rotary cutter not cutting.

[agnes_day]

i have no clue what i am doing wrong here..i have the mat, the cutter (fiskar brand), and the fabric...the stupid thing wont cut all the way!! and this is through 1 thin layer of fabric. it will kind of halfway cut...and i am pressing hard too so i dont know whats going on. im ready to chunk these things out the window!

 

[speckledhen]

Need a new blade? A tiny knick will make it miss in spots.

 

[Amanda0609]

Is it a new blade? They can get dull and not cut anymore.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Are you holding it straight up and not leaning the blade against the ruler? (Sorry, I don't know how new you are to using it so hope I don't offend you.)

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

P.S. I have four boys and one girl...it's hard not to spoil her!!!

 

[agnes_day]

i am horribly new to these things..no, the blade is brand new, never has been used. i seriously cannot believe that i cant operate this simple tool.
but anyways, it will cut, but not the entire length. if that makes any sense at all. im kind of holding it slanted, i guess you could say. sort of leaning into it when i cut.

 

[agnes_day]

Quote:
i hear that! although my little girl has been taken over by a monster lately..shes been making stuff up to get her brothers in trouble!

 

[speckledhen]

You need to hold it straight up and down with the side of the blade sliding along your ruler. If the ruler is thin, you may find the blade actually on top of the ruler if you aren't careful.

 

[agnes_day]

oh really?
im going to try that really quick, then.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Make sure you hold the blade so that it's side is flat against the side of the ruler and the blade is straight up and down. It's easy to want to lean it in or out but it can mess up the cut AND it will not give you an accurate cut. It will also chip up your ruler. You're probably cutting with it slightly slanted and although you may not feel it it is slanting even more as you cut it's moving so that when you get to the end it is no longer in the right position to cut. Just work on keeping your blade parallel to your ruler. Also, I find that the blade cuts easier through several thicknesses of fabric. Try stacking three to help you get the feel of it. You can just use some scrap pieces under it. I don't ever stack more than four.