Hot Knife through butter, er fabric

[WV]

I use a cheap pencil-type soldering iron ($10?) and use a sheet of plate glass as a cutting surface. Masonite (hardboard) and Formica will do as work surfaces, too, but don't use the kitchen counter.

Grizz suggested a hot knife with a built-in backing plate that slides under the fabric as you cut, so you don't need a heat proof surface. Looks nifty, but expensive.

Whatever you do, discipline yourself to always put the hot knife down somewhere safe before you shift your material. damhik, damhik, damhik.

Working outside provides better ventilation, but beware of breezes. damhik redux

[slugbait]

I use a woodburning tool I got with a coupon at Michael's. Like WV I use a piece of glass to cut on- a good sized piece of window glass and a small thick piece with rounded edges which was originally a tiny table top. The woodburning tool came with just one tip (wedge shaped) and I've never needed more. The smaller glass is handy for small jobs and safer to handle than the picture frame glass I was using. Years ago I used Husband's soldering gun (with tip filed to a chisel edge) but it was heavy and hard to control. The woodburning tool is like a pen.

[jgreenewv]

I bought one of these before Christmas and have used it a few times now. I like the metal foot so I can layout the fabric on the floor or table and cut it without burning anything underneath. Still getting a feel for the correct temperature setting for various fabrics.

[rais'n hammock]

I bought one of these before Christmas and have used it a few times now. I like the metal foot so I can layout the fabric on the floor or table and cut it without burning anything underneath. Still getting a feel for the correct temperature setting for various fabrics.

+1 I have been using this one for about a year and it is really nice to not have worry about the table underneath when cutting. A hot knife is the best way IMO to cut fabric to avoid all the little strands that come from the frayed edges.

[scrope]

I use a woodburning knife like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow...od+burning+kit

For $10 it's hard to beat.

I use a 4x8 sheet of hardboard from Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboar...2777/202189720

For $8 it's hard to beat as well.

[Cruiser51]

I did the cutter and edge seal, which is a pita, but it works.

I have the soldering iron (both iron and gun) and these both work, but they still take time, are a bit finicky and you have to watch where you work .... but both are a stepup from rotary/scissor cutting up and all the cut edges are sealed.

I started with the above 2 methods, which cost me practically nothing ..... but it still felt like I didn't have the right tool for the job.

Bit the bullet and bought the actual knife (Sailrite) and it feels like the right tool ... easy to use, cuts like a dream and can be used on pretty much most surfaces.

From a cutting performance and finish PoV, the knife is just a better tool ... if you can splurge, that is the one you want. If you have a single project and a strict budget, the gun with a cutting tip is a distant (quite distant) second IMO.

Brian