cutting paper

[GMSMG]

Hi my name is Jerry
I my wife needs to 250 hearts 2" x 2" out of fancy paper about 20#
and I would like some help and ides about this?
Thanks
Jerry

I moved your thread to a more appropriate forum to maximize traffic and get you more responses to your request/question.

[wood-n-things]

Place the paper between two heavier pieces of stock, either heavy cardboard or 1/8" thick plywood. Don't try to cut too thick a pile not more than an inch in thickness as a beginner or you will have problems. I'd suggest a #3 skip tooth blade, I'd go smaller but as a beginner I'm afraid you would get frustrated breaking blades.. Go slow, and don't hurry the cut, allow the blade to do it's work without bending by being pushed too hard.

Let us know how it turns it and welcome to the forum.
Welcome A Board!! You will be hard pressed to find a friendlier or more knowledgeable group on the net re: woodworking. Share your knowledge and do not hesitate to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one that remains unasked.

You may find the stickies at the top of this forum to be very helpful. Use the Link below.

Message Board FAQ, Suggestions and Feedback - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board.

Take a few minutes to read through them. They are chock full of great information.

Be sure and share pics of your projects. We thrive on pictures. You will find we are not a judgmental group.

Whatever reason brought you to our forum we are pleased you found us.

Take some time to read the bylaws of the forum. We do not allow open/direct selling on the forum.

[markdavd]

I do this all the time. In addition to Mike's advice, I'd recommend sacks of not more than 3/4 inches of paper, with the cardboard or 1/8 inch material on the top and bottom. Wrap the stack as tight as you can with tape. Then draw (or glue) your pattern on the top.

The purpose of the cardboard or other material is to keep the stack together while you cut. There's nothing more frustrating than to have the top layers start moving with the blade when you're almost done.

A stack of paper is very dense to cut, so take it slow. Paper dulls blades faster than wood. If the blade feels dull, change it. Remember - blades are a consumable item just like glue and tape.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Also, paper is cheap. Plan on cutting an extra stack or two in case you mess one up.

[Croaker]

I too cut lots of paper stock ( poster board) 1/8" top and botttom, Nail the corners with a brad Go into the heart eithe in the V # 60 bit) or start your cut from the point. good luck and go for it. great hobby and you can make a few bucks now and than.
Christmas time I sell cuts for 1020 cents each and people use them as card stuffers and the person that got it places it on thier tree.
You can also use these for sun catchers with some paint and little glitter spray. You will be surprised at how they turn out and the way people like them. Jerry

[sawdustus]

I cut stacks of 20# paper for notepads all the time with anywhere from 50-150 sheets in a stack. I use a #2 or a #5 skip tooth blade (depends on the pattern I am cutting) and the bottom piece of 1/16" or 1/8" ply is to keep the bottom layers of the paper stack from fraying (think fuzzies). As the others have said, wrap the stack as tightly as you can to keep the layers from slipping as you cut.

george

[Jim McDonald]

From my one foray into paper cutting, do not be surprised at the amount of dust. Could have been I was cutting pastel paper and the color of the dust made it seem quite heavy, but I did have to use the compressor to keep the dust blown out of my old saw.

[Mick Walker]

Jerry, a heart is difficult to cut, keeping both sides equal. Folding each piece of paper in half and cutting just one side would help. Makes for a lot of extra work though.

[jigsue]

Hi

I regularly stack cut when making Christmas cards - I cut 50 x sheets at a time. As others have said, use thin stock at the top and bottom and make sure that your bundle is tight, taping around the edges. Go slowly (I usually use size 5 blade) and, yes, there is lots of dust. For a perfect heart-shape, I would use andy "autoshape" tool from Microsoft Word or any drawing package.

Good luck
Sue