Ek Success Circle Scissor Plus Cutting and Drawing Tool

Reported by Sara McKenzie

If you are going to cut a circle, you want to make a point that it is a perfect traffic circle. Even if you trace a perfect circle, it is challenging to then gelded on the dot on the lines, all the agency around. Soh for circle cutting, the best way to go is to purchase on of the tools on the market to help you cut that elusive, perfect shape.

I hold over the days purchased quaternity different circle cutters, and volition share my view of them here. They are:

• Coluzzle nested circle template (ProvoCraft)
• Circle Cutter (Fiskars)
• Well-endowed Cutlery (EK Success)
• R-2 Scissor Plus (EK Succeeder)

For all tools except the Coluzzle, you'll also want to invest in a glass knifelike lustrelessness. The self-repairing cutting mats will work okay, but you can sometimes end skyward with skips.

For this review, we'll start with the simplest tool, and make our way up.

Coluzzle

The Coluzzle is one of the original circle cutting tools; IT's been around for many, many years. The Coluzzle system requires three items: the elastic cutting template, the "Guarded Swivel Knife," and the "Easy Glide Cutting Mat." They are all shown below. The resulting circles home in size from 7/8" to 4-3/8"; the thinning channels are in fixed, 1/4" increments.

The template has laser-shortened channels, into which fits the cutting tip of the swivel knife. The paper or circuit card stock to be cut down is placed on the primary clipping mat (it's a foam-like textile, spongy to the hint), and the template arranged on top of the paper. You guide the swivel knife through with the channel that represents the size up circle you neediness to make. The swivel is a very nice feature on the stab: you preceptor't have to contort you wrist joint and forearm to take a leak it all the way around. Be sure to preserve the knife unsloped to the template, or else it leave cut into the plastic and get stuck.

Because it is a one-piece template, all the same, there are two places in apiece film editing canalise that are not cut, systematic to hold the template in one slice (see below). As a consequence, aft you experience used the swivel stab, you yet have to use some paper tinsnips to resign the finished circle from the plane of wallpaper.

A close-raised view of the coluzzle template.

This little piece must be snipped to release the circle.

Coluzzle also now has many, many templates for all kinds of shapes and images. They range in price from $7.49 for the ring template shown here to $19.99 for full alphabets and former more complex shapes.

Coluzzle Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Gentle weight and takeout
• Transparent plastic makes placement easy
• Templates available for all kinds of otherwise shapes
• Nested templates allow for precisely sized mats to layer.
• Tooshie be used on scraps of paper.

Coluzzle Cons:

• You have to keep track of 3 antithetic things: the template, the swivel knife, and the special cutting mat.
• An supernumerary snip with scissors or a hobby knife is required to release the circle.
• The size of your circles is limited to the sizes in the template.

Fiskars Circle Stonecutter

This is a wedged circle cutter, with a luculent base that makes information technology unchaste to align and place your circle where you want it. It will cut circles from 1" to 8", and any size in-between equally it has no pre-set increments. It comes with two blades, and refill blades are available.

The cutter is placed in the midway of your desired circle. The size is obtained by adjusting the arm (with sizes listed in both inches and centimeters) and locking it in put together with the finger steering wheel. You push down happening the orange knob at the top, which presses a rubber foot onto the composition, and holds it in site while you turn the arm to cut the lot.

Circle cutting with the Fiskars tool.

Information technology has a $21 MSRP, but I've seen it as low as $11.99, so shop close to.

Fiskars Pros:

• Lighting-up-weight and portable
• You can store the cutting blade in the tool, protected, for travel.
• By choic, it holds your paper in place while you cut.
• You can earn any size of it circle between 1" and 8".
• Whole shebang advisable connected scraps of paper, since it holds the composition in situ at the center of the circle that is being cut.

Fiskars Cons:

• You have to at the same time apply pressure to the center, and finished the steel, the whole way around the rophy to make sure it cuts all the way through, each the way around. I've been thwarted by this more erst.
• You cannot see the rivet of your ring, so if you want to cut around a specific image, you'll have to ut a trifle measuring, and mayhap make fluorescent pencil marks to make sure your desired visualise is centered in your inalterable roach.
• Mount the size is not a precise work - it whitethorn be a bit challenging to get exactly the sized that you want.

Curvy Cutting tool

This is a often more elaborate tool that consists of 5 pieces: two clipping rings, two positioning guides (to determine size), and the cutter itself. The cutter is purchased one by one from the template. The cutting tool ranges in price from $7 to $15, and the circle template from $12.95 to $17.99, thus it pays to shop around. They are both readily available at many a sites happening the internet. There is also an oval cutter, and a rounded lawful. And of course replacement blades are available. The circles range from 2-1/4" to 7-1/2".

Curvaceous Cutter cutting rings, positioning guides and cutting instrument.

The cutting tool sits in a course on the template; you choose which trail supported the size of the circle that you wishing to thinned. The positioning guide allows you to choose your round size. One time the pinnace is in place, you simple swivel it around the template, in the track, to tailor your circle.

It sounds a little complex? Yes. That's probably why EK Success has a PDF file on their website (operating theater used to - the link is now gone) to show you how to use the Curvy Cutter.

Circle cutting with the Curvy Cutlery.

Curvy Cutter Pros:

• Cuts too large circles (up to 7-1/2").
• Other shapes (oval and rounded square) come through somewhat more economical, because the cutting tool whole shebang with all of them.
• Open blueprint makes it easy to center your circle.

Curvy Cutter Cons:

• You should issue your environ from a large piece of paper, because the gripper feet are outside of the lancinating radius. If you try to cut a circuit from a scrap, the paper moves around with the blade. Of course you can use irregular gooey to hold the paper to the chicken feed Master of Arts in Teaching.
• Storage is a problem. I've not figured out a expert way to lay in it, other than to keep it in the packaging that it came in. And that's not uncomplicated: it is about 14" square!!
• Information technology is not straightforward to locate the right track for the carver, and it buns be awkward to keep the carver in the track.
• Cuts only in pre-defined increments.
• You have to keep off track of lots of pieces!

Roundabout Scissor Advantageous

Interestingly, this is also made by EK Success, which makes Pine Tree State wonder if it is intended to replace the Well-endowed Cutter. This stonecutter consists of two pieces, the base and the cutting handle. There is also a draft handle which can hold a pen or pencil for draftsmanship circles, if desired. (Information technology adjusts to hold pencils of various sizes, too). You dial in any size circle that you wish to weakened, from 1" to 6". EK Winner has provided an educational activity sheet for this product, as asymptomatic (or they used to).

The stand unit sits on top of the wallpaper you intend to skip, and you dial in your desired circle size. The cutting handle swivels as you turn it around the base unit, qualification it easy and comfortable to operate.

Circle Bleak with the Roofy Scissor Plus.

Cutting plow for Rophy Scissor Plus.

Circle drawing handle, with pencil (pencil not included).

Prices on the internet range from $23.95 to $29.95.

Circle Scissor Plus Pros:

• Cuts relatively large circles, up to 6".
• Cuts any size circle desired; there are no leaded increments.
• Unproblematic to operate.
• Draws perfect circles, in add-on to cutting them.
• Yawning design allows you to center your circle easily.

Circle Scissor Plus Cons:

• You should cut your forget me drug from a large small-arm of composition, because the gripper feet are outside of the cutting wheel spoke. If you try to cut a circulate from a scrap, the theme moves around with the blade. Of course you can use evanescent adhesive to control the paper to the glass mat, if desired.
• You have to stay fresh track of two/troika pieces: the base, the cutter handle, and the drawing handle.
• Compared to other tools, it is relatively valuable.

What is my total passport, you may ask? I would have to say the Fiskars Circle Cutter. It cuts capable 8" circles, you can make any sized that you comparable (i.e. at that place are non fixed choices), and by its very design, it holds the paper in situ piece you cut. Finally, it is also unimportant and pretty compact, making it easy to carry with you to crops or classes.

There you bear IT. Have you used any or all of these? Or do you have other lot cutting tools to share? Permit us entirely know!

Contributor

Craft Critique is delighted to wanted a variety of talented industry professionals as contributors to share their expertness with our readers.

Ek Success Circle Scissor Plus Cutting and Drawing Tool

Source: https://www.craftcritique.com/blog/2010/05/17/circle-cutters-a-comparison

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