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Post by 50offscrapper on Feb 16, 2018 6:05:58 GMT
Most of the dies I have bought in the past, Stampin Up, Sizzix, Spellbinders always have the dies separated. I am having to deal with cutting the stupid things apart on the monthly kits I got from Hero Arts. I even ordered some flush cutters that Jennifer McGuire recommended and I have these pointy edges still sticking out. I'm afraid I am going to end up cutting myself on them later on when I am not thinking about it.
Any suggestions before I throw them against a wall... just kidding.
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Post by missymarlin on Feb 16, 2018 10:09:45 GMT
I hate these too, not just the Hero Arts ones, but the Lawn Fawn and other brands. I was trying to cut apart the small parts in a Lawn Fawn die set the day before yesterday and the tiny die flew across the room never to be found. It was really frustrating because I needed that die for 3 of the Valentine cards I was making. I also worry that when cutting the steel connecting lines that one will fly into and embed in my eye and cause permanent damage. They seem pretty dangerous. I did buy a pair of safety goggles just to wear when cutting dies apart, but that should not be necessary. It seems to me that for the cost, they should come pre-cut. If it wasn't for the fact that many of the accompanying stamp sets are so cute, I would just stop buying them and the matching stamp sets altogether (and the more I think about it, I probably will start to vote with my pocketbook on this topic).
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139 
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Post by scrappington on Feb 16, 2018 11:49:30 GMT
I got from home depot a set of 6 mini pliers, snips etc. In it is one the is designed to get right up close to the edge. It's almost shaped like a semi circle. I use that one. After cutting the dies apart.
Even came in a case to hold them all.
I will see later (on my phone right now) if I can find a pic of at least a full size one. And share it so you know what I'm taking about.
I have cut myself on the edge of the die.
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Post by sunny1016 on Feb 16, 2018 12:26:28 GMT
Jennifer Mcguire says she snips them into a baby wipe so the little piece doesn't go flying and then uses an emery board or file of some sort to take off the pointy edge.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,316
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Post by scrapnnana on Feb 16, 2018 13:57:20 GMT
I borrow a tool from my husband to cut them apart, but yes, this bugs me, too, especially for the price they are charging in some cases. They seem cheap, thin, and I really dislike this type of die.
It was one more reason to buy the Scan N Cut. Unless they come included with the stamp(s) I purchase, I no longer have to buy these dies.
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Post by cbet on Feb 16, 2018 14:26:11 GMT
I work inside a big ziploc bag, so if pieces go flying, they're caught by the bag. My snipper is a memory wire cutter that I got at Hobby Lobby and it usually doesn't leave little sharp points, but if it does, I have a set of small files that I use to file it down.
But here's the thing. I've purchased a number of unbranded dies from ebay & aliexpress, and none of those needed to be cut apart. Somehow it seems wrong to be able to buy a set of dies for around $2 and have them ready to go and then turn around and order a set from a company here, pay 10x the price and have to cut them apart myself - and the cheap dies are indistinguishable from the expensive ones. (And some - not all, but some - of those expensive dies are manufactured in China as well.)
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Post by riversong1963 on Feb 16, 2018 15:21:52 GMT
Sometimes I don't cut them apart. I just cut a small piece of paper, put it over the die I want to use, and throw away anything extra that gets cut out. I have to do this with my steel rule dies, so I'm used to it. It's pretty easy to do. The only ones I have to cut out are the dies that are connected to the insides of other dies.
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JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,842
Location: Indianapolis
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Post by JustTricia on Feb 16, 2018 17:41:33 GMT
I work inside a big ziploc bag, so if pieces go flying, they're caught by the bag. My snipper is a memory wire cutter that I got at Hobby Lobby and it usually doesn't leave little sharp points, but if it does, I have a set of small files that I use to file it down. But here's the thing. I've purchased a number of unbranded dies from ebay & aliexpress, and none of those needed to be cut apart. Somehow it seems wrong to be able to buy a set of dies for around $2 and have them ready to go and then turn around and order a set from a company here, pay 10x the price and have to cut them apart myself - and the cheap dies are indistinguishable from the expensive ones. (And some - not all, but some - of those expensive dies are manufactured in China as well.) My guess is if they were cut apart by the manufacturer the price would increase. It would require an additional step in the machining or a person to do it, increasing the labor. The reason the dies from China are so cheap are because, with the exception of simple shapes, etc, most of the designs are stolen. Part of the cost of a die set goes to paying the designer for their work, which they are entitled to. If you steal the design, there’s no designer to pay. |
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Post by wendifful on Feb 16, 2018 18:22:41 GMT
Those little pieces sticking out drive me crazy too so I use a Dremel to sand them down once I've cut off as much as I can. It's a bit extra but it makes it so I don't get so frustrated.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 29, 2024 19:21:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2018 18:59:54 GMT
I've been buying the cheap ones on Amazon. In addition to being LOADS cheaper than the HA, LF, etc ones. They are ALREADY CUT APART w/nice smooth edges. I will not cut dies apart at home. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071985V6D/ |
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Post by lemondrop on Feb 16, 2018 20:07:52 GMT
It was one more reason to buy the Scan N Cut. Unless they come included with the stamp(s) I purchase, I no longer have to buy these dies.  |
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Feb 16, 2018 20:25:34 GMT
Buy a dremel type tool. There is one I got for like $20 (not the brand dremel) on amazon that comes with several rotary sanding heads. It is a really nice way to flatten out the pointy parts.  |
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Post by cbet on Feb 16, 2018 22:25:57 GMT
I work inside a big ziploc bag, so if pieces go flying, they're caught by the bag. My snipper is a memory wire cutter that I got at Hobby Lobby and it usually doesn't leave little sharp points, but if it does, I have a set of small files that I use to file it down. But here's the thing. I've purchased a number of unbranded dies from ebay & aliexpress, and none of those needed to be cut apart. Somehow it seems wrong to be able to buy a set of dies for around $2 and have them ready to go and then turn around and order a set from a company here, pay 10x the price and have to cut them apart myself - and the cheap dies are indistinguishable from the expensive ones. (And some - not all, but some - of those expensive dies are manufactured in China as well.) My guess is if they were cut apart by the manufacturer the price would increase. It would require an additional step in the machining or a person to do it, increasing the labor. The reason the dies from China are so cheap are because, with the exception of simple shapes, etc, most of the designs are stolen. Part of the cost of a die set goes to paying the designer for their work, which they are entitled to. If you steal the design, there’s no designer to pay. I get that, it's why I don't buy the ones that I recognize as copies. It still is hard for me to fathom that much of a price difference. |
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Post by anniefb on Feb 16, 2018 23:19:07 GMT
I just try and cut them close but a friend has a dremel which I believe helps.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 29, 2024 19:21:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 1:25:01 GMT
The small ones, I don't cut apart - its not worth the effort and yes I may waste paper but I put whatever die cuts I don't use into the same envelope the dies are in. I used to cut them apart and it was a pain. Esp with alphabet dies.....half the time I couldn't find the letter I was wanting to cut. This way saves a lot of time and headache.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,451
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Feb 17, 2018 2:06:18 GMT
I just use a pair of snips and get as close to the die as possible. To contain the flying bits I cut into my trash can.
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Post by artisticscrapper on Feb 17, 2018 2:54:00 GMT
I hate those as well. The last thing I need is for my dies to try and stab me with their dangerous tiny swords. I use sandpaper but a dremel sounds like a good idea. I have friends who use small dremels on their dogs’ nails so maybe I’ll look for one on Amazon.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Feb 17, 2018 3:35:09 GMT
I read a review of an Echo Park set on Joann.com and they gave it one star because the dies were still attached...the person had NO IDEA they were meant to be taken apart and thought the ampersand inside of the viewfinder die was awful manufacturing. Just to give you a little giggle. At least you're using them right! That poor lady will be quite confused when she buys her first set of critter dies that have tiny shapes inside of the critters to keep the set compact!!
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 18, 2018 3:11:13 GMT
I've been buying the cheap ones on Amazon. In addition to being LOADS cheaper than the HA, LF, etc ones. They are ALREADY CUT APART w/nice smooth edges. I will not cut dies apart at home. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071985V6D/might I ask where is this seller located, if you've received any packages from them already? I don't like the idea of buying from a website in China... it's just a bit too far outside my comfort zone. But buying from/through Amazon is something I already do plenty of, lol! |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 18, 2018 4:58:34 GMT
I just use a pair of snips and get as close to the die as possible. To contain the flying bits I cut into my trash can. This is how I do it too. I could see where doing it in the ziplock bag would be helpful though because more than once I’ve dropped the tiny die I’m trying to cut off into a bagful of trash that I then had to sift through to get it back.  |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 29, 2024 19:21:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2018 5:51:50 GMT
I've been buying the cheap ones on Amazon. In addition to being LOADS cheaper than the HA, LF, etc ones. They are ALREADY CUT APART w/nice smooth edges. I will not cut dies apart at home. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071985V6D/might I ask where is this seller located, if you've received any packages from them already? I don't like the idea of buying from a website in China... it's just a bit too far outside my comfort zone. But buying from/through Amazon is something I already do plenty of, lol! I've gotten 4 sets already and waiting on a 5th. I got circles, rectangles, tags, ornaments and hearts. I have not had any problems - they cut well and straight. They take longer to ship, but not that long (about a month or sometimes a bit less). |
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Post by 50offscrapper on Feb 18, 2018 7:50:44 GMT
Well, I ordered some flush cutters from Amazon and they weren’t very good. Then I bought some flush cutters from Hobby Lobby and they were better. I cut into baby wipes as suggested by Jennifer McGuire.
The dies after cutting still had tiny bumps on the side. I ended up cutting myself. Too much work. I will stick with Sizzix and Stampin Up.
Thanks to all for the great suggestions. I will have to file them down.
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Post by missymarlin on Feb 18, 2018 9:42:57 GMT
My guess is if they were cut apart by the manufacturer the price would increase. It would require an additional step in the machining or a person to do it, increasing the labor. The reason the dies from China are so cheap are because, with the exception of simple shapes, etc, most of the designs are stolen. Part of the cost of a die set goes to paying the designer for their work, which they are entitled to. If you steal the design, there’s no designer to pay. I get that, it's why I don't buy the ones that I recognize as copies. It still is hard for me to fathom that much of a price difference. I can buy a pre-cut set of generic shapes that will cut beautifully for less than $4 from China. The same shapes though maybe in slightly different sizes that don't really matter on a project will cost $19.99 and require cutting apart from a big name manufacturer. Just how much do the designers get or the machinists charge for clean cutting them per set? It seems to me the reason they are left stuck together is more greed than cost. This seems particularly true when Gina Marie designs can market a clean cut set for less than half the price of many of the popular manufacturers. I will not buy stamps nor dies that are clearly rip offs of name manufacturers, however, I do not have the same qualms about buying circles, squares, rectangles, ovals or hearts since no one has a patent on these shapes. |
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Post by AngieandSnoopy on Feb 19, 2018 2:57:44 GMT
I use the magnetic vent covers to cut apart and keep my dies on. I use one of them under me when I'm cutting with the snips my DH gave me. The magnetic sheet will help catch any dies that try to fly off and the little extra metal pieces that need to be tossed.
After cutting apart, I then get closer and cut most of the sharp edges off with the snips. Some of the tiny dies, I leave together. I don't mind them still being together, that means they were made in the US, not China. I'd rather take them apart than pay extra for them to be separate. I don't like shapes cut apart with the Scan and Cut, I just don't like the cuts, not as smooth and curled under slightly like dies cut.
I have a heavy duty magnet with a handle that I got at a hardware store to help me find dies that fly off the table. Seriously love that thing! Wish I had it years ago, it is great to find pins and needes that fall on the floor also.
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