On Nov 3, 1:13*am, "Wild_Bill" wrote:
Scoring blades are the ticket for using a hand tool to cut sheet materials.
Stanley markets them in long and short versions for their utility knives.
I've used these scoring blades for decades to cut sheet brass, aluminum,
plastics and thin mild steel.
They also serve to make a clean break line for bending or folding most sheet
materials.

Have a look around at the location of acrylic sheet materials (window
replacement clear stuff) in the home improvement stores, and you might see a
scoring tool which is just a thin steel tool with a hooked/notched cutter at
the end.

These are used by pulling them across the sheet material, and it's helpful
to start with a few light cuts before pressing hard for deeper cuts.
I generally start at the end of the cut nearest to me, with a few passes,
then continue by making several longer passes until I get to the full length
of the cut.. this is especially useful in soft materials where the cutting
tip may wander away from the guide/straightedge if attempting a deep cut at
the full length of the cut on the first pass.

A HSS cutoff/parting blade would make a very good cutter, or even a carbide
paint scraper blade.
The tip just needs to be a thin V with the cutting face tilted away from the
operator, so it cuts and lifts a curl of the material on the pull stroke.
A tiny carbide scribe tip with a flat ground on it (like a D
engraving/cutting tool) or a chipped carbide insert cutter could be brazed
to a suitable handle (or possibly clamped).

--
WB
.........

I think I have one of those plastic cutting tools somewhere. But I
hated using it on plexiglass because it was difficult getting it to
stay against the straight edge when cutting.

I was at Home Depot today, and couldn't figure out what kind of blade
you were referring to for a Stanley utility knife.

I saw drywall, roofing, hook, carton, snap-off, and utility blades.
What exactly should I be looking for?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.