Wright Stuff B

[carneyf1d]

its Xacto. and yes, they cut fairly well...but nothing like a carbon steel edged razor blade. ever squished a rib end because you had to cut it to length when using an Xacto? I sure have. With razor blades you dont even have to worry about that. It cuts like butter.

[49ers]

its Xacto. and yes, they cut fairly well...but nothing like a carbon steel edged razor blade.

yet again, I question are these carbon blade thingys expensive???? But thanks for the info anyways...

[carneyf1d]

oh sorry. didnt see the 3rd part for some reason. They are pretty cheap. order them online and get two blades for 50 cents. They come double sided, so you just snap it in half to get two. 3 double sided blades should last you throughout the WS season.

[49ers]

thank you very much carneyf1d. I wil check that out!!!!

[gh]

I recommend you get a box of 50 single-edged razor blades, maybe $10 to $20. They're the same kind of cutting edge as the ones carney described, but they have a thick steel backing wrapped over one "edge" to stiffen the blade and to help you hold it.

Snapping brittle carbon steel blades in half always seemed dangerous to me; with single-edge blades, you just unwrap the paper on each one.

[GitItWright]

Double edge blades (DEBs) are the way to go. They are thinner and sharper which, ironically, means they are safer when cutting balsa wood with precision. In most cases the stainless DEB popular at drugstores will suffice but the carbon blades have a slight edge (hah!) over even those stainless blades. Because they are are brittle, they are easier to break and end up with a nice pointed edge. Why? Its is a great tool to cut or nick even stubborn glues joints, to slice an odd angle while the part is on the airplane or to cut small pcs of mylar for patch repair. If the second edge seems intimidating, cover it with some masking tape.
BTW, a DEB actually stays sharper longer than a single edge blade.

Keep the single edge blade in the tool box for scraping paint off windows or cutting corrugated boxes.

Good Luck

I recommend you get a box of 50 single-edged razor blades, maybe $10 to $20. They're the same kind of cutting edge as the ones carney described, but they have a thick steel backing wrapped over one "edge" to stiffen the blade and to help you hold it.

Snapping brittle carbon steel blades in half always seemed dangerous to me; with single-edge blades, you just unwrap the paper on each one.

[blue cobra]

Supervision is fer yellerbellies! A bit of blood never hurt no one!

Sorry, I couldn't resist

[jander14indoor]

Razor blades can be sharp, so you better make sure you have adult supervision when using them!

It's cool to stay safe

-CS

But, but, who supervises us adults!

I still haven't made a plane that's not genetically tagged (ie blood stained)!

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[carneyf1d]

Heck, last night i ended up jabbing myself with a strip of boron! luckily it didnt break! got a nice blood spot on my motor stick though

[StampingKid]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Or we'll be wearing eye protection, gloves and lab coats just like one of the lab events.