Comments on: Review of Ideal 1038 Guillotine

By: billiescraftroom

billiescraftroom — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:17:16 +0000

Hi KH

Always set your board against the measuring ruler at the base of the tool. Only use the adustable side bar for distance NOT for squaring up.

Most important is also to keep a good pressure on the clamp, if you do not the action of the knife can drawn the board off course.

If these fail, do try getting your blade sharpened or your machine tested by a dealer to test for squareness.

Best wishes

Billie

By: KH Hand Bookbinding

KH Hand Bookbinding — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:53:44 +0000

I have been having trouble with the Ideal 1038 which I have had for my small business for over 10 years. I cannot get it to make accurate repeat cuts; one board will be 7.00′ by 5.00″ top to bottom, and the next will be 7.00″ by 5.00″ at one end, and 4.875″ ( or so) at the other end. So I end up sanding one board or the other to make them square and equal. Any suggestions? I’ve thought about having the blade professionally sharpened, although I really think I have had this going on from day one.

By: billiescraftroom

billiescraftroom — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:12:59 +0000

Hi Damien

The best thing for you to do is to email the manufactuer Ideal, I put a link to them within the article. Explain the uses you have for the machine and they would be better placed to answer your specific questions. Don’t forget, if you are cutting through 24 sheets folded in half, you are actually cutting through 48 sheets. Even if this particular machine won’t work for you, Ideal have many others in their range with varying capacity. I’m sure they will be able to recommend a machine for your needs.

As for stockists, I put a link to the manufacturers of products in my reviews rather than individual stockists, as people from all over the world read the articles. I believe the Ideal website lists stockists of the machine, so do check them out for a dealer near you.

Best wishes

Billie

By: Damien Flanders

Damien Flanders — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:52:52 +0000

I saw a video on Videojug using a cutter like this and am interested in obtaining one. I would like to do pamphlet or zine style publications and would like to be able to cut through at least 24 sheets of paper at a time.

Everyone is talking about cutting through board, but would it be possible to use this for cutting through standard paper and 74 and 110 pound paper as well?

My first project I would like to do would be involving cutting through 24 sheets of paper folded in half creating a 5.5 x 8.5 booklet and trimming off the right side. I would also like to do greeting cards on heavy stock paper like 74 or 110# paper and trim through as many as possible at one time.

Is this okay for that and where can I purchase one?

By: Carol

Carol — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:20:29 +0000

Thank you so much for this review. I’m looking for a new cutter and really didn’t know where to start.

By: erscampbell

erscampbell — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:23:44 +0000

I have the 1071 and love it! It was expensive, but I realized that at the rate I cut board, the cutter would pretty much pay for itself in about 5 years (saved labor time).

I bought it primarily because I was getting pain in my arms from cutting board by hand. Thankfully, I don’t worry about that any more.

I agree that cutting thin pieces of board is hard to do…if I need a piece that’s under 2″, I usually opt to do it by hand.

By: Liesan

Liesan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:55:41 +0000

Hi Billie what a great review I couldn’t agree more!

Having had this tool for close to 3 years I can however tell you that cutting small strips with the guide on the righthand side remains a little hard and isn’t always very acurate either.

I wished I had room for a bigger one though