Fletcher 3000 cutter wheel
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David Knox
CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
I always use carbide because they cut better and last longer. The cost difference is worth is to me.
Puppyraiser
PFG, Picture Framing God
We are on the carbide side of the argument. Rarely is there a dud (which there sometimes is in a pack o' steel) and saving the changing time is a good thing. But do you lubricate the wheel? I fear I fall down on this easy maintenance...
Carbide for me.
With the carbide wheel and no lubrication, plus a pair of gloves, the cuts and the glass are so clean, I could just drop the glass into the frame - if I were lazy and didn't want to seam the edges and polish the glass.
With the carbide wheel and no lubrication, plus a pair of gloves, the cuts and the glass are so clean, I could just drop the glass into the frame - if I were lazy and didn't want to seam the edges and polish the glass.
Alan Sturgess
CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
As a distributor I would love to sell nothing but the steel wheels, because the typical shop simple eats through them. This is even more so where they have lots of different staff cutting glass.
Most stores do not believe it when I tell them that they will save money by switching to a carbide wheel. A carbide wheel seems to last up to 10 times longer than the steel wheel and I know of some one man/one women shops that use the carbide wheel for up to a year. Keep some old cut up bath towels near the machine to wipe down the glass between the vertical posts before you cut the really dirty glass. Also keep some soft paper towels or felt in the bottom of a low flat container and soak them with some 3 in 1 sewing machine oil. Some will mix the oil 50/50 with kerosene to make it a little thinner. Occasionally take the cutting head out and touch on the oiled pad to lubricate the wheel. It take a few seconds, but prolongs the life of the wheel considerably.
Alan
Most stores do not believe it when I tell them that they will save money by switching to a carbide wheel. A carbide wheel seems to last up to 10 times longer than the steel wheel and I know of some one man/one women shops that use the carbide wheel for up to a year. Keep some old cut up bath towels near the machine to wipe down the glass between the vertical posts before you cut the really dirty glass. Also keep some soft paper towels or felt in the bottom of a low flat container and soak them with some 3 in 1 sewing machine oil. Some will mix the oil 50/50 with kerosene to make it a little thinner. Occasionally take the cutting head out and touch on the oiled pad to lubricate the wheel. It take a few seconds, but prolongs the life of the wheel considerably.
Alan
- Joined
- Jul 30, 1997
- Posts
- 5,014
I still cut 80% of my glass over the frame. Just old fashioned, but it's fast. I use to order about 30 hand cutter (Steel) per year. 5 years ago I bought 2 carbide hand cutters. I'm still using them and they cut as good as the day I got them.
I'm sold...
framer
I'm sold...
framer