One of those little sayings that I learned working in fab shops. "The hand holding your straight edge should be whats tired after making a cut, not the hand holding the blade."
Hi Adam (and everyone). When cutting styrene sheet, use a X-acto blade with a broken tip...but use it upside down (the blade, not yourself). :) When using a sharp blade, the material gets pushed to either side of the cut, leaving a 'mushroom' like profile. The upside down blade (with tip broken off) will remove a thin channel of styrene instead of pushing it to either side. When doing this, you will produce a thin curly-Q of styrene (evidence that material is being removed from the kerf instead of it being pushed away) that won't cause a mushroomed edge. I model in styrene often and learned this tip years ago. Try it...its not always what you need to do, but it has its applications (plus, you get more use out of a 'broken' blade). Thanks Adam, for making such great videos!
Use a dull broken cutting tool id possibly one of the dumbest and most dangerous pieces of advice I've ever heard. With a dull broken blade you run a great risk of damaging your work and cutting yourself when the already broken blade breaks further suddenly. If you're getting mushroomed edges with a sharp blade and square cutting guide your cutting technique is lacking. Use a sharp blade and learn to cut correctly.
I did this a couple of weeks ago by accident and noticed the curley Qs of styrene. Thanks for validating that as a useful technique. I loved seeing the material removed rather than compressed.
"Amateur" in the literal sense just means that you love doing something. Not a negative thing at all. "Unskilled," "unpracticed," and "still learning" might be better synonyms, and "incompetent" is a better pejorative.
Man...don't ever worry about being an "amateur". You've done more "professionally" than most people even dream of doing as a hobby. Your skills are practical, and well-developed, and absolutely do everything you need them to do. You're amazing and open and helpful in how you share what you do with all of us. Never call yourself an amateur. You've given more skills and knowledge, to more people, than whole legions of would-be "masters" in their respective fields. And every one of us respects you for every moment of your time and every new thing we achieve because you were the one who told us we could...and how to do it. Just like Chef Jean-Pierre taught me how to cook, almost exactly the same way. You're full of vibrancy and optimism, and what you know how to do, and how you share it all with everyone...matters. A jack-of-all-trades is a master of none, but oft-times better than a master of one. Overspecialize, and you breed-in weakness. It's slow death. A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
I’ve been racking my brain for awhile now to try, and figure out who Adam reminds me of. Watching this video it finally hit me, Mister Rogers. Not in looks, or speech, but in his demeanor. The way he has a passion for what he does, and sharing it to make the world a better place, to learn from his successes, and failures. The way he humbles himself as he does so. Thank you for giving me the sense of importance, and confidence as an adult, that Mister Rogers gave many of us as a child. Thank you
I'm not a model maker or any of the sorts. But i could listen and watch Adam tinker, for a whole day. Non-Stop LOL But Adam, one thing i have learned in life: There is absolutely NO such thing as an Expert. Expert/Prof is a label we like to give others who seam very skilled to our eyes. But for that "Expert/Prof", he/she still feels like an armature at everything they do. I think the best description is a quote from Leonardo da Vinci: ("Art is never finished, only abandoned...") I think this applies to any and all types of craftmanship. In other words: Don't sell yourself short Adam, you're in our eyes, a true expert at your craft.
Fantastic video! Never too old to learn. Nearly 70 and in sewing have done a lot of cutting, but have always been a bit fobic of using the blades you have demonstrated and why? Because I wanted to do it in one cut. So logic, if you take many cuts you won't clench everything. Thank you.
@@stephanie.stanton Kind of, yes. If you're under a mm, you'd use micrometers or a decimal to the necessary degree of precision. 1/3mm is effectively unlimited precision, which is daft, so you'd say 0.3mm or 0.33mm, or whatever suited your use case. However, for the way Adam was speaking, it doesn't matter. We all know what he means, and it's probably slightly faster to say.
@@Pennsyltucky84 I don't think he was joking. I used Xacto blades enough to know that what he said was exactly true. The very finest bit of the tip is what break first.
Great video Adam as always. One thing I wanted to add to your cutting advice that I was told early on and has saved my ass many times is, always protect the art! If you are trimming a piece the has excess media, always protect the art. That means that if your blade gets away from you, make sure it’s only going to cut into excess media.
Nothing beats the reckoning feel when you get to use high quality tools. I started out with tools given to me when I moved out from my parents. Cheep basic tools, just enough to assemble furniture from IKEA, cut the roller curtains to size, and mount some shelfs on the wall. Time passes and my collection of tools grow and more versatile tools, like bit drivers take precedence over old ones, and features like ratchet screwdrivers become a thing in my toolbox. Only recently, and only because it was on sale; half off, did I cash out the price of a bit screwdriver from an innovative and well renounced German tool brand - and OH BOY! I fell in love, contemplated my life's decisions, and realized that my biggest regret would be that I had not invested in premium tools at first go. I now am slowly replacing all my less valued tools with more of "the good stuff" I now have an addiction for, and I have promised myself that when my children leave the nest (soon) I will not allow any of them to buy cheep crappy tools. I will support or sponsor their investment in quality, because it will be rewarding each time it is used. So if $30 is what it takes to get a good straight edge ruler - that's the price you shall pay.
I just had an "OH DUH!!" moment: Most people know that drilling a hole (especially in sheet metal) is WAY easier when done incrementally - start with a smaller bit, then work your way up to the final size. It makes it so much easier than trying to just drill out the big hole in one shot (hence the step drill for thin materials). That's exactly the same as this, just rotationally instead of linearly!! This makes so much sense when looked at from that perspective!
In hindsight not trying to cut something all the way the first time sounds like common sense but I really needed that. I can recall so many times having to redo a cut because I stubbornly tried to do it the first time through with all the strength I could muster and the blade or ruler slipping causing me to slice into the good part of what I was cutting.
Yeah another issue, I don't think Adam mentioned, with cutting with force, is the blade wandering into the good side of the material or into your skin.
@Carlos Ravelo Yes both good lessons! I learned from a supervisor to also cut away from yourself to avoid accidents. It's definitely come to mind recently after a few near misses this year.
Impatience when making. When I was trained in aerospace assembly and maintenance we were taught to have all the information, proper tools and take time and do it correctly.
I learned what a thousandth of an inch felt like when I first worked in a machine shop deburring room. That touch memory has helped me in so many ways since.
From a former negative stripper in the printing industry - How to line up the cut exactly to the mark/line: Place cutting blade in the center of the line. Move the straight edge (metal) up to the blade gently until it is in contact. Observe the position of the straight edge to the line and duplicate exactly the same position at the other end of the mark/line. Clamp down hard on the material and make your cut (s), ensuring no part of your body is extended across the cut line. This is how visually exact masking cuts were made in preparing printing plates by hand.
I'm a leatherworker; and a proper knife will make your life so much easier when cutting. I find that an exacto blade dulls to fast, and so do most craft blades. The best way to cut leather is with leather shears for curves, and for long straight cuts or slight curves a utility knife blade works the best (the fresher the blade the better). Repeat cuts also tend to give you weird edges that are really hard to burnish at times; so counter to what you said, I tend to cut through on the first try, but I've also had a lot of practice.
To this I'd add "Don't be afraid to change the blade." I'm a cheapskate, and I want to use tools until they're worn out, but when it comes to knives with disposable blades, it's always better to use a newer, sharper one.
Get yourself an exacto blade sharpener. I go through blades like candy, but being able to put blades through a couple passes with a sharpener has cut my blade use down by half or more. Given once your tip snaps, you're stiffed either way but believe me it helps.
AND when you put a new blade in the knife just go ahead and poke it slightly into your other hand. It's gonna happen anyway and new steel must taste blood. I'm kidding, kinda...
I banned disposable blade knifes completely. Get a good quality steel knife and a whetstone and you're safe for the next century. No more unnecessary trash producing. No more running out of blades. No more snapped off tips or edges...
I don't have much experience as a maker, but as an architecture student I've made so many models with matboard and foamcore that I can safely say, Xacto knives are crap for this. A box-cutter is way more stable and comfortable, and because it has a wider blade it gets more contact with the ruler and cuts much straighter. It makes it easier to get that 90 degree cut on thicker materials, and cardboard dulls edges really quickly so having that segmented blade you can just snap off and continue every few cuts is super useful. I do keep an Xacto for finer details, but I almost always prefer a wider blade.
Another tip - when cutting something with grain (like balsa), cut in the direction that the grain “forces” the blade towards your cutting guide. I was also taught to put your guide on top of the “good” side of the cut to protect it from accidental ruin.
I have had many jobs over the years and mat cutter was one of them. I cut probably 10,000+ mats about 30 years ago. I had specialized cutting equipment that allowed one full cut in one pass. The number one reason you do that is so you don't leave a visible "step" in the bevel cut, and in the straight cuts the equipment will do it so why not. If you are "freehand" cutting or "guide" cutting, Adams way is 100% the way to do it. When I was painting (lot of art related jobs) I would tell people if you want to learn blade control stack 2 strips of masking tape on a cutting surface and just cut through one strip of tape without damaging the second one. When you can do that reliably, you should have no problems.
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Chris Reeves knives has that motto on a t-shirt with a twist. "Think twice, cut once " Nice to see you have it in you to slow down and be diligent. (for this video at least )✌
Several observations from a long-time (60+ years) but amateur model maker. First, I stopped using X-Acto knives several years ago (with one exception) and only use surgical scalpels of which I have 6 or more. The one exception is the good old, #17 X-Acto chisel blade for which I have found no substitute. Since my mother was a painter, I also inherited a Logan Compact Matcutter outfit from her. I use that and a Falcon (14") photographic print trimmer (which uses a single-edge razor blade) for 90% of the cutting work that you describe in your video. The Logan has two blade holders, one is perpendicular to the cutter surface and the other is a 45 degree bevel knife holder (very handy!). The Logan knives are like a single-edge razor blade on steroids and can either be used and thrown away or resharpened and reused (if you are good at resharpening - I am not). If something won't fit either, I have 12, 18, 24, 26 and 48 inch steel straight edges for cutting. The Logan will handle foam core or Gator Foam, the Falcon will not. I do not use my high-quality drafting triangles, etc., for cutting!
Thanks for this. I’ve learned these lessons with balsa over many years of aero modeling. I shared this on the Facebook Balsa Model Builders Forum because it succinctly illustrates ideas I, personally, would share.
Thank you Adam I dabble in working with leather. I made lots for folding knives and flashlights...I am about to embark on the first leather piece that has not come out of a kit. Were I have made the patterns and have to cut the pieces out and hand stitch them together. What I am going to be making is a hip case to carry my Leatherman Wave and bit set, my Leatherman Raptor tool and a stream light flashlight. I will also be making a case to carry my cellphone. I have tried to cut leather to make things but it doesn't look like what I imagined. I always have tried to cut it in one pass. I have used razor knives rolling cutters. It never worked out. You have shown me the right way to cut it. When I have completed my project I will send you the photos to show you the how it came out.
One more reason: every time I’ve sunk an Exacto into my hand flesh, it was either because I was forcing it really hard, or rushing, or both. Generally that last one.
Brian Scotto From Hoonigan name dropped Adam in a recent episode for turning him onto the Pica Marker Pen. Good to know the Tested videos aren't just helping out us who are only starting out making!
The "feeling a thousandth of an inch" thing reminds me of an old sports reporter who used to claim the human mind can't differentiate a measure of time smaller than a second. Which is clearly rubbish. A second is aaaages.
If you play an electric instrument through a computer, you can feel a difference in latency of just 5 ms or so... light would only travel 1500 km in that time, or about the length of Sweden. This is the closest I've come to grasping the speed of light.
Average talking speed is 150 words per minute or 2.5 words per second. Almost three words in a single second... maybe it says something about sports reporters if he can't process anything less than a second.
@@NorrisHistoryCorner It was in relation to the NFL 40 yard dash, that there is no discernable difference between a 5 second 40 and a 4 second 40. But as I said, we know it's bunk so
Written by a reporter who's never seen two equally matched cars launch at a quarter mile with a .2 second reaction time difference. This.... Is very discernible even by eye without slow-mo.
Great advice here. With regards to the blade tip breaking off on the excacto blades, I like to grind a small bevvel on the back of the blade, so that the tip is not quite as pointy, and thus not quite as fragile. And as the tip gets dull, I grind this bevel larger, removing the dull tip of the blade. Of course If you specifically need the very fine point this is not much help, but for most cutting work it is perfectly acceptable.
Alvin makes such great stuff and I'm glad it sees wider use than in just the comic artist world. That see thru with a metal edge is a wonder for pulling border lines without bleeding the ink.
I've always had issues when cutting non straight lines with styrene sheets (as a side not i've only ever heard it called plasticard) so this will hopefully help
Mat board! I love this stuff! Something I've found is that if you have to make several passes, the straightedge tends to move. The razor blade is definitely easier than the x-acto for it.
Thanks Adam. You provide so much encouragement and positive re-enforcement! You didn’t mention one of my favorite cutting tools....the scalpel. Hope you will do something on their usage. It is a mis-understood tool and not so dangerous if used correctly.
As someone that makes with leather, often heavy leather, having the proper blade for the cutting task at hand is probably the most important think. I have an entire drawer of my toolbox devoted to cutting tools. Everything from a head knife to an xacto knife.
Aha! So the true meaning of “measure once cut twice” comes out. Excellent advice though (I too learned that technique long ago) and several carefully controlled passes is definitely the way to make accurate and safe cuts in boards.
Can I just say, standard X-acto knife handles are the least ergonomical tool you can buy. They make my hands hurt when I use them for any length of time. I found some nice alternatives made by Warren Cutlery, larger brass collets to hold the blade, and nice turned wood handles. I have also started making some of my own carving knives in order to make cutting more pleasant. I made a couple with blades basically patterned after X-blades but made out of resharpenable spring steel, and with a handle shaped to fit my hand. Also, I have a ruler from C-thru that is made out aluminum... so it isn't see through 😋
another useful tip for cutting soft materials (rubber foam for instance) that tend to grab the blade, even if it's new, and rip or make chunks is to do a light coat of vaseline or some other grease on the blade. glides through nice and easy and won't cause any ripping.
Adam, I'm sure you have a strop around there somewhere. As a leather worker, trust me...get in the habit of stropping every blade, every time you pull it out. Even the new ones. It makes cutting so satisfyingly smooth and you get about 3 times the mileage out of your blades.
At Counter 3:30, Adam shows the number 1 Xacto handle with the #11 blade. The #1 handle has the tightening grip, right up by the blade. This is dangerous when the blade gets rusty and stuck. There is a risk of tendon-cutting injuries when the grip and the blade are close together. The newer ‘Gripster’ handle from Xacto has the tightening grip at the back end of the handle. Much safer.
One important thing with cutting I learned is to hold the blade as much of a shallow angle as possible. This uses more of the blade to cut instead of pressing the material against a part of the blade.
Sometimes it's hard to hit an exact line when cutting with a ruler. There's a bunch of reasons for that-the angle of your head to the work, the thickness of a blade, shadows, bad lighting, and older eyes like mine. A trick I've been using for decades is to gently push the tip of the blade slightly into the material on the line, then bring the straightedge up to it. The blade makes a fulcrum to rotate the ruler until it follows the line. If you are using a thick blade, it's easy to put the ruler at a correct and consistent offset from the line that way. Pull the blade, and make your cut as usual.
I'm a huuuuuge fan of scalpels instead of x-acto knives. They don't randomly loosen the way x-acto blades sometimes do, and the blades are usually cheaper on a scalpel. Its also easier to find scalpel blades if you want something other than the standard #11 style. Scalpel bladess are less tolerant to torque than the x-acto, so if you're putting a lot of force into a sharply curved cut, then scalpels break more often because they're pierced through for the attachment and are weaker there. But you shouldn't be pressing that hard anyway. So yeah, scalpels - like an x-acto knife, except better in (nearly) every measurable way.
To CUT Styrene use ONLY a PLASTIC CUTTING TOOl !! its a Hook type blade that SCRIBES a slot in the surface Initially to permit fracturing the plastic , straight and square . NEVER use just a SINGLE EDGE RAZOR BLADE ! It will slip and CUT Your hand and Fingers ....
I was fascinated by all of this and it started looking for how I can get started building models with styrene. In my searches I found that styrene is a human carcinogen. Maybe sometime you could go over safety procedures/ best practices when working with styrene?
I've done a considerable amount of cutting using an x-acto type blades and have several kits of all types of blades. The two types of blades I seem to fall back on are probably the most common ones: 1) the long-angle straight edge that comes to a precise point, and 2) the curved point with a small portion of a straight edge. Usually I find that #1 can be used to make cuts that have some amount of non-straight cuts because it doesn't want to follow a line, and #2 works best for making a straight cut because it will WANT to follow a line. BUT, when I need to make multiple cuts on the same line #1 wants to more easily wonder a little and #2 will guide itself to some degree. Now that I've described that to some subtlety, do you have a similar feeling for those blades and do you have other blade choices for making multiple cuts on a line? Have you ever used Shadow Foam for Tool drawers or such? Please have a one-day build to show how to make a good result of the method. Thanks
I always say this when Adam posts about cutting things... Swann Morton 10A blades with a size 3 handle... I'm amazed he never mentions them, they're standard issue kit for graphic designers and pasteup artists on this side of the pond (well, they were when pasteup was still a thing about 25 years ago!). They make Xacto blades look like butter knives.
I would love a series of these that were just about materials and material science. Things like, why use styrene vs, pvc, vs foam board, plywood over hardwood. Many times just knowing about what materials are useable, and how they can be used would be great.
Yep, I figured this out the hard way. Cut shallow and straight on the first pass. Cut deeper with each pass until it parts with ease. The material you are cuting almost doesn't matter. It will always be more accurate to do it this way.
Yeah, this is a lesson that took me a bit of time, as you I am an impatient person when I build. Also you should sharpen your blade/change it often. Or the dullness will make the blade move and bend as it struggles to cut though the material and make bad cuts as well.
My grandfather imparted the same; "slow and right is faster than fast and wrong." Seems to be one of those universally useful pieces of advice in life.
"It doesn't feel like I've done anything, but I have" really brought me back to my days of working in an industrial fab shop... Company was crap, so only hired 'helpers' and 'welders' instead of paying more for people that could do both. So many days that I'd finish my work of cutting and beveling/prepping beams and pipe for that night's weld shift to work on and look at the bare parts and think "I didn't get anything done after 10 hours. This is the same shit, just slightly different." Then I'd come in the next morning to a new pile of i-beams, pipe and diagrams. Then I'd notice all the supports and perfectly angled piping that got finished during the night, from the parts that I got ready. Not many things feel better than that.
I don't know how the dulling works, but for those with unsteady hands (who likely do bigger projects) look up the Slice brand cutters, I got one for work after slicing my wrist because of the type of box cutter they provided that could only cut well with one side up. I could run the Slice ceramic box blades on my hands with no cuts but it went into the cardboard just like the other blades (from the middle or edge). plus they have some unique shapes
As always I pay attention to the tools that Adam uses for potential additions to my own workshop. I really like the look of those rulers so tried to find them online. Sadly it appears that Alvin & Co are no longer in business.
I was taught to cut leather in one go, as otherwise you may get a toothy or scraggly cut, especially with thinner hides. However you're not supposed to use them thin little blades or exacto(sp?) knives, but beefy leatherworking knives with Scary Sharp (official unit) edges that go through even 4-5mm hides like butter. If they're sharp there's no need to use a lot of force, which is how things are supposed to be. In fact I know it's past time to hone mine when it doesn't cut in one go...
I don't know if anyone from tested.com reads these comments but if so, I have a few questions after watching this video: 1. Does Adam use the three types of blades interchangeably or does he use certain blades for certain tasks/materials? 2. If he uses certain blades for certain tasks/materials, can he break down when he uses each type of blade? 3. He referred to that first blade as a mat knife blade (from googling, I'm assuming it's not a matte knife blade as the subtitles spelled it out), but when I google "mat knife" I tend to find only one specific model (a logan 500) and when i do a "mat knife" search in amazon I once again find that logan 500 knife and a bunch of other knives, the only ones of which that appear to use the same blade as Adam's mat knife being utility knives (aka, box cutters). So my third question is, is what Adam is referring to as a mat knife just his way of naming a utility knife/box cutter?
That’s interesting, in college I was taught specifically that you can never get a clean edge with multiple passes. I’ve cut a lot of mats over the years but I can’t tell you how often I’ve ruined boards because I’m using so much force that I pushed the straight edge off mark. So I’ll definitely try your multiple pass technique and see how it goes.
I’ve found this advice to be true of just about anything you’re cutting by hand. I was cutting the paper on the outside drywall recently. My knife wandered of I tried to cut too much of the paper in a single pass.
Something else that helps: a better knife than X-acto. Any time I used one I inevitably worked the collet loose and wound up with a wobbly blade, having to stop and re-tighten or worse, a wonky start on the first cut. Solved that with an Excel K18 knife that tightens the blade at the other end of the barrel. No more loose blades. There are probably other brands that offer this feature, so do yourself a favor and look around.
I had no idea you we're once a graphic designer in your early 20's. I was also a graphic designer in my early 20's, I manage a team of UX/UI designers now and only now am I starting to consider myself a "maker" - thought most thinks I make involve my motorcycle or computer in some way haha
On leather I was told that multiple cuts will cause split ends. I could be mixing up through cuts with tooling cuts which I remember for sure should be just once.
Keep a strop block nearby. I strop all my razors before I use them. You can get them beyond factory sharp using a good stropping compound. I have a razor in my box cutter handle that I've been using for over 2 years to custom build boxes for my business. I strop it every two to three boxes. It's missing about 0.5mm that has worn down over the years and it's still, literally, razor sharp.
One of those little sayings that I learned working in fab shops. "The hand holding your straight edge should be whats tired after making a cut, not the hand holding the blade."
Hi Adam (and everyone). When cutting styrene sheet, use a X-acto blade with a broken tip...but use it upside down (the blade, not yourself). :) When using a sharp blade, the material gets pushed to either side of the cut, leaving a 'mushroom' like profile. The upside down blade (with tip broken off) will remove a thin channel of styrene instead of pushing it to either side. When doing this, you will produce a thin curly-Q of styrene (evidence that material is being removed from the kerf instead of it being pushed away) that won't cause a mushroomed edge. I model in styrene often and learned this tip years ago. Try it...its not always what you need to do, but it has its applications (plus, you get more use out of a 'broken' blade). Thanks Adam, for making such great videos!
Great advice! Often I wondered how to solve that aside from sanding and such. I will try it
I’ve used that technique cutting along panel lines of a model.
Use a dull broken cutting tool id possibly one of the dumbest and most dangerous pieces of advice I've ever heard. With a dull broken blade you run a great risk of damaging your work and cutting yourself when the already broken blade breaks further suddenly. If you're getting mushroomed edges with a sharp blade and square cutting guide your cutting technique is lacking. Use a sharp blade and learn to cut correctly.
Very cool! While i will likely never do this type of work and therefore never need the tip, i greatly appreciate the ingenuity!
I did this a couple of weeks ago by accident and noticed the curley Qs of styrene. Thanks for validating that as a useful technique. I loved seeing the material removed rather than compressed.
"I'm an amateur at almost everything I know how to do" is pretty much my life motto. That one hit very close to home =)
I really enjoyed his video on being a generalist. It really validates what I've felt like for a long time.
Jack of all trades, master of busting myths :p
"Amateur" in the literal sense just means that you love doing something. Not a negative thing at all. "Unskilled," "unpracticed," and "still learning" might be better synonyms, and "incompetent" is a better pejorative.
@@jorymil I'm a professional engineer and I'm still learning after *cough* decades.
Man...don't ever worry about being an "amateur". You've done more "professionally" than most people even dream of doing as a hobby. Your skills are practical, and well-developed, and absolutely do everything you need them to do. You're amazing and open and helpful in how you share what you do with all of us. Never call yourself an amateur. You've given more skills and knowledge, to more people, than whole legions of would-be "masters" in their respective fields. And every one of us respects you for every moment of your time and every new thing we achieve because you were the one who told us we could...and how to do it. Just like Chef Jean-Pierre taught me how to cook, almost exactly the same way. You're full of vibrancy and optimism, and what you know how to do, and how you share it all with everyone...matters.
A jack-of-all-trades is a master of none, but oft-times better than a master of one.
Overspecialize, and you breed-in weakness. It's slow death.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
I’ve been racking my brain for awhile now to try, and figure out who Adam reminds me of. Watching this video it finally hit me, Mister Rogers. Not in looks, or speech, but in his demeanor. The way he has a passion for what he does, and sharing it to make the world a better place, to learn from his successes, and failures. The way he humbles himself as he does so. Thank you for giving me the sense of importance, and confidence as an adult, that Mister Rogers gave many of us as a child. Thank you
I'm not a model maker or any of the sorts.
But i could listen and watch Adam tinker, for a whole day. Non-Stop LOL
But Adam, one thing i have learned in life: There is absolutely NO such thing as an Expert.
Expert/Prof is a label we like to give others who seam very skilled to our eyes.
But for that "Expert/Prof", he/she still feels like an armature at everything they do.
I think the best description is a quote from Leonardo da Vinci:
("Art is never finished, only abandoned...")
I think this applies to any and all types of craftmanship.
In other words:
Don't sell yourself short Adam, you're in our eyes, a true expert at your craft.
You're reminding me of when my Dad taught me this. over 40 years ago. Still valid. Thank you.
These intimate videoes are the best. No need for fancy setups, just Adam and a camera!
Fantastic video!
Never too old to learn.
Nearly 70 and in sewing have done a lot of cutting, but have always been a bit fobic of using the blades you have demonstrated and why? Because I wanted to do it in one cut.
So logic, if you take many cuts you won't clench everything.
Thank you.
"top 1/3 of a millimeter" Adam creates a Standard-Metric Hybrid Baby that will grow to be the destroyer of worlds!
Are fractions...standard? Do all other countries get to avoid fractions?
@@stephanie.stanton Metric accepts fractions, but massively prefers them to be decimal. so .3mm is preferred to 1/3 Millimeter
@@stephanie.stanton Kind of, yes. If you're under a mm, you'd use micrometers or a decimal to the necessary degree of precision. 1/3mm is effectively unlimited precision, which is daft, so you'd say 0.3mm or 0.33mm, or whatever suited your use case. However, for the way Adam was speaking, it doesn't matter. We all know what he means, and it's probably slightly faster to say.
@@stephanie.stanton Plus, I'm pretty sure this was intended as a joke rather than serious.
@@Pennsyltucky84 I don't think he was joking. I used Xacto blades enough to know that what he said was exactly true. The very finest bit of the tip is what break first.
Great video Adam as always. One thing I wanted to add to your cutting advice that I was told early on and has saved my ass many times is, always protect the art! If you are trimming a piece the has excess media, always protect the art. That means that if your blade gets away from you, make sure it’s only going to cut into excess media.
Nothing beats the reckoning feel when you get to use high quality tools. I started out with tools given to me when I moved out from my parents. Cheep basic tools, just enough to assemble furniture from IKEA, cut the roller curtains to size, and mount some shelfs on the wall. Time passes and my collection of tools grow and more versatile tools, like bit drivers take precedence over old ones, and features like ratchet screwdrivers become a thing in my toolbox. Only recently, and only because it was on sale; half off, did I cash out the price of a bit screwdriver from an innovative and well renounced German tool brand - and OH BOY! I fell in love, contemplated my life's decisions, and realized that my biggest regret would be that I had not invested in premium tools at first go. I now am slowly replacing all my less valued tools with more of "the good stuff" I now have an addiction for, and I have promised myself that when my children leave the nest (soon) I will not allow any of them to buy cheep crappy tools. I will support or sponsor their investment in quality, because it will be rewarding each time it is used. So if $30 is what it takes to get a good straight edge ruler - that's the price you shall pay.
Im starting model making in architecture in Spain this is really good timing...
Adam has at least two other videos relating to styrene also.
@@Pennsyltucky84 Yes, the video where he works from a drawing includes the most instruction in terms of styrene practices.
Multiple passes with the mat knife is something I learned making models in architecture school 50+ years ago. Good advice well heeded.
I just had an "OH DUH!!" moment: Most people know that drilling a hole (especially in sheet metal) is WAY easier when done incrementally - start with a smaller bit, then work your way up to the final size. It makes it so much easier than trying to just drill out the big hole in one shot (hence the step drill for thin materials). That's exactly the same as this, just rotationally instead of linearly!!
This makes so much sense when looked at from that perspective!
In hindsight not trying to cut something all the way the first time sounds like common sense but I really needed that. I can recall so many times having to redo a cut because I stubbornly tried to do it the first time through with all the strength I could muster and the blade or ruler slipping causing me to slice into the good part of what I was cutting.
Yeah another issue, I don't think Adam mentioned, with cutting with force, is the blade wandering into the good side of the material or into your skin.
@Carlos Ravelo Yes both good lessons! I learned from a supervisor to also cut away from yourself to avoid accidents. It's definitely come to mind recently after a few near misses this year.
Impatience when making. When I was trained in aerospace assembly and maintenance we were taught to have all the information, proper tools and take time and do it correctly.
I learned what a thousandth of an inch felt like when I first worked in a machine shop deburring room. That touch memory has helped me in so many ways since.
From a former negative stripper in the printing industry - How to line up the cut exactly to the mark/line: Place cutting blade in the center of the line. Move the straight edge (metal) up to the blade gently until it is in contact. Observe the position of the straight edge to the line and duplicate exactly the same position at the other end of the mark/line. Clamp down hard on the material and make your cut (s), ensuring no part of your body is extended across the cut line. This is how visually exact masking cuts were made in preparing printing plates by hand.
I'm a leatherworker; and a proper knife will make your life so much easier when cutting. I find that an exacto blade dulls to fast, and so do most craft blades. The best way to cut leather is with leather shears for curves, and for long straight cuts or slight curves a utility knife blade works the best (the fresher the blade the better). Repeat cuts also tend to give you weird edges that are really hard to burnish at times; so counter to what you said, I tend to cut through on the first try, but I've also had a lot of practice.
"Something Akin to Expertise" That's a patch I need.
*throws money at screen...as do i*
To this I'd add "Don't be afraid to change the blade." I'm a cheapskate, and I want to use tools until they're worn out, but when it comes to knives with disposable blades, it's always better to use a newer, sharper one.
Get yourself an exacto blade sharpener. I go through blades like candy, but being able to put blades through a couple passes with a sharpener has cut my blade use down by half or more. Given once your tip snaps, you're stiffed either way but believe me it helps.
AND when you put a new blade in the knife just go ahead and poke it slightly into your other hand. It's gonna happen anyway and new steel must taste blood. I'm kidding, kinda...
I banned disposable blade knifes completely. Get a good quality steel knife and a whetstone and you're safe for the next century. No more unnecessary trash producing. No more running out of blades. No more snapped off tips or edges...
I don't have much experience as a maker, but as an architecture student I've made so many models with matboard and foamcore that I can safely say, Xacto knives are crap for this. A box-cutter is way more stable and comfortable, and because it has a wider blade it gets more contact with the ruler and cuts much straighter. It makes it easier to get that 90 degree cut on thicker materials, and cardboard dulls edges really quickly so having that segmented blade you can just snap off and continue every few cuts is super useful. I do keep an Xacto for finer details, but I almost always prefer a wider blade.
Such a great video and he didn't even touch on the downfalls of cutting paper and taking in acount grain direction. 12/10 as usual!
Another tip - when cutting something with grain (like balsa), cut in the direction that the grain “forces” the blade towards your cutting guide. I was also taught to put your guide on top of the “good” side of the cut to protect it from accidental ruin.
I have had many jobs over the years and mat cutter was one of them. I cut probably 10,000+ mats about 30 years ago. I had specialized cutting equipment that allowed one full cut in one pass. The number one reason you do that is so you don't leave a visible "step" in the bevel cut, and in the straight cuts the equipment will do it so why not. If you are "freehand" cutting or "guide" cutting, Adams way is 100% the way to do it. When I was painting (lot of art related jobs) I would tell people if you want to learn blade control stack 2 strips of masking tape on a cutting surface and just cut through one strip of tape without damaging the second one. When you can do that reliably, you should have no problems.
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I feel the proper response to this video, and so many more of yours, is, "Thank you, Master."
Chris Reeves knives has that motto on a t-shirt with a twist. "Think twice, cut once " Nice to see you have it in you to slow down and be diligent. (for this video at least )✌
Adam is the chef Pépin for makers. Love this style of content!
Is that the fat ghost from Ratatouille?
@@ballisticcranberrypeat7777 put some respect on the Pépin name ya degenerate
So basically when cutting think like Leeloo Dallas, and multi-pass.
Several observations from a long-time (60+ years) but amateur model maker. First, I stopped using X-Acto knives several years ago (with one exception) and only use surgical scalpels of which I have 6 or more. The one exception is the good old, #17 X-Acto chisel blade for which I have found no substitute. Since my mother was a painter, I also inherited a Logan Compact Matcutter outfit from her. I use that and a Falcon (14") photographic print trimmer (which uses a single-edge razor blade) for 90% of the cutting work that you describe in your video. The Logan has two blade holders, one is perpendicular to the cutter surface and the other is a 45 degree bevel knife holder (very handy!). The Logan knives are like a single-edge razor blade on steroids and can either be used and thrown away or resharpened and reused (if you are good at resharpening - I am not). If something won't fit either, I have 12, 18, 24, 26 and 48 inch steel straight edges for cutting. The Logan will handle foam core or Gator Foam, the Falcon will not. I do not use my high-quality drafting triangles, etc., for cutting!
Thanks for this. I’ve learned these lessons with balsa over many years of aero modeling. I shared this on the Facebook Balsa Model Builders Forum because it succinctly illustrates ideas I, personally, would share.
Thank you Adam I dabble in working with leather. I made lots for folding knives and flashlights...I am about to embark on the first leather piece that has not come out of a kit. Were I have made the patterns and have to cut the pieces out and hand stitch them together. What I am going to be making is a hip case to carry my Leatherman Wave and bit set, my Leatherman Raptor tool and a stream light flashlight. I will also be making a case to carry my cellphone. I have tried to cut leather to make things but it doesn't look like what I imagined. I always have tried to cut it in one pass. I have used razor knives rolling cutters. It never worked out. You have shown me the right way to cut it. When I have completed my project I will send you the photos to show you the how it came out.
The amount of times I've had to remind myself to "let the blade do the work" is staggering. It's true for everything from chef's knives to wood saws.
Ahhh, January 2021; when we still had hope 2021 would be better than 2020.
One more reason: every time I’ve sunk an Exacto into my hand flesh, it was either because I was forcing it really hard, or rushing, or both. Generally that last one.
this has got to be the most useful piece of advice I have ever seen on Video. Thank you very much Adam!
Brian Scotto From Hoonigan name dropped Adam in a recent episode for turning him onto the Pica Marker Pen. Good to know the Tested videos aren't just helping out us who are only starting out making!
The "feeling a thousandth of an inch" thing reminds me of an old sports reporter who used to claim the human mind can't differentiate a measure of time smaller than a second. Which is clearly rubbish. A second is aaaages.
If you play an electric instrument through a computer, you can feel a difference in latency of just 5 ms or so... light would only travel 1500 km in that time, or about the length of Sweden. This is the closest I've come to grasping the speed of light.
Average talking speed is 150 words per minute or 2.5 words per second. Almost three words in a single second... maybe it says something about sports reporters if he can't process anything less than a second.
@@NorrisHistoryCorner It was in relation to the NFL 40 yard dash, that there is no discernable difference between a 5 second 40 and a 4 second 40. But as I said, we know it's bunk so
Written by a reporter who's never seen two equally matched cars launch at a quarter mile with a .2 second reaction time difference. This.... Is very discernible even by eye without slow-mo.
Great advice here. With regards to the blade tip breaking off on the excacto blades, I like to grind a small bevvel on the back of the blade, so that the tip is not quite as pointy, and thus not quite as fragile. And as the tip gets dull, I grind this bevel larger, removing the dull tip of the blade. Of course If you specifically need the very fine point this is not much help, but for most cutting work it is perfectly acceptable.
Alvin makes such great stuff and I'm glad it sees wider use than in just the comic artist world. That see thru with a metal edge is a wonder for pulling border lines without bleeding the ink.
I've always had issues when cutting non straight lines with styrene sheets (as a side not i've only ever heard it called plasticard) so this will hopefully help
Mat board! I love this stuff! Something I've found is that if you have to make several passes, the straightedge tends to move. The razor blade is definitely easier than the x-acto for it.
Thanks Adam. You provide so much encouragement and positive re-enforcement! You didn’t mention one of my favorite cutting tools....the scalpel. Hope you will do something on their usage. It is a mis-understood tool and not so dangerous if used correctly.
Aren’t exacto are scalpel anyway? I using exacto handle and scalpel blades with no problem. And they same as exacto.
Great video! I've experienced terrible looking cuts bc of impatience. You confirmed to me that I just need to slow down!
As someone that makes with leather, often heavy leather, having the proper blade for the cutting task at hand is probably the most important think. I have an entire drawer of my toolbox devoted to cutting tools. Everything from a head knife to an xacto knife.
The shop foreman in the theater shop always said, "It's finesse, not force." This one of the places where that would apply.
I made something from poster board the other day. I thought of your tip to cut through slowly. All my cuts came out so clean and straight.
Aha! So the true meaning of “measure once cut twice” comes out. Excellent advice though (I too learned that technique long ago) and several carefully controlled passes is definitely the way to make accurate and safe cuts in boards.
Can I just say, standard X-acto knife handles are the least ergonomical tool you can buy. They make my hands hurt when I use them for any length of time. I found some nice alternatives made by Warren Cutlery, larger brass collets to hold the blade, and nice turned wood handles. I have also started making some of my own carving knives in order to make cutting more pleasant. I made a couple with blades basically patterned after X-blades but made out of resharpenable spring steel, and with a handle shaped to fit my hand.
Also, I have a ruler from C-thru that is made out aluminum... so it isn't see through 😋
another useful tip for cutting soft materials (rubber foam for instance) that tend to grab the blade, even if it's new, and rip or make chunks is to do a light coat of vaseline or some other grease on the blade. glides through nice and easy and won't cause any ripping.
Adam, I'm sure you have a strop around there somewhere. As a leather worker, trust me...get in the habit of stropping every blade, every time you pull it out. Even the new ones. It makes cutting so satisfyingly smooth and you get about 3 times the mileage out of your blades.
At Counter 3:30, Adam shows the number 1 Xacto handle with the #11 blade.
The #1 handle has the tightening grip, right up by the blade. This is dangerous when the blade gets rusty and stuck.
There is a risk of tendon-cutting injuries when the grip and the blade are close together.
The newer ‘Gripster’ handle from Xacto has the tightening grip at the back end of the handle. Much safer.
One important thing with cutting I learned is to hold the blade as much of a shallow angle as possible. This uses more of the blade to cut instead of pressing the material against a part of the blade.
Sometimes it's hard to hit an exact line when cutting with a ruler. There's a bunch of reasons for that-the angle of your head to the work, the thickness of a blade, shadows, bad lighting, and older eyes like mine. A trick I've been using for decades is to gently push the tip of the blade slightly into the material on the line, then bring the straightedge up to it. The blade makes a fulcrum to rotate the ruler until it follows the line. If you are using a thick blade, it's easy to put the ruler at a correct and consistent offset from the line that way. Pull the blade, and make your cut as usual.
I'm a huuuuuge fan of scalpels instead of x-acto knives. They don't randomly loosen the way x-acto blades sometimes do, and the blades are usually cheaper on a scalpel. Its also easier to find scalpel blades if you want something other than the standard #11 style. Scalpel bladess are less tolerant to torque than the x-acto, so if you're putting a lot of force into a sharply curved cut, then scalpels break more often because they're pierced through for the attachment and are weaker there. But you shouldn't be pressing that hard anyway. So yeah, scalpels - like an x-acto knife, except better in (nearly) every measurable way.
To CUT Styrene use ONLY a PLASTIC CUTTING TOOl !! its a Hook type blade that SCRIBES a slot in the surface Initially to permit fracturing the plastic , straight and square . NEVER use just a SINGLE EDGE RAZOR BLADE ! It will slip and CUT Your hand and Fingers ....
have you ever used a rotary cutter? it's made for sewing but I've used it on other things like wallpaper, foam (thin), etc
I'm a sign fabricator and I love clear drafting rules. The guys at the shop crack jokes about my little plastic ruler but I love these things.
I just bought that same workpro utility knife. 3 pack for 15 dollars. Awesome little knife.
I was fascinated by all of this and it started looking for how I can get started building models with styrene. In my searches I found that styrene is a human carcinogen. Maybe sometime you could go over safety procedures/ best practices when working with styrene?
I'm currently cutting harps out of vegtan leather and the strings are 2mm thick. Your advice is foundation to all precision cutting by hand
If I was a kid again these types of videos would have been a godsend as I didn’t have a father to learn from. Sometimes the internet is ok folks. Haha
The b-50 style ruler is probably one of my favorite rulers I own
My drafting teacher taught me it is a "rule" not a "ruler."
I've done a considerable amount of cutting using an x-acto type blades and have several kits of all types of blades. The two types of blades I seem to fall back on are probably the most common ones: 1) the long-angle straight edge that comes to a precise point, and 2) the curved point with a small portion of a straight edge. Usually I find that #1 can be used to make cuts that have some amount of non-straight cuts because it doesn't want to follow a line, and #2 works best for making a straight cut because it will WANT to follow a line. BUT, when I need to make multiple cuts on the same line #1 wants to more easily wonder a little and #2 will guide itself to some degree. Now that I've described that to some subtlety, do you have a similar feeling for those blades and do you have other blade choices for making multiple cuts on a line?
Have you ever used Shadow Foam for Tool drawers or such? Please have a one-day build to show how to make a good result of the method. Thanks
I always say this when Adam posts about cutting things... Swann Morton 10A blades with a size 3 handle... I'm amazed he never mentions them, they're standard issue kit for graphic designers and pasteup artists on this side of the pond (well, they were when pasteup was still a thing about 25 years ago!). They make Xacto blades look like butter knives.
I started as a Graphic Designer ! International News papers and Magazines, corporate Shit, Annual Reports and bollocks, now I Paint and make models !
I would love a series of these that were just about materials and material science. Things like, why use styrene vs, pvc, vs foam board, plywood over hardwood. Many times just knowing about what materials are useable, and how they can be used would be great.
Yep, I figured this out the hard way. Cut shallow and straight on the first pass. Cut deeper with each pass until it parts with ease. The material you are cuting almost doesn't matter. It will always be more accurate to do it this way.
This is a great tutorial! Thank you Adam!
Yeah, this is a lesson that took me a bit of time, as you I am an impatient person when I build. Also you should sharpen your blade/change it often. Or the dullness will make the blade move and bend as it struggles to cut though the material and make bad cuts as well.
Great stuff. I have cut the tip of my thumb off many many times from pushing too hard. And thumb hanging into the cut zone!
Another axiom I learned was - do it right (even if slowly) or do it again.
I'm gonna put this on a plaque in my shop.
My grandfather imparted the same; "slow and right is faster than fast and wrong." Seems to be one of those universally useful pieces of advice in life.
@@dlarsh absolutely. Or Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast
I like the way you use your 3rd finger to keep the blade against the ruler.
"It doesn't feel like I've done anything, but I have" really brought me back to my days of working in an industrial fab shop...
Company was crap, so only hired 'helpers' and 'welders' instead of paying more for people that could do both. So many days that I'd finish my work of cutting and beveling/prepping beams and pipe for that night's weld shift to work on and look at the bare parts and think "I didn't get anything done after 10 hours. This is the same shit, just slightly different." Then I'd come in the next morning to a new pile of i-beams, pipe and diagrams. Then I'd notice all the supports and perfectly angled piping that got finished during the night, from the parts that I got ready.
Not many things feel better than that.
I don't know how the dulling works, but for those with unsteady hands (who likely do bigger projects) look up the Slice brand cutters, I got one for work after slicing my wrist because of the type of box cutter they provided that could only cut well with one side up. I could run the Slice ceramic box blades on my hands with no cuts but it went into the cardboard just like the other blades (from the middle or edge). plus they have some unique shapes
As always I pay attention to the tools that Adam uses for potential additions to my own workshop. I really like the look of those rulers so tried to find them online. Sadly it appears that Alvin & Co are no longer in business.
I was taught to cut leather in one go, as otherwise you may get a toothy or scraggly cut, especially with thinner hides. However you're not supposed to use them thin little blades or exacto(sp?) knives, but beefy leatherworking knives with Scary Sharp (official unit) edges that go through even 4-5mm hides like butter. If they're sharp there's no need to use a lot of force, which is how things are supposed to be. In fact I know it's past time to hone mine when it doesn't cut in one go...
I vaguely remember him saying that on mythbusters. Damn solid advice that will see you through. Possibly even better than E=I/R.
I don't know if anyone from tested.com reads these comments but if so, I have a few questions after watching this video:
1. Does Adam use the three types of blades interchangeably or does he use certain blades for certain tasks/materials?
2. If he uses certain blades for certain tasks/materials, can he break down when he uses each type of blade?
3. He referred to that first blade as a mat knife blade (from googling, I'm assuming it's not a matte knife blade as the subtitles spelled it out), but when I google "mat knife" I tend to find only one specific model (a logan 500) and when i do a "mat knife" search in amazon I once again find that logan 500 knife and a bunch of other knives, the only ones of which that appear to use the same blade as Adam's mat knife being utility knives (aka, box cutters). So my third question is, is what Adam is referring to as a mat knife just his way of naming a utility knife/box cutter?
I know I’m pushing too hard when the straight edge moves. Good point Adam. Usually going to fast is my downfall!
That’s interesting, in college I was taught specifically that you can never get a clean edge with multiple passes. I’ve cut a lot of mats over the years but I can’t tell you how often I’ve ruined boards because I’m using so much force that I pushed the straight edge off mark. So I’ll definitely try your multiple pass technique and see how it goes.
So the one place where multiple passes failed me is cutting glass. A good sure score is necessary.
Well cutting glass is sorcery.
Exacto knife vs scalpel opinions? I do leather work and use scalpels
Is that what we would call mountboard in the UK? Standard material for picture mounts and theatre model boxes
I’ve found this advice to be true of just about anything you’re cutting by hand. I was cutting the paper on the outside drywall recently. My knife wandered of I tried to cut too much of the paper in a single pass.
Please, will you do a similar teaching video about cutting curves and irregular shapes?
Something else that helps: a better knife than X-acto. Any time I used one I inevitably worked the collet loose and wound up with a wobbly blade, having to stop and re-tighten or worse, a wonky start on the first cut. Solved that with an Excel K18 knife that tightens the blade at the other end of the barrel. No more loose blades. There are probably other brands that offer this feature, so do yourself a favor and look around.
The day Adam filmed this, I just started my new job.
I had no idea you we're once a graphic designer in your early 20's. I was also a graphic designer in my early 20's, I manage a team of UX/UI designers now and only now am I starting to consider myself a "maker" - thought most thinks I make involve my motorcycle or computer in some way haha
It's been a few weeks, past Adam, but we made it.
I prefer "measure once, cut twice". Sneaking up on the fit is my preferred way.
Lol. I measure twice, then cut trice...
@@kousakasan7882 Even better! 😊
Yes learn your tools i never let newbies use anything power you have to know what your hands and mind are doing before it can be extended.
Can you please pass on some information about the 24" machinists ruler you had there? Thanks!
I think it is an iGaging 24" straight edge beveled precision ruler. They are on Ebay, right around $42
What models do you use what harbor freight should I get the cnc mill was small but tempting
11:28 wow, that leather case's patina looks amazing
On leather I was told that multiple cuts will cause split ends. I could be mixing up through cuts with tooling cuts which I remember for sure should be just once.
for those with arthritis a ultrasonic cutter is a god send , expensive but it means not having to give up your craft.
Keep a strop block nearby. I strop all my razors before I use them. You can get them beyond factory sharp using a good stropping compound.
I have a razor in my box cutter handle that I've been using for over 2 years to custom build boxes for my business. I strop it every two to three boxes. It's missing about 0.5mm that has worn down over the years and it's still, literally, razor sharp.
Hey thanks so much for doing this one! This is the one I’ve been waiting for. How to make a maker.