of the sheet warps and gets stuck inside so I have to pull at it to get it out! Wish I'd saved my money and bought a decent one!
    Ooh that sounds a bit of a problem:/easy to say in hindsight as you buy what you can afford. My Swanstrom cutters were the first thing I bought after joining my first forum and I think they probably paid for themselves and have been great to use. I was horrified at the cost though after making do for 30 years but life is definitely easier with the good stuff I've bought since. Masking tape and a shim as George said might just make them workable

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    South Australia
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    1,844

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    Those cheap cutters can be improved, remove the bolts fastening the the two plates together then remove the spacer, replace the bolts, when using place a shim the same thickness of the metal you are punching on the opposite side to the cut, tighten down and proceed to cut it will be a better result

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    71

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    I've actually got two sets that I bought at the same time just because of the different size holes. I have tried to unscrew one of them but the bloomin screw won't budge and I don't have the right size allen key for the other one but that one doesn't look as if it would come apart anyway as the top and bottom seem to be stuck together on one side. I'll try the shim and masking tape tips and in the meantime save up for a good quality one.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Scotland
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    I forgot to say as it seemed too obvious that you should always have a piece of the same thickness of metal in between the 2 plates on the opposite side to the cutter to balance it. It just needs to be an offcut to do the job

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    116

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    I must be missing something but I don't understand the physics or engineering behind the need for a balancing shim on the opposite side, and have never used one, to no detriment to my disc cutting, even with 'cheap', none-adjustable disc cutters. Can someone please explain? To me, it seems that there is no pressure or force being applied to the top plate, only to the punch, the metal and the bottom plate around lower hole, so what function does the shim perform? I do like the tip about unscrewing the cutter, if it allows and removing or replacing the spacer, wish I'd thought of (tried) that before now.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Oxon
    Posts
    394

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    I use a shim on the type of cutter which tightens down onto the metal to clamp it. If you dont there is a slight chance because of the small tolerances that as it tightens down on one side of the central pivot, it will tilt slightly and the punch could hit the side of the hole.
    I agree it serves no purpose in a fixed one

  7. #17
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    Feb 2011
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    Scotland
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    I think it was the instruction that came with the swanstrom and it's something I just do without thinking now. I've never had a bad cut or warping of the sheet so happy to keep doing it. It's a screw down and also has a spring in it so assume it could be slightly out of kilter if not level across the whole plate

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    116

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    Quote Originally Posted by trialuser View Post
    I use a shim on the type of cutter which tightens down onto the metal to clamp it. If you dont there is a slight chance because of the small tolerances that as it tightens down on one side of the central pivot, it will tilt slightly and the punch could hit the side of the hole.
    I agree it serves no purpose in a fixed one
    Ah! Yes, I can see the importance of it's use in one of the fancy ('Expensive') adjustable clamping disc cutters. I'll be sure to remember that if ever I splash out on one, and I guess if I can dismantle a cheap one and make it adjustable.

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