I've found that a hooked, carpet-trimming blade works well as long as you
wipe it clean with MEK between each cut to ensure that it stays sharp and
clean. The main problem is catching the lay-up at the right time. Often I
will do a lay-up in the afternoon and it is still not quite ready for a
knife trim when I go to bed and then I would resort to the Dremel with the
permagrit wheel in the morning. You need to be a bit careful with the
Dremel - make sure that the wheel is grinding the fibres down against the
supporting edge or you can easily lift them, resulting in a rather ragged
edge.
Regards
Rick
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa@aztec.houxou.com
Subject: Secret to knife trimming
What is the secret to knife trimming? I am using a utility knife to trim at
the leather stage. Try as I may, I am unable to make a clean cut without
ripping the fibers or lifting the cloth. In fact, I don't quite understand
how
a knife can be used to cut cloth at all (cured or not). Scissors cut cloth,
while a knife rips cloth. Anyway, I ended up using a scissor to trim as
close
as possible (I can get within 1/4"), and decided to trim the rest with a
dremel when everything is fully cured. So, what am I doing wrong? Thanks!
CFII
Europa #A178
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