useful Christmastime project

[LCHIEN]

I was lazy and didn't make much for Xmas this year. But years ago I made this very simple device I thought I'd share with you.

It's a cutting guide for christmas paper wrap. The problem is always cutting wrap square and clean. Usually I'd use scissors and the cut would not be straight or smooth and often wandered way off square. This device solves that problem.

The main part is a board, about 3.5 to 4 feet long, 6" wide and 1/2" to 3/4" thick.

You'll also need a safety letter opener the kind they give away for promotional purposes, like these:



Just dado a slot in the center of the board the width of the letter opener.
Lay the board on your dining table (That's where everyone wraps gifts, no?) slot side up. Then
place the roll of wrapping paper to one side, parallel to the cutting board, and pull out enough to do the wrap. Then place the point of the opener in the slot just before the paper so its point is in the groove under the paper and slide it up the slot. The paper should be cut in one straight cut and if the roll was parallel to the board, the cut will be square to the edges. Its real easy to get the hang of it and you make a perfect cut every time.

click on thumbnail for larger picture

[LCHIEN]

WHOOPS, seems like i posted this idea before. oh well, a refresher isn't a bad idea.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=35041&highlight=wrapping+paper+cut

[chopnhack]

Man... do they even still give those things out!? I haven't seen one of those in ages... must be the economy

Loring, the one thing I didnt see in your previous post was a pic of the finished product. Do you still have the jig? Curious to see what it looks like.

[LCHIEN]

It's a board with a slot, not too complicated. THe post from 2007 seems to have lost the photo and I just did a search on my old computer's HDD and didn't find it. Took a new picture and posted in the opening post of this thread.


If you need a letter opener, even amazon sells them. Like this one for instance:

http://www.amazon.com/S-P-Richards-Company-Plastic-SPR11818/dp/B002M8DGJ0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1356148672&sr=8-3&keywords=letter+opener

[chopnhack]

Is the cutter head portion in an open dado?

[LCHIEN]

Is the cutter head portion in an open dado?

yes, see the picture now attached to the 1st post in the thread.

[cabinetman]

Man... do they even still give those things out!? I haven't seen one of those in ages... must be the economy

Loring, the one thing I didnt see in your previous post was a pic of the finished product. Do you still have the jig? Curious to see what it looks like.

I agree, I haven' seen those cutters around in a long time. As for the jig, what are you using now? Is it solid wood or plywood? What are its dimensions...can you post a pic?

.

[chopnhack]

That's a simple solution, good job! I have seen something similar in a picture from uline, on a commercial wrapping table for shipping. There was a flat bar that came down over the paper to hold it in place while cutting.

[cabinetman]

That's a simple solution, good job! I have seen something similar in a picture from uline, on a commercial wrapping table for shipping. There was a flat bar that came down over the paper to hold it in place while cutting.

+1. It needs something to hold down the paper...keep it from shifting.

.

[LCHIEN]

+1. It needs something to hold down the paper...keep it from shifting.

.

usually I use my left hand to hold/press the paper to the board just to the left of the slot and use my right hand to slide the cutter and get it started.

[cabinetman]

I'm just wondering for paper that's like 30" or 36", that's pretty wide for just holding with one hand at one place. I could be wrong, but maybe a full length strip of wood would hold the paper more securely.

.