small Circles

[Dundas West]

I don't know if this will help or can help anyone, when i first started i had trouble cutting out little circles on stencils. So one day i went to the local dollar store and in the crafts area found my self a hole puncher, not for paper. The ones you use by banging on top of it. It comes with 8 different hole sizes and i get perfect circles everytime.

[Jeroen - CDM]

Sound like a handy tip, but the sencils I usually use have like a 'wave' patern. But for example the eyez of a skull they would be perfect. I never get them REALLY round lol. SHACKY SHAKY! haha

Cool find!

[Dundas West]

Dutch man it works on all surfaces, i also use see through binders from the dollar store as stencils, it washes off and works great

[Jeroen - CDM]

Indeed, kinda like exray film, but easyer to come by. I usually use ordinary paper, but after one layer of sprayin the edges curl over. That why I cut new ones for each project. Hell...I'm probably cuttin' more that paintin each time hehe. But I don't mind...comes with the perfession LOL

If only the make those cutters ya mentioned if full size flame stencil forms haha!

[Dundas West]

lol yeah i wish they did. I also use paper, the trick to paper is right after using it, i place it under a heavy book and guess what it stays straight and does not curl.

[redanner]

Does the hole punch have a brand name on it?

[Dundas West]

no it does not, i will add a picture later on

[Dundas West]

here is the pic, and if you noticed i notched some circles so you can see.

[Dundas West]

np this helped me alot, i hate cutting small circles

[fontgeek]

Another great tool for getting great circles is using a circle template or a drill bit gauge, both give you precise circles without the cutting, and they let you have a medium that lays nice and flat. If you want to cut circles in the middle of larger material, or in material that needs to conform to curved surfaces, you might look at the punches/dies used for installing grommets. These require a hammer or mallet to cut the material, but they also give precise holes.

Another trick, if you have a drill press, or even a hand drill. Laying your stencil material between two scraps of wood, then drilling through the wood/stencil material/wood sandwich. The outer layers of wood support the stencil material to keep it from twisitng or tearing away. Keep in mind that the sandwich has to be clamped down tightly. You don't want any slop or play when you are drilling. This will mean that you have to have a drill bit the diameter of your desired hole, and that the drill bit needs to be sharp. Dull bits burn and tear materials rather than cutting them. For larger hole sizes, you can use hole saws using the same method of sandwiching the stencil material between two layers of wood.

Whatever you use or make, take care of it. Keep it clean and well stored.

[Dundas West]

Fontgeek great on the tip, we all can use tips :)

[fontgeek]

You might also look for a hole punch with a rotating head, they are sold in fabric and leatherworking/craft shops all the time, they will give you the smaller holes but unlike the mallet and dye setup, you have a much greater limitation on the placement of the holes, the throat depth on them is maybe an inch and a half.

[REDTAIL]

i been useing a drill guide a little piece of plastic that tell's what size the drill bit is there cheap come in all size's just put a piece of masking tape over the holes's your not spraying through

RT

[Norm]

I bought a bunch of drafting templates years ago... ellipses, circles and more. They are pricey, but they last for years... Here is a site I found that sells them:
http://www.draftingsteals.com/catalog-templates-ellipses.html

Might even try an art supply store like Jerry's Artorama.

[REDTAIL]

good tip Norm


JIM

[Strictly Attitude]

norm started my schooling as civil engineering so I 've been using mine all the time good tip don't forget to mask off what your not using over spray very noticable with these

[blanco]

i was looking for an adjustable circle cutter and found some amazing fabric tools that cut fabric well. i will see how it works on mylar