When you need to open a box, cut linoleum and drywall, or clean electrical wires, a utility knife comes to the rescue. For these purposes, you can use special tools, but if they are not at hand, it will be a lifesaver. The product is also popular among office workers and gardeners.
What is a utility knife used for?
It can be used in everyday activities in the following areas:
- cutting paper and cardboard of different densities - for letters or postcards;
- cutting fabric for sewing;
- trimming wallpaper, if there is a need for it, but the scissors are dull or cannot be used;
- cutting drywall, linoleum, foam insulation material, etc.;
- caring for garden plants.
Subject to existing rules for working with a stationery knife, its use will make it easier to work with cutting materials.
Product selection criteria
A cableman's knife for stripping insulation is a tool that has a large number of varieties that are widely represented on the market. Their production is carried out not only by domestic brands, but also by foreign companies. The tool should be safe and simple, so when purchasing it, you need to consider the following factors:
For example, a set of knives for cutting NNRK (EMI) cable. Using it, you can make longitudinal and transverse cuts in aluminum and lead sheaths with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm and easily remove it from a cable with a diameter of 25−60 mm. Also in a large assortment of NNRK for performing complete cutting of cables made of cross-linked polyethylene, the voltage of which is from 1 to 35 kV. Not only classic models are provided, but also innovative ones that will greatly facilitate this installation stage.
Then one of the points was reserved for the electrician’s knife. Using this device, you can quickly remove the protective sheath of the cable. Today, the cost of a high-quality knife with a heel exceeds 1,000 rubles, so not every home craftsman can afford to purchase one, especially considering that electrical installations are not performed very often at home. You can solve the problem quite simply - make a knife with a heel for removing insulation with your own hands. Below we will provide instructions in pictures that will clearly show all stages of the work.
What does it consist of?
The design of a stationery knife is a combination of three elements:
- blade retainer that holds it;
- steel blade. It must be made of high-quality metal;
- frame. This element is made of plastic or metal; in professional models it is supplemented with an anti-slip handle, which increases the safety of its use.
Innovations can be added to them to increase the comfort of using the tool. Their presence affects its cost.
Original pendant "CROW"
What can you make from old scissors? If you have broken scissors lying around in your closet, you can make a unique pendant that will certainly complement the design of your garden plot.
We will need:
- 2 large nuts
- Old metal rim from an unnecessary barrel
- and a metal rod
Cut the rod into pieces. 4 long and 9 short. From two long rods and 8 short ones we assemble the legs of the future crow. We weld them to the axis of the scissors.
To form the crow's tail we use the two remaining rods. We bend it and attach it by welding to the blades of the scissors. We make the eyes from the remaining nuts. We weld them together and place them on the upper blade.
All that remains is to place your crow in the rim of the barrel and secure it with a welding machine. The crow is ready. You can make a small loop and weld it to the rim and conveniently hang it on any hook. If you are not satisfied with the varied color of the resulting crow, you can paint it with a metal primer.
Kinds
The tools under consideration can be divided into several types depending on the scope of application:
- paper - for working with thin material;
- standard - most often used when working with cardboard and denser consumables;
- construction - necessary for carrying out repair work;
- scalpel - necessary for fine work and sharpening pencils.
The main differences in the listed mechanisms may be reflected in the size specified for a stationery knife or the thickness and length of the blade.
Features and Benefits
We can talk about the convenience of this device for a very long time, comparing it with its older, larger brothers. But each tool has its own niche, and the stationery knife fits tightly into its own.
- It does not require sharpening, you can buy it once and use it for a very long time, simply changing the blade if necessary. This saved the owners from the need for additional fuss with maintenance.
- Undoubtedly, one of the main features of modern design is the ability to adjust the length of the working part. By holding onto a plastic or even wooden handle, you can independently extend the tool to the required length in order to use it as efficiently as possible.
- Wide scope of application. Once upon a time, they actually kept it in a desk drawer to open envelopes with its help. But today you can cut off wallpaper with this knife, strip a wire, modify some element of a sculpture, or use it for some design solution.
Initially, there was only one type - classic. But over time, they began to produce many variations of stationery knives that meet the needs of users.
The handles of such tools are made from different materials, and the blades also come in different shapes. In addition to these differences, the cutting element can be wide or narrow. Different widths allow for a variety of use cases.
It is worth noting that a knife with a plastic handle is cheaper. But the strength of the structure itself leaves much to be desired. Sometimes the design can simply crack or just very unpleasantly “play” in the hand, which definitely leaves an unpleasant impression of the work. Therefore, experts recommend paying more attention to metal products.
Such knives are pleasantly heavy in the hand, break less and less often, are safer and more comfortable to use. There are even some aesthetic options with a wooden body. True, they are more suitable for the interior of an expensive office, but if you like this kind of thing, then why not. Convenience is no less important than practicality.
Which option will be yours depends entirely on where and how the tool will be used. For example, if your task relates more to repairs, and especially to working with wiring, then you should not choose a knife with a metal handle. It would be safer to use a wooden or plastic frame.
When working with paper is required, it is assumed that this is a reusable and frequently used option. Therefore, the body can have a beautiful shape and coloring, and the tip itself can be incredibly sharp and small.
In addition, when cutting wallpaper or other similar materials, the option with a screw-on lock is perfect. Usually the latch is used flat, and it can be accidentally moved during operation. But in the case of a twist, a more reliable design is obtained, because in order to move the mechanism it will be necessary to deal with this very twist.
How to properly break off the blade of a stationery knife?
Due to active use, the cutting edge of the knife gradually becomes dull. To return it to its former sharpness, you need to break off the segmented blade of a stationery knife. Many people try to do this with tools and the knife becomes unusable. This happens because people don't know how to do it right.
Meanwhile, manufacturers have provided for how to break off the blade of a modern office knife without damaging it. For this it is enough:
- find special markings on the blade;
- remove the back cover and place the blade into the hole in it;
- pinch it and, with a little force, break off the blunt segment. It will remain in the back cover, you need to throw it away and replace the cover.
Knowing how to properly break a dull blade of a stationery knife , you don’t have to be afraid that the tool will be damaged in any way.
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A little history
In the old days, when there was no Internet yet, people sent paper letters by mail. A stationery knife was invented for the purpose of unpacking envelopes. He was very sharp and got the job done. But the problem was that when it got dull, there was no way to give it the same edge. First, a replacement blade was invented. This was already progress, it became dull - replaced it.
But a little later than the mid-20th century (the exact date is unknown), a Japanese inventor came up with a breaking blade. There is no need to change it entirely; the tip breaks off, and you again have a fully functional stationery knife in your hands. This invention was put into mass production and they were right: a stationery knife for paper of this type was snapped up like “hot cakes.” Later it became clear that this design and simplicity of the product can be used not only for working with paper, but also in many industries.
Safety precautions when working with a utility knife
Since the tool is dangerous, you must follow the instructions:
- keep the device locked;
- extend the blade only a few segments;
- keep your left hand away from the cutting edge;
- place a board when cutting materials;
- transfer the tool only with a hidden blade.
By following the rules for using a utility knife, you can protect yourself from injury. In addition, when the blade runs out and needs to be replaced, you need to follow the instructions. You must act carefully. Knowing how to disassemble any stationery knife and then reassemble it, you can extend its service for a long time.
Step-by-step instruction
Following all the instructions, it will not be difficult to make such a device.
disassemble the scissors
- The scissors are secured in a vice.
- Cut off the fastening screw using a grinder. Only the bottom part is needed. It is cleaned of dirt and treated with sandpaper.
make a knife blade
- Select the area that is needed. Draw the shape of the cutting element of the future product and the handle.
- It is advisable to make indentations for the finger in front of the handle. This helps fix the device.
- Cut out the blank according to the drawn template with a grinder. To cut out a recess for a finger, make cuts across to the marked line. Then the specified part is cut out.
- Clamp the workpiece in a vice and give it a streamlined shape using grinding tools.
- The blade is sharpened on a grinding machine. All inaccuracies are smoothed out.
- The groove for the finger is corrected with a milling cutter.
make a handle
The best solution is sheet aluminum. Its advantages:
- corrosion resistance;
- little weight;
- fortress;
- The softness of the metal makes it easier to work with a jigsaw.
Handle making method:
- 2 templates are drawn on a polyurethane sheet, identical to the shape of the knife handle. One of them is drawn in a mirror image. The blanks are repeated on the plastic part.
- Fixing with a vice, cut out the selected workpieces using a saw.
- Sand them with coarse sandpaper so that the surface adheres better to the glue.
- A plastic overlay is glued to the shank with glue, and then a polyurethane overlay.
- Insert rivets into the holes made. They hammer it in.
- 2 plates are glued to the same side of the shank. Rivets are put on them.
- Clamp the two sides of the handle with clamps and let the glue dry.
- Grind down the protruding parts of the rivets and smooth the sides of the handle on a belt sander.
- Print out the rivets on the handle. Clamp with a vice. Smooth out all imperfections on the sides of the handle with a file. Squeeze out the workpiece and make bevels on the handle.
- Wrap it in cardboard, clamp it in a vice, and shape it with strips of fine-grained sandpaper.
Subtleties of use
A stationery knife has a sharp blade, so when working with it you should be careful, following simple rules.
- To never be injured by a knife, do not cut by weight. It is better to do this matter calmly and slowly.
- Since the sharpening there is really sharp, you need to be careful not to get hurt.
- Do not remove too long a section of the blade, tighten the lock well, and most importantly, hold the tool firmly in your hand.
- Sometimes you need to break off a piece that has already become unusable, and to make it safer, “bite off” everything you need along the existing drawn line. Thus, you will receive an updated, convenient tool that will become an excellent extension of your hand in any necessary work.
To learn how to make a stationery knife, see the following video.
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