Speaking of blades...

This is going to sound hopelessly clueless to you guys, but:

I have to admit to a narrow range of self-gathered experience in the formative years. When I first started building Guillows stick and tissue scale kits, I discovered a number 11 X-acto blade in the thin handle to be just wonderful for cutting all the stringers and cleaning up the die cut parts etc.

I pressed on, never realizing there was anything better for the purposes of cutting balsa. I use a number 11 X-acto for virtually any cutting task it can possibly handle and move up from there to a saw or power sander or the like.

I see a lot of references to single edged razor blades. Like everyone knows they are good for something.

So what is the conventional wisdom about what a #11 X-acto blade is good for and when would use a single edge razor blade?

Cy

A single edge razor blade is better for cutting things like stringers on the guillows kits or anything else you need to make a square cut on. It is easier to get it lined up straight.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-03 AT 02:36 AM (CST)
 
I've often wondered about the same thing. And I've seen more than one author (usually in a free flight column) lament the demise of the old high carbon steel (i.e. rustable) blades - the current ones are stainless, and don't hold an edge for nearly as long, supposedly.

Best I can figure out, the single edge blades are good for straight cuts. They do seem a little awkward in terms of how you hold them, though. I've seen tips in magazines about how to use the double-edged safety razor blades, too (you split them in two, and mount half in a home-made wooden handle).

Incidentally, I've not used X-Acto blades in a long time. These days, incidentally, there are a lot of "clone" blades on the market, and I wonder if they're that good.

I've never actually tried scalpel blades - the ones you commonly find locally are the #10 blades, the #11s have to be ordered. Scalpel blades won't fit X-Acto handles, but you can buy handles for them. They're easily available online:

http://www.surgicalshop.com/surgicalblade.html

(Get enough of them and they seem pretty cheap..)

These are from India, and they've got some disposable ones as well.

http://www.narang.com/blade.html

http://www.bluelakeproducts.com/scalpel_handles_and_blades.htm

Heck, there seem to be quite a few on e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2571561668&category=31479

Back in the '90's I bought an RC Modeler mag because It had several interesting classified ads. There was a tongue-in-cheek product review of the #11 blade that was one of the funniest things I have ever read. Down in the last paragraph the reviewer says he had just visited his LHS and discovered there was a handle you could use to hold the blade. You can picture how the review went--blood all over the place. I don't think I have the mag anymore.

This may be slightly off subject, but you can re-cycle #11 X-Acto blades and sharpen them to a degree that is much better than new. It beats the heck out of having to buy new blades and you get a superior tool. Do a Google search for "Scary Sharp." The #11s that I've done using this method are equally as sharp, if not sharper, than scalpels or carbon steel (Gillette) razor blades. The bonus is that they are more rigid.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-03 AT 11:24 AM (CST)
 
I believe in buying quality and taking care of it to save money but, razor blades? I abuse them. #11 blades are $12 for 100 which is 12 cents a piece. I'm not going to re-sharpen them for that price. Besides, I use them for cutting brass tubing, other metal work and scraping things like CF props. When I get done the blade is junk and 12 cents is lost. Devil may care. I have never had to use any other kind of razor for modeling.

Giffy

Here's the Scary Sharp site:

http://www2.fwi.com/~krumy/scary/copyof.htm

I'm tempted to try this with some of my Master Airscrew plane blades. #11 x-actos, I usually end up breaking the tip off anyway, before they get very dull.

Carbon steel double edge razor blades and scalpels with replaceable carbon steel blades are available from Tim Goldstein who sells a wonderful array of products directed at indoor rubber duration flyers.
Go to http://www.F1D.BIZ, click on the logo to enter the site, click on "Order Other Items", click on "On-line Ordering Catalog" and then scroll through the items until you find the Candidius brand double edge, carbon steel razor blades, the #3 scalpel handle, and the #11 carbon steel blades for the #3 handle.
Being made of carbon steel, the Candidius razor blades can be snapped cleanly to produce different sizes and shapes of cutting tools. They are very thin, very sharp, and are just the thing to use when you want to cut very soft wood cleanly or to trim off excess tissue or silkspan.
The scalpel blades are considerably thinner and sharper than the typical #11 blades. They are quite strong and hold their edges far longer than "the other brand". They are also pretty reasonably priced for the quality that you get.
Need I add that I highly recommend these tools?

For some strange reason, I find it easier to cut excess covering material, whether silkspan, Jap tissue, or mylar, off the edges of covered surfaces with a single edge razor blade. Their use enables me to cut more cleanly than I am able to do with even a fresh exacto or scalpel blade. I tried the double edge blades and even though I experienced no major diasters, I didn't feel comfortable using them.

I also use the single edge blades in my Shay wood mitre, a tool developed by a model railroader. An adjustible stop enables the user to make easily repeatable square cut lengths as well as several angle cuts. The tool has some use for planes, although the maximum length from the cutting surface to the stop is a bit short for a lot of the longer strips we use.

I use a lot of #11 Exacto blades, and re-sharpen them. A few strokes on a handy Norton stone is just easier than putting in a new blade. I also use a lot of single edge razor blades, buy them by the 100 box in the paint department. When they are kaput, I put them into a manila envelope hanging on the wall. When full, the whole thing will go into the recycling bin at work. I have 3 razor planes that I use. One is an old one that uses double edge blades, IF I can find carbon blades for it. Stainless blades are useless. At the other end of the scale, I use a Craftsman plane, that is about the same size, but has a resharpenable blade. I don't think I've ever sharpened it, but it works great on spruce and plywood edges...the tough stuff. The medium-duty plane is amazing. Back in the '70's, I suggested to Jim Jones of Michigan, that a razor plane that used single edge blades would be wonderful. He sent me a prototype, mostly made of maple, and I still use it. The blades do not have the backstrap thing on them. Jim arranged to buy a bunch from the Mfg. without the edge thingy added, but it wouldn't be that tough to remove them. The blades hold up well. I don't know if Jim is still alive, but he was from Mt. Clemens, Michigan, and did offer these planes for sale for some years. Steve

LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-03 AT 09:11 PM (CST)
 
Carbon steel double edge blades are available on E-Bay. Just type in razor blades and marvel at what the collectors are willing to pay for a single blade. What you are looking for is a brick of 100-200 blades. These are generally Gillett thin or blue. I got a brick of 200 thins for $20. A lifetime supply. For razor planes that use double edge blades you want Solingen blades. They are available from Hobby Lobby in packs of 5 or 10 (don't remember) they are slightly thicker than the Gillett product and seem to stay sharp a lot longer. For the Xacto #11 throw them away and get some Excel ones. They are as sharp as the scalpel blades but have the thicker #11 blade so they don't break. For Scalpel blades (if you want a 100) do a search on Havel they will take credit card orders and are not all that expensive.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-16-03 AT 11:37 PM (CST)
 
Most of the blades on sale seem to the of the Gillette Mach 3 variety, wonder if they're of any use (you'd have to dissassemble the danged things, but you do get three blades per "blade".

But I did find these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2572429601&category=50897

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2572759765&category=31485

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3637823612&category=21141

proable kill your self trying to get the thing apart.

Whats the sharpest brand surigal blade?

I have tried feather SS and Swann-Morse CS. I haven't used the later long another to make a comparison.

It's interesting I stopped cutting my fingers after switching to scalpel blades. I guess I know now I can't take chances while cutting.

Does any one know where to get one or two of those nice fat plastic #3 handles like in micro-mart or #3 Milton green handle for cheap?

Dana

Other than X-Acto, most of my carving tools come from Warren Cutlery in Rhinebeck, NY. Another sourse of handles and blades is Woodcraft.
It is worthwhile to check out what other carving tools are available. There is life other than with a #11 and #26 blade.
Some of the gouges available make carving balsa blocks much easier.
It is also worthwhile to learn to sharpen tools. Even if you never need to.
...Just some other possibilities...