Am I ever going to learn it?
 

I just changed my rotary cutter blade - and wow, it does suddenly cut so smooth! :o How long was I using that blunt blade? Not sure, but definitely ways too long! Am I ever going to learn to change my blades more often?

I do the same thing...

Isnt it something to have a sharp blade, nothing like it to show us how dull our old blade really was. I do the same with needles, I hear a pop pop pop sound and think, hmm, better change it out. Thanks for the reminder, I will change both blade and needle today.

I too try to get as much cutting from a blade. It seems I always nick a new blade on the corner of an acrylic ruler!

I do the same thing, then wonder why I wait so long. How about your seam ripper? How dull does that have to get before we replace????

you are not alone!

Blades, needles, seam rippers, and scissors get dull?

I, too, tend to wait too long to replace or get sharpened.

I toss my blade the first time it skips. I know it's not going to heal itself if I wait. LOL When a seam ripper won't cut a thread without a tug, out it goes. Blade and rippers are too cheap not to have to use at their best.

I think all of us (especially when you are on a limited budget) try to get every inch of cutting we can out of a blade. They are very expensive and I hate to spend the money. You are in good company.

I change everytime I begin a large quilt, and continue using the old one on smaller pieces?

I have a thick metal yardstick and tsquares that I use when cutting large strips and squaring up yardage. I use my sm 28mm rotary instead of a seam ripper especially for long seams. I have about 7 seamrippers and always losing them. Just like an ink pen though when it quits doing its job, it goes into file 13.

I am getting annoyed at the thread cutter on the side of my sewing machine. It always cuts one thread and not the other. Any solutions for this?

I take a small piece of a sticky back label and write the date on it and adhere it to the handle in a visible place. That way I know how long I have been using that blade.

This is a story that refreshes itself constantly as I am sure almost every one of us does the same stupid thing and waits and waits until we have to use more arm pressure than most wrestlers have. Haven't decided if it is thriftiness, laziness or stubbornness.

Yooper32, you hit the nail on the head, I only change when my arm gets sore from pressing too hard. But oh what a relief to use a new blade.

I have gotten in the habit of changing blades and needles more frequently as it makes cutting and sewing more fluid and accurate.

If it helps I do the same thing and will, no doubt, continue as the years go by. Just two days ago I was cutting pieces and muttering to myself that it was going to take all day if the cuts didn't go more smoothly. Put in a new blade and what a difference. I don't know if it is that we think that they are not dull and just have encountered tighter woven fabric, or that it couldn't possibly be time for a new blade, don't want to be a quilter who wastes perfectly good blades or just stupidity. For my part I believe it is a combination of all of these and will, once again, make a mental note to change the blade more often.

I think it is one of those things that happen so gradually that we don't really notice until one day - that we do notice enough to do something about it.

I think the fact that my mom never ever got her knives (or scissors) sharpened when I was growing up & I was constantly cutting myself helped me learn that:
Dull is Dangerous.
Sharp is Safer.

I truly believe that most of the rotary blade injuries are due to dull blades. I've yet to nick myself with a rotary blade, but I change my blade with each new project; sometimes even mid-project if I do a lot of cutting or nick my ruler. My old blades go into a container marked "Used" that I repurpose for cutting papers (parchment, butcher block, fusible, pattern).

I'm starting a checklist for myself so I remember to change out the machine needle, change out rotary blades, oil my machine, oil my scissors. And twice a year I send my Ginghers out to be sharpened/retooled and give my cutting mats a bath. There's so many things to remember to do that I'm finding without a checklist to follow, I skip things. I like gran of 6's idea about writing the date on the blade. Of course, that's only a back-up because it really depends how much I'm using the blade -- on a quilt retreat it might last less than a day.

I doubt I will ever learn. I have the same malady when it comes to needles too.

Blades are not very expensive if you buy them online, or through Harbor Freight. Makes it easier to change them when they get dull if you don't have to apply for credit to pay for them. -IMHO

How about also - - -

Dull is Dumb and Dangerous
Sharp is Safer and Smarter

(when it comes to cutting tools)

I seem to change my blades when I can only cut through two layers of fabric and only have to snip the skipped places 4 or 5 times in a WOF cut. Duh, why do I do that to myself?

A while back someone on this board said she had bought blades at Harbor Freight. I haven't found them . Anyone else remember this?

I've had Harbor Freight blades. I don't buy them any more because their quality is too inconsistent, and they don't stay sharp as long as the name brand blades. The old adage "You get what you pay for" applies here.

I used to change my blade every time I started a new quilt . . .but since getting my die cutter, don't use my rotary cutters nearly as often, so will have to work out a system.

As for needles . . .i buy them by the 100 for my sewing machines, sergers and quilting machine. For my larger Bernina which uses M class bobbins, I switch out needles with each new bobbin. For my smaller class machine, every other bobbin. On my quilting machine, before starting every quilt.

I guess I'm just too cheap, I use things until they absolutely don't do their jobs correctly anymore. My daughter teases me that I'll use my broom until there is only a few bristles left on it lol. Which I guess is true enough even though I can afford to buy replacements for anything.

I have the same problem. One would almost thing this task was a real chore to do. LOL

All three I reckon....and I'm guilty of all of them.

i use a sharpie and mark the m/y close to the screw. Now that I've said this - its time for me to change my blade....November 2014????? ooops! ;)

Does anyone have their blades sharpened anymore?

.

Not rotary blades, no. I just replace those. I do get my scissors sharpened. I've yet to hear a single positive story about sharpening rotary blades & they're really not that expensive on Amazon (WAY cheaper than a trip to the ER).

I'm much better about doing this since I bought the Olfa quick change cutter. I always had trouble changing blades on the old style and would put up with a dull blade rather than try to change it.

Sometimes I will turn the blade over and get a little more use. I know I'm cheap. LOL

I'm cheap, too! :) Thanks for this tipp, I'm going to try that next time!