Thread: circle cutter - where to get!!!

I believe what you are chasing is a wad punch. Depending on how thin the material, and the quality of the punch you buy, the holes may become a little ragged, they are great for cardboard, leather etc, but if we're talking silk or satin, I dunno how you will go.

I read an article sometime ago where they were talking about cutting sandpaper discs. The suggestion was to go to a car exhaust place and beg borrow or steal an offcut of the appropriate size pipe and then sharpen it. I can't remember whether it should be sharpened on inside or outside.

It would then be used as a punch and might be worth a try for what you want to do

Originally Posted by Tom Anderson

I read an article sometime ago where they were talking about cutting sandpaper discs. The suggestion was to go to a car exhaust place and beg borrow or steal an offcut of the appropriate size pipe and then sharpen it. I can't remember whether it should be sharpened on inside or outside.

It would then be used as a punch and might be worth a try for what you want to do

Sharpen on the outside for a clean cut and accurate size on the cloth but you will have to take care to keep the edge even when you sharpen or you will get raggy edges.
Like Outback says this will be ok on some cloths but shiny slippery cloth like silk or satin will be a different matter. Maybe a saddlery or leatherwork supplier would have a wad punch of the correct size.

Good luck
Bob

In default of a correct wad punch: get some spray-on 'tacky' or 'repositionable' glue from the fabric shop, also a quilter's circle cutter - compass & blade thingy - and some thick cardboard. Spray glue on board, put cloth on sticky glue, cut circle & peel off. Repeat until you get bored. Get kid/s to do it until they get bored.

Get yourself some metal tube/pipe of sufficient wall thickness with an ID of the size piece you want. Get a piece and have someone lathe it to size with a metal lathe. Cut the edge to a cutting edge. If need be, have a metal plate welded on the other end as a striking surface. When done, put it on your cloth and hammer away.

I have also found that what you use a wad punch on also makes a great difference to the quality of the cut. Backing the material up with end grain of timber instead of a bit of MDF or ply gives a much cleaner cut and also will allow you to cut many more circles between sharpenings especially if you are going to make your own punch out of mild steel.