Tidying up Scraps & Weeding Tip

Beyond the Manual
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I was getting out some glue from my tool drawer and saw this tool that a forum member recommended for cutting down cardboard quite awhile ago. When sizing cardboard for templates, I found I usually do a pretty big batch and it was easier to set up a straight edge on a sacrificial piece to cut a lot down at once. so didn’t end up using it much for that.

I used to just snap off thin pieces of material to breakdown scraps for storage. Sometimes got splintery ends or breaks where I didn’t want them. I decided to try this on scraps and it worked well on 1/8 ply, draft board, and acrylic as well as thin engraving plastic that didn’t want to snap off at all. I didn’t try it on hardwood yet.

This was after it sat in the drawer for over 6 months and I had done about 20 other cuts before filming it. With a full charge, it would probably do much better. It’s handy to keep right near your Glowforge to clean up materials as you go. Heavy snips could also do the job, but this is an option if you don’t have the hand strength for them. If you are a scrap hoarder like me, this might be helpful.

2nd tip is to keep some pre-torn strips of your favorite heavy duty weeding tape on either the backing from some labels, or even on the shiny side of some freezer paper. You can keep this handy for quick weeding jobs so you don’t have to dig out the big roll of tape and tear off new strips in the middle of weeding (again, if you can’t seem to tear the tape, cutting it in batches is more convenient than also dragging out scissors while weeding). It doesn’t seem to lose much stick when pulling it off the backing. It’s saved me time when I just had a small project to work on and wanted to get it done quickly. Here it is on freezer paper. I also use the cover sheets from my Silhouette Cameo cutting mats. It is a bit thicker and doesn’t curl like freezer paper.

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LOL - Don’t know why I posted this picture. The tip is pretty self explanatory, but hey, I had already taken the picture - so what the heck. :laughing:

EDIT on the tape tip: Although the cover sheet for my Silhouette Cameo is working well for holding pre cut weeding tape, the freezer paper is not woking well. The bond strengthens after sitting and it pulled some of the plastic from the freezer paper up when trying to use it.

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Good reminder! I’d planned to pick up one of those but forgot…now that I know it does ply too…Amazon, here I come. (Hubs accused me tonight of having an affair with the UPS guy. Except he’s a gal now.) :grin:

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So what am I to make of THAT?:thinking:

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:innocent:

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Those are some great tips! I just happen to have one of those gadgets on its way here. Was planning to use it for cardboard but it’s great to know it’s more useful than that. Like the tape tip too!

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Thank you for the tip, added to the Amazon wishlist.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about what would be the best solution for re-dimensioning large cardboard or larger thin plywood. A small battery table saw would be pretty good. We have talked about them, but I like the hand held solution for ease of use. The Worx corded one or the rotorazor looks promising. Dremel has a nice one. This might actually work but seems slow. Going to town today and might see what Harbor Freight has in this line.

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honestly for cardboard, i don’t think you can do much better than the good ol’ box cutter. this assumes a.) an amount of hand / arm strength and b.) no need for having perfect lines / edges before putting the laser cutter.

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EDIT on my original tape tip: Although the cover sheet for my Silhouette Cameo is working well for holding pre cut weeding tape, the freezer paper is not woking well. The bond strengthens after sitting and it pulled some of the plastic from the freezer paper up when trying to use it.

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