And I know better.
 

I have been experiencing skipping when cutting with my rotary cutter.
Changed the blade and guess what! No problems. (And I help out at a quilt shop)

It happens to us all - I even watched an episode with Eleanor Burns that there was a problem with the cutter and she had to get another one. I really don't like to change the blades but it is better than dealing with the frustration of the skipping.

The edges are so much cleaner with a new blade. Why do so many of us fight with dull blades (guilty!).?

I always have that same problem. I'll have problems with a blade and I totally go into denial until I can't take it anymore and I have to change it. I don't know what it is.

Why do we think some of our items should last forever?

Needles - pins - rotary blades - seam rippers - cutting mats - nightgowns?

I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I finally change the blade. Not sure why I don't do it more often!

Why keep using it?

I put off changing the blade because it is so easy to cut myself, scared I guess!!!

Changing the blade is one job I hate as I frequently put it together incorrectly. Now the blades are running in fear of being changed. Purchased a box of 10 when I wanted to change a blade could I find them ,I've purchased another 5 pack, hope these don't go walk about.

I am really bad at changing blades. My friend Gracie is trying to get me to break this bad habit.

So True.... it goes the same with Dentures.. :D

Put a white towel on the table and, working from left to right, take your cutter apart, laying each part down on the towel. put the new blade in in place and, working backwards, (right to left), replace the pieces. You should be able to replace the parts correctly. Good luck.

I was quilting with a friend recently and she was complaining about her rotary cutter chewing her fabric. She had just put in a new blade. I told her to check the washer on the cutter to see if it was put in correctly and to also see if she had more than one blade in the cutter. Sure enough, she had two blade stuck together. So easy to do with the oil they ship the blades with. She put just one in and her cutter worked like cutting through butter.

There is a little tool to help change your rotary cutter blade. It's a magnetic wand you use so you don't have to touch the blade itself. See it here:
https://www.missouriquiltco.com/shop...de-replacement

Good luck.
...dany

I found I got more mileage on my blades on my self-healing mats than my regular cutting mat. So when I went to upgrade/enlarge my cutting table I searched for a self-healing mat as a replacement. I also picked up a blade sharpener at Nancy's Notions. I seem to use my blades for a much longer period now and then I hit them with the blade sharpener to add a little extra life on them. Once they're pretty much spent for fabric cutting I sharpen them one more time and use them for cutting everything but fabric. I have a 60mm rotary cutter marked for just that so I don't mix them up. I warn all who come to play in my sewing room the rules for my rotatry cutters too. They are marked for safety sake but you know how things can go when you just grab a cutter and start cutting.

I think that some skipping is because the mat has a cut in it or several cuts. Try a different cutter and see. or try a different mat.

We try to SQUEEZE every bit out of them since they are so expensive!

Check e-bay for deals

Often if I just clean and scraps or fibers that works for me. I don't do well with online purchases, It's like we'll just send the "junk' to her and make her think she's got a deal. I send it right back. I just wait for coupons and dbuy local.

I know why I put off changing my blade. My grandma who taught me to sew, was raised in the depression and I absorbed her reluctance to be wasteful. That is my story and I am sticking to it. ( Sounds better than I am a cheap old broad.)

I had wondered about the sharpner good to see it works

I'd love to say that I change my blades as soon as they start skipping, but it seems that as soon as I change a blade it starts skipping. I don't hit pins but seem to hit the edge of the cutting mat and the granite under it. Sigh -- and I think I have every sharpener made and none of them work.

The Olfa blades are so darn expensive it's hard to make ourselves change them regularly. Since I began to buy mine (45mm) at Hancocks of Paducah in the 10-count packs, I've "mostly" gotten over that ridiculousness. 10 blades for less than $30 and Olfa brand --you can't beat it!

http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/s.nl....f?search=Olfa

Jan in VA

madamekelly you made me laugh. Signed, another cheap old broad.

Jan in VA - thanks for the link!:thumbup:

I am guilty too. When you think of the price per blade they really aren't that expensive.
Some blades seem to last a very long time, others not so long.

I think we all fight change because they are quite pricey. I know that at 4-5 dollars a pop I wait until I have to change.

That is a very good price. Are they this price all the tim? Or is this a special for a little while?

I would like to order my blades online also but they won't ship blades to Canada (from what I was told) so I wait until Fabricland has their 1/2 price sale. 5 Olfa blades cost $65.00 here + tax !! I tried the Grace company blade sharpener (at the cost of $75.00 here) & as far as I'm concerned it's a piece of junk. I have tried & tried & tried to sharpen blades & even my hubby did the same & I can't even get them to cut a single layer of fabric & even that's hit & miss. Maybe I got a lemon but this stuff today that's made in China is sure not quality.

thanks for the reminder, that's what is wrong with mine!!