Rotary Cutter

Just a reminder to change your blade once in awhile especially after all the xmas projects we have been making.... Sometimes a blade can be resharpened.. I do this often and it works well for a while... Sometimes its not the blade it may be your mat... you may have a groove in it if you are always cutting in the same spot.... or maybe your mat is too soft and a harder one is needed... I had a big mat that the green front was litterally coming off of it so I turned it over and it works quite well ... any one else have any hints out there????

and don't forget to change your needle ....

Make sure you have adequate lighting. Days are shorter and the sunlight not as strong so a little extra light will help your eyes not get tired as fast.

Good suggestion, TXM.... My DH put up new lighting for me just yesterday... right over my sewing maching... its like daylight in there all the time now... just love it...

LOVE LOVE LOVE my Ott lights! Got two folding task lights and a new floor lamp.....scored it on Joanns on Black Friday online! Teehee

I noticed it the other day. Had all my lights on but didn't seem the same. Gonna "borrow" one from somewhere.

dont forget to oil your machine, I can hear mine, ear is used to her and knows when she wants some oil. I also dust out the lint after every project from around the bobbin and beneath the feed dogs, I use my unpicker to scrape out and clean the grooves on the presser foot etc too.

A good tip I learned in one of my teaching sessions by another student was to turn your blade around especially if you have a small nick or get a little more use out of your blade..how simple is that!!

Deb, it does work, I've tried it.

Hmmm....will try that one! Thanks!

and sometimes it pays to take it apart and clean the lint off of it... I did that today and had a little string in between the blade and plastic... don't think that helps matters...

Cutting with a dull blade is not only hard work, it is dangerous. A dull blade may easily slip and cut something other than your fabric.

Also, I discovered, when I only THOUGHT there was a mat under my work, that my utility table was not cut by my blade. Unfortunately, I also discovered that in a very few cuts, the new blade became useless.

some great pointers out there thanks for saying it is our Winter lighting makes these old eyes feel better...new year new glasses..never wore glasses before...which brings me to the next idea...clean your glasses once in a while too so that you can see clearly and get your eyes checked often you may need to tweek your lens a bit especially for winter reading.

One more.. always read your instructions first and then read them again. I will right post its with the size required and post it to the pile I am cutting especially if there are numerous odd cuts post its work great as reminders of what the cut was if you didn`t cut enough.eg.

Gold print
3x3in
cut 34
then I will draw a picture if it is a square that needs to be cut in half to make a triangle, I have found it very good when I need 2 more triangles due to wrong count or lost pieces due to kitty play.

Also make sure when you change that blade you only put one blade in instead of 2. They are so thin that's it's really easy to get 2 stuck together when changing them.

The man who cleans my machine once a year told me to use "air". Yept, just buy a can of air and spray away any lint. Thats what most of them use.

memaw

I was doing that, QM , but then I read the air can blow the lint in the back of the machine and you can't get it out. I thought it was working really good...

Golo, I clean my machine first then spray it. So there isn't that much lint left to go into the back of your machine.

memaw

Doesn't that have a funny sound to it-"Buy a can of air". Reckon how much air weighs. Does it cost a lot to ship? Wouldn't our ancestors think we are nuts buying a can of air?

paying for air in general is nuts!!!