one of the best investments i've made was the JTshape cut ! but i really should have read the inst.first ![dah!]i starte off w/ the 60blade,THEN read the inst.,only use the 45.what a diff !!again ,i think it's the best money i've spent! no more wonkey cuts!i think theyare approx.$25,but used my JA's coupon,would do so again in a heartbeat.
try it ,you'll lOVE it
dar

i finally received my blades from harbor freight[they were on back-orde for several mos]well worth waiting for ! i orddered 10 pkgs of 2,& plan on ordering 10 more !that should hold me for a while!problem is,i'm STILL too tight to change them as often as i should! pretty bad.......

The 60 mm will cut through more layers, but bly the time you get THAT many layers to make a substantial time difference, you will undoubtedly be sacficing accuracy by stacking many many many layers. I use the 60mm for thick stuff like batting, fleece or flannels.

Thanks for the tutorial on cutting fabrics straight. Have been quilting since 2000 and this is the first time I heard of this method. Never stop learning...

That is the exact method I have been using for the past year. At first I was a little frustrated at how much fabric I had to initially cut off to straighten. But I found that I'd much rather lose that fabric to the scrap bin, then have dips in my strips!

I agree that folding to your optimum width and then pressing absolutely flat helps with avoiding "dips" and other problems when rotary cutting. Be sure you have a good (read Olfa, in my opinion) mat to cut on. I don't ever try to cut more than four layers. More seems to increase movement between the layers. 45-mm seems easier to control to me. And that's all I have to contribute!

Dana

You might try Shar Jorgensens tip to start your first cut, after all the straightening, by placing your rotary cutter blade about an inch in from the end of the ruler and cutting back toward yourself for that inch and then cutting forward away from yourself. That way the pressure of the blade doesn't push the fabric into a bump.

I have a 65mm (thought it was a 60 until I went to buy replacement blades.) anyway, the 65mm (and 60mm) blades are so expensive ($10 each), that I went back to a 45mm (I can get a 5 pk of blades for $16).

I had ordered mine, back when I first heard of them being cheap. End of August. I recieved mine 2 weeks ago. I had set up an account online, so I could trace my order

Have you heard about Harbor Freight? They were selling their blades 2 for $1.69 now they raised them to $1.99 and they are backordered These are 45mm

how do i ensure the folds are straight". i spend the extra time to sooth, sooth, and resooth the layers and folds out. what is the trick?

hold up the selvedge edges of your fabric, keep them separated with your fingers, move the selveges back and forth until you don't see any wrinkles. The selveges might no be perfectly lined up, but if the fabric isn't wrinkled as it curves around the fold, you have it right. Gently place it down on the board and trim up the cutting edge Take a 12 " ruler and place it on the fold. Line up one line. Butt your big ruler on the edge of the short ruler, take it away and then trim the febric using the big ruler as your guide.
I hope that makes sense

60mm is way too pricey (only 1 replacement blade per pack) for my budget and cannot be justified when I can get the same cutting results with 45mm and stock up on 5-blade packs whenever I can get them at half-price, which is fairly often.

We have a Harbor Freight in town, but it is a tool store. Is that what you are speaking of????

I've gotten rotary blades (Olfa) comparatively reasonably on e-bay.

I was not getting accurate cuts either.So I am asking for the Accuquilt Go or Go Baby fabric cutter for Christmas :thumbup:
I can get the Accuquilt Go and three dies and mat for 340.00
I have wasted more fabric than that!The Go Baby is cheaper but I haven't decided which one I want. It is compatible with most of the dies for the Accuquilt Go I think only around9 that doesn't work.But they are coming out with more this year for the Go Baby!

The dies are a little expensive but I plan to just buy one at a time! :thumbup:

I usually use my 45mm blade, but that is not your problem with the dip in the folds. You must have your fabric straight or you will have those dips. When you make the fold, be sure to measure it in 3 places to be sure it is straight. then trim the leading edge and go from there. Recheck it after 3 or 4 cuts. Hope this helps you some

So do I.....99.5% of the time. I suppose the 45 mm would be fine, I'm just used to the 60 mm, and I'm short if that makes any diference! :wink:

I use the 45mm more often. Just started using the 60mm when I expanded my sewing studio to include downstairs in the den and now cut fabric at two locations!

I also use a smaller one when cutting and trimming smaller pieces.

Matter of preference and economics. I got my 60mm at a good deal, otherwise would not have it.

Use what ever size you are comfortable with. I have very small ones which are only a centimetre in diameter up to the very large ones. It all depends on the size of the template you are trying to cut around, and how many layers of material you want to whack through. I think if you make the pile too thick you are more likely to have distorted shapes. Some rotary cutters are too large to use with some specialty rules and you have to use the smaller one to get around the shape. I have a sewer's pen - knife (like the Swiss army knife - made in the same place, except for sewers) and the rotary cutter on that is very small, very sharp and very handy. My 45mm gets the most use.

I bought some of the back-order ones---they are now $1.80 instead of the $1.49 we first bought !

Yes, that is Harbor Freight, they have blades that fit our 45 mm and from what I hear, other things that a quilter can use

I have found that if you put the fold next to you rather than away from you, you get a straighter cut.

I use the 28 mm one also! I thought I was the only one left using this one! I also have a 45, but use the 28 the most. It just feels better, like I have more control. But of course, I like small things - - miniature quilts, tiny pieces of fabric, etc.

I like them both. I use the 60 when I want to cut a lot of layers at the same time.

Hi,
I have an inquiry about the blades at Harbor Freight, I went there yesterday and asked for them and was told that they did not carry them. But if i could get the part number and price the gentleman could look them up, could someone please give me this information.
Thanks, Marion

They are called: Replacement Carpet Cutter Blades, Item 97642, Brand name: Central Forge, made in China
Bar code number: 7 92363 97642 8

I use the 45; seems to fit me better.

Thank's for the information, now I can go back to H.F.
Marion

if possible,geta june taylor shap e cut ! they work wonderful!use your coupon,they are kind of expensive,but worth every penny !
dar

I use 60 and 45 I started using the 45 more now that I can get the blades at Harbor Freight.

No bumpy lumps
 

I used to have this problem also... I use a long ruler; while folded I slide the ruler between layers and press the top against the fold. It takes a bit to getting used to Using a ruler like that but it has cut down on the lumpy bumps.

Happy Quilting

Sometimes the dips are from an unstable cutting surface and causes the cutter to skip in the same places. I found that my long white folding table from
Costco was the culprit. I covered it with a remnant piece of cabinet from the IKEA as is bin and that problem was solved. Any stable piece of something over a table that gives in the middle will help

I use there 45 most often, but when cutting through polar fleece or batting the 60 does a better job for me.

I have 18mm to 65mm cutters, have found 11 cutters so far in my room, One is on a ruler, I have olfa ,fiskars kai, martelli. a fiskars ruler, cutter, combo, and my gingher. I have a matt and cutter by each machine for small cuts and the others at my cutting table, in a drawer. I use the smaller ones for curved cutting and the largest one for cutting batting and trimming the quilt before adding the binding.

I agree.

I purchased a 60mm Quilter's Select rotary cutter and it is the most annoying, awkward cutter ever. You have to use both hands to disengage the blade protector. I was very surprised and disappointed that Alex Anderson put her stamp of approval on this design. The cutter itself is nice, it's heavy and solid, but it's just an absolute pita to access the blade.

I love my 60mm cutter and use it a great deal. The 45mm has its advantages in just be easier to manage. and less expensive when it comes to blades. I just purchased new blades for my 60mm and they were $6 a piece where I can get blades for pennies at Harbor Freight. Of course they don't last as long but they do the job for the cost. I also resharpen these 45mm to get more life from them. I am much more careful with the 60mm cutter and blade only because the cost is so much more to replace the blades. My preference it the 60mm much smoother.