Our Straight Line Cutter comes with a standard .032" thick blade. We offer 3 additional blade thicknesses for this tool:
These thicker blades open up many new design possibilities without having to adjust your tools for an overlapping cut.
The cutter is filed similar to a crosscut saw and the tip of each of the three teeth should come to a point that slices rather than tears the fibers.
Grind outside bevels on an edge sander, sanding belt or grinding wheel, using a medium grit belt (120-150).
To file the inside edges, use a 4" double extra slim tapered file. Hold the file perpendicular to the blade, and angled at 40º (this will line it up with both bevels in the same gullet). File lightly, touching both teeth at the same time, until you no longer see light reflecting off the points. Move to the next gullet, angle your file 40º in the opposite direction and file both edges of these teeth. Make sure that the tips of all teeth remain even. After filing, smooth the faces of the cutter on a honing stone.
Mount blade so the side with two cutting teeth faces the body. The single, center tooth should be mounted on the outside, away from the body. Positioning it as such makes it easier to work into a corner.
When disassembling, be careful not to lose the spacer & pressure pad under the thumbscrew that locks the beam.
Blades are made of Spring Steel hardened to RC 52. The standard blade is .032" (.813mm) thick. Thicker blades (.041", .055", and .062") are also available. Thicker blades are hardened to RC 45-50.
Blades should be kept lightly oiled or waxed to prevent rust. We recommend Jojoba Oil, a plant based oil product that is non-toxic, odor-free and easy to use. Also, in our shop, we use a fine abrasive handblock to remove any light surface oxide from tool bodies and blades. Jojoba Oil and abrasive handblocks are available from us.
