Being a bit frugal (read cheap) in nature, I decided to build my own guillotine. Built from bits and pieces around the shop, it works great and cost virtually nothing. Did I mention that I'm cheap?
Looking good and utilized the breadboard but what originally was the blade?
I tend to use a Fiskars sliding paper cutter which I bought to do some scrap booking at one time, It has a few scales imprinted for mm and inches.
When it wears down the blade is easily changed, though guess I could use the rotary cutter and rules that my wife has for her quilt making but probably carries a death sentence if caught.
Whoever said stamp collecting was a safe hobby!
The blade is a piece of a heavy gauge hacksaw blade, I utilized the pin hole in the end as a pivot and ground a curved cutting edge along the original spine. For those concerned, I did file down the teeth along the back, they have no bite left.
Cleaner then a new pair of scissors, Ernie. Trust me, you do not wanna have your fingers in the way.
As a sideline, I started building, repairing and customizing knives about 20 years ago. One of the first things you learn is how to put a razor edge on a blade. Machining the mating edge of the base completes the shearing effect.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I think in this case, it was all those wonderfully unsoakable stamps that we've all come to love.
My dad always said he was thrifty too, but his wallet creaked like a rusty gate whenever he DID open it. So, I'm pretty sure I'm a tightwad, but came by it naturally.
Thanks Paul! If I do have any talent, I owe it to my grandpa. He was a wizard at taking bits and bobbles and turning them into something useful. Guess I might have come by that naturally, too.
This one is still working fine for what I wanted it for, but I am going to build another "improved" model in the future for a friend.
WB
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