Skip to Content
 

Anyone knows a nice cutting machine?

7 replies [Last post]
Tue, 09/02/2008 - 17:25
Mondainai
Mondainai's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008

Thanks MatthewF and gameprinter for your answers on thickness :) I just gave up the idea of buying an A3 laser printer, but will buy an A4 one tomorrow. I'll just get the one that can handle the thickest paper.

For making a nice, thick, foldable game board, I guess I need a machine that cuts some lines completely, while cutting others only 75%, or perhaps just presses the lines I want to fold (if you see what I mean).

Does anyone know any good names for such a machine?

I am talking about something small and hand-operated of course. I also need it to deal with other angles than 90 degrees since I have romb-shaped tiles in the game ...

Top
Wed, 09/03/2008 - 06:17
#1
seo
seo's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/21/2008
Die Cutters

What you are looking for is probably a die cutter. The most popular manual die cutting machines is probably the Ellisons (http://www.ellison.com/). There are several sizes.

You might also find something like the Craft-robo (http://www.craft-robo.net/) or Silhouette (http://www.quickutz.com/qk2/silhouette/), which looks like a re-branded Craft-robo, as an interesting alternative, but be warned that those machines can only handle paper, vinyl and other thin materials, but NOT chipboard, foamboard or any other thick stuff.

You should also look for Paper Scoring or Creasing equipment, or perforators. An maybe Paper Cutters and Trimmers.

Now, if what you're looking for is building nice, professional foldable boards, you just need to cut the chipboard pieces and mount the paper on it. Here are some great tutorials: http://archive.bgdf.com/tiki-index.php?page=Making+Game+Boards (sadly, with the site move, some of the pictures are not available anymore).

Top
Wed, 09/03/2008 - 12:19
#2
infocorn
infocorn's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/30/2008
Slide cuts?

I've got a Fiskars sliding cutter that holds both scoring and cutting blades (all I've used at least). They-- and a brand called CARL-- make all sorts of sizes, and I'm certain many kinds of blades.

Check out:
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/c_trimmers.aspx

What's nice about these-- especially the larger ones-- is that you feed your "to-cut" into it and have a LOT of control. But as with the Robos, there might be thickness concerns.

Top
Wed, 09/03/2008 - 18:35
#3
Mondainai
Mondainai's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008
Thanks! But what do you mean

Thanks!

But what do you mean with thickness concerns, in terms of millimeters? 1, 2, 3?

Top
Thu, 09/11/2008 - 17:32
#4
Mondainai
Mondainai's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008
scoring A3

So frustrating!

I find lots of A3 trimmers and lots of trimmers with scoring blades.

But no trimmers that do A3 size AND that can use scoring blades.

Let me know if you know one :)

Top
Thu, 09/11/2008 - 19:02
#5
bluesea
bluesea's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Have you looked at Rotatrim.

Have you looked at Rotatrim. I *believe* that you can get scoring blades for them. These babies aren't cheap. The two rails are really nice and makes the trimmer very strurdy. www.rotatrim.co.uk

Top
Thu, 09/11/2008 - 19:59
#6
Mondainai
Mondainai's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008
Thanks!

Rotatrim sent me to a Swedish retailer's website where I found exactly what I was looking for:
Smartcut A515pro 3in1, 615 mm

I bought it straight away (I decided this morning to not sleep till I had bought a cutter/scorer and I am very very tired now.)

It was 200 € excl. VAT but incl. freight. Yesterday it would have felt expensive, but after a whole day of surfing around looking at this kind of equipment, it feels like a bargain.

And now I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas again. Christmas used to be getting board games, now it's getting the means to make them ;)

Top
Thu, 09/11/2008 - 20:15
#7
Marco
Marco's picture
Offline
Joined: 09/08/2008
Hi again!

Sill on the subject of your 2mm game board if you plan on folding it in 2, you should consider cutting your card in 2 and gluing the 2 pieces onto the paper.

You will find it very difficult to properly score 2mm board - even partially cutting will not give you a great result.

Do a few trials using two pieces of card glued to your paper, and both tightly butting up against each other. Once again cut two slits in your paper (but this time they correspond to the join in your cardboard).

This job should be done with the paper ALWAYS face down on the table.

After you have marked the fold slits with a knife turn everything over (face up) and score the PAPER lightly from left to right across the join.

Now fold the cardboard together as if you were closing your game.

Using book binding tape (20 mm thick black cotton) now cover the join while the game is CLOSED. Trim off the tape edges when you trim the paper. This will provide you with a reinforced hinge and maybe even a better result than the folding!

I'm off to bed - its 2,13am in France.

Top
Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut