I didnt think there would be much interest in this post, but thanks for all your responses.
Sorry if I dont respond to everyone. It would take me too long I think. Also, there are plenty of people here saying
'I dont have a problem with the GW cutters'. I'm happy for you (Really! I am!), but I'm saying very clearly that I'm not, therefore, that statement doesnt help me or anyone else at all. I wish I was happy with the
GW cutters. I'm not saying dont contribute, but I started this thread to share experience, not be told I'm not doing it right. I'm a fairly intelligent monkey and I do have a pretty good idea of how to properly use a cutter. I'm looking for something that will provide me what
I feel are satisfactory results just like some people dont like Colgate tooth paste but many others dont have a problem with it.
From what they say
here, these are apparently the
'upgrade' to the Xuron 410T shears I referenced earlier. They're called the
2175ET Professional Sprue Cutter.
I'm certainly interested to know
how much difference there is, as I've only seen them online for around £20.
As for the other ones, they look amazing but I'd be too afraid to use them for cutting if I paid 294 euros for it.
Breotan wrote:I have to wonder if this is an issue with the tool or the person using the tool. I say this because I have never had a model mauled or badly cut by my clippers. Regardless if you use GW's or some other company's product, they're mostly the same tool so you will most likely get the same result.
Again, I appreciate you wondering if I'm the issue here instead of the tool. User error is something I also deal with all the time.
I think thats a reasonable assumption as you dont know me from Adam, but for what its worth, I dont think I'm the problem (This time).
I'm a very precise hobbyist, a bit too perfectionist for my intermediate skill level (I wont go as far as to say that I'm a 'great' painter but I would say I'm 'good').
AG. wrote:Now you're not gonna like what I'm gonna say, because you're nto accepting any insight into why you're not getting on well with cutters, but anywho.
When you cut with any brand of cutters there is pressure on the plastic from both sides of the blades. This is what is creating the tiny nicks you're talking about.
The only way to elieviate the pressure on the models side is to make sure that the plastic on the other side has somewhere to go.
If you make a cut about an inch away from the injection port of the model, and then cut flush, the plastic is cut and pushed away from the model, leaving as a cut as flush as possible.
Think of it like you're cutting through a carrot. If you have a sharp tool and the carrot it free on either side, when you slice it, each half will more to accomodate the side of the blade, and cut cleanly.
If you hold the carrot from either end and slice, the carrot will be compressed, as you're trying to fit a whole carrot and the width of your blade into a space that'll only take a whole carrot and your cut will be messy.
/2p
I know the concepts of cutting and how mass moves when pressure is applied to it.
I'm also not adverse to critcism as I hope I've tried to show but once again, I hope that I've articulated as well as possible what my issue is and I've reached out in the hope of contacting fellow hobbyists who might share their experiences.
In that regard I guess I'm not looking for a tutorial on how to separate model from sprue, as I can find plenty of that online... I guess I'm searching for a better (And easier way) to do what I'm doing.
So far, that 'easier way' appears to be by buying better cutters, so I'm investigating and sharing what I find as I've found precious little resources or discussion that focus on this single fundamental tool... So I thought I'd start one.
Lord Skulk wrote:1 sharpen them, the more dull they are the more they'll compress the plastic before cutting through
2 if you're gouging chunks out of the miniature then you're doing something wrong, whether it's using dull cutters or simply miscalculating the angle if the cut
Personally I clip and leave a tiny bit of sprue still attached as I need to cleanup after anyway and there's no worry about damaging the model.
I dont feel that my technique is wrong, as I'm very deliberate and methodical about cutting and cleaning up models, but I do agree that it might be that the cutters are dull. They're certainly not new, but have been replaced with new
GW cutters since I first got them. I've also been a
GW hobbyist for a while and know my tools well enough.
I've spoken with others and the impression I get is that they are not made to a particularly high standard. Its meant to be something anyone from a beginner can use but the
GW cutters are not the most precise of instruments by quite a way.
TheVacahaha wrote:i cannot recommend the xuron shears enough. they are very well designed. they are flush cutters, meaning they leave a very clean cut off the sprue. they are also strong enough to clip pewter within reason. when my pair wore out, after some extended use and abuse, i bought the p3 cutters, which are the exact same cutters, minus the xuron brand name. my first ones are no longer as sharp, so i use them exclusively for cutting pewter and other materials that i know will wear the edge. my only advice is do not cut hard metals like paper clips or copper rod.
TL,DR : xuron flush cutters are identical to p3 flush cutters and are awesome
This is what I'm talking about. Thanks very much for sharing your experiences!
I've seen mention of these 'p3' cutters also, but I cant find anywhere online that sells them.
Would you be able to provide a pic?
illuknisaa wrote:Show pics. We (or atleast I do) want pics of your cutting. I believe you are cutting it wrong because I've never managed to maul my minis or have to do excessive cleaning. I've many times even managed to cut (with gw cutters) a mini so well that no cleaning was needed.
PICS PICS PICS
Unfortunately, I dont have any pics right now, and I would provide them if I had them.
I am going to try and make some pics this weekend if I can get a chance, but also I'm going to check my local area to see if I can find a local hardware store or stockist that might provide some real quality cutters (To show the difference).
If I cant find any, I may just order from online.
In all honesty, I'm firmly in belief that you 'get what you pay for' and I'm also a 'tool for the job' sort of guy, so I would not have any issue buying a cutter, for a reasonable price, that I would use exclusively for sprue cutting and hobby.
Also, I just won £20 at a work quiz so I'm happy to put that towards this.
themandudeperson wrote:hell. I've never had any problem with my good ol wire cutters from my tool box.. Unless, of course, the spaces provided are too small to fit the blades in. In which case, I just use a fresh, sharp exacto blade. Try putting the sprue in the freezer for a few minutes. It makes the plastic more brittle, temporarily. This way you can get it to snap when you apply pressure instead off mushing out of the way and damaging things. Some people even score where they want to cut after freezing the sprue and snap it like they where cutting glass.
Thats very interesting, I've never heard of the freezer technique, but it makes sense.
I think I may experiment with this at some point.
Meleck wrote:I bought the tweezer sprue cutters from MicroMark (
http://www.micromark.com/tweezer-sprue-cutter-despruing-tweezer,8012.html ).
They aren`t cheap but they are solid and very precise.
I use them to finish the cuts done with my standard sprue cutter (much like the Xuron but lower quality). I also use them to clean up figs that I bought from other people. They allow me to get real close to the actual plastic which then requires very minimal "cleaning".
Yes! I've seen these online, and wondered how good they are. Thanks for sharing also.
So, do you use this instead of a hobby knife to clean up models?
How do they stack up against thicker bits of plastic?
I have read that because you have to sqeeze with your fingers rather than whole hand, it makes cutting thicker plastic difficult. Do you find this to be true?
The Dwarf Wolf wrote:Hey man, just a tip: try to find some toe nail cutting equipment. I dont know how to speak that in english, but they look a lot like regular plyers, but are sturdier, and made to cut things that are a lot more hard than plastic (human nail can be very hard sometimes).
Do you mean surgical toenail cutters, like these?
or
Spaced wrote:All I have ever used is a stanley knife, a steady hand (only a couple of finger tips missing!).
Use it like you would peel a potato, bracing the sprue against your thumb and applying steady pressure through the cut. Its quick and clean, leaving nothing to remove after the first cut!
I would not say I'm clumsy but I've cut my fingers enough times on super-sharp hobby knife blades to know that its not ideal for me personally. I use my hobby knife an awful lot to do cleanup after using the cutter using this very method.
I agree, its all about steady pressure.
Thanks again, any and all who have taken the time to respond.
aka 
3500pts
A crap ton