cutting rubbers....

Hey all,
just happened to come across this forum.

I just started assembling the rubbers on my own (before I had them assembled when they were bought together with the blade). 

But any tips on how to make a clean cut??  It's so difficult for me !  the arrangement of the pips makes it almost impossible to cut it round.


Oh, and another thing.  As ghetto as this sounds, I was wondering if anyone ever cuts the handle of a shakehand to make it shorter (for a penhold). My friend recently gave me his shakehand blade, but since i'm a penhold player...

cheers ~

I have seen in butterfly catalog picture of step by step on how to cut the rubber into Jpen blade.

i use a grinder ;p

i like that. thanks for the tip ~

You can also buy an inexpensive cutting board (there are even specialized sets for rubber cutting which can be easily rotated). I use an exacto-knife when I am doing that for myself and I want my paddle to look pretty - you simply make much more precise cuts with E-knife: the trick is not to try and cut thru the entire rubber at once, this is just impossible. Make a 1-2 inch long incision following the curve of the blade, then follow-thru by repeating that incision 3-4 times along the same groove. Then repeat that for the next 1-2 inches of the blade contour. Works really good - and don't forget to replace the E-knife's blade once in a while (not too often, I am sure).

I normally mark the rubber with a marker pen, and then cut it with a sharp knife before gluing. I can't cut it successfully after putting the rubber on the blade.

A brand new single edge razor blade and a plastic cutting board works beautifully and with reasonable pressure will cut the sponge, rubber and protective sheet in a single pass.

When you use an X-Acto knife, I recommend holding the knife at a low angle (as horizontal as you can). This prevents ripping the sponge.

Plus definitely replace the blade every once in a while. And use soap water to lubricate it between cuts.

I am the self-proclaimed Xacto Knife King!
I am right handed.
I start at the left lower corner and with even pressure and the slightly angled I go around the blade, pressing against the edge with the side of the knife. I stop every inch to let the rubber rebound, but I am careful NOT to lift the knife. Then I continue until I go around the entire perimeter. I do this about three-four times. Do NOT try to cut through on one go. Oh . . . I also found that removing the protective plastic cover helps get a cleaner cut for some reason.
:-).
Happy New Year!
Happy Cutting!

Don't cut directly into a cutting board, cut into a smooth piece of cardboard layed over the cutting board. I replace my blade after each combo (2 sheets and a glue sheet or two).

Jim's right about the angle but make sure you're not too far horizontal as to scrape the handle of the Xacto into the outer edge of the blade.

Similar to tommyzai's style, i use a sharp cutter and apply light pressure as i make a first continuous, slow pass at the entire circumference of the blade, but not exactly outlining the rubber on the edge of the blade; meaning, i give a little allowance for the rubber to protrude. Then i repeat the procedure with added pressure for about 3-4 times, until the residual rubber separates by itself.

seahorse wrote: Hi shiningkeedoong   Watch this video by 7homuz   http://youtube.com/watch?v=M3KtN9fNb5Y

razor blades? arent they short?

When refering to "razor blades" are you talking about the utility knife blades?

I use utility blades (trapezoid shaped).  The rectangular blades feel thin and flex when I cut rubbers.  Box cutter blades are thicker and don't feel like you're about to bend or break them in half.