Tips for cutting a straight line

[cjayflo]

Besides getting a cutting board/grid, any tips for cutting straight lines on nylon? Its all over the place and my lines are a bit off. The first thing I will try is to stop using my wife's left handed shears. Do you guys use shears or the roller things? A regular razor knife?

[sodakgrrl]

For short lengths, I use a rotary cutter. (Mine is a Fiskars, available just about everywhere.) For long lengths, I snap a guide line with a chalk line first. Then make sure to hold the fabric a bit taut as you cut. Hope this helps!

[Cannibal]

Don't start drinking until you're done cutting.

With unused fabric, I just follow the ripstop grid....really slowly.

[gmcttr]

6' aluminum straight edge and a soldering gun with tile cutting tip used as a hot knife. I use a 4'x8' sheet of 1/4" tempered hardboard for the cutting surface.

[bruinfan]

great ideas.
thanks

[Scooter]

I've seen people put some sort of narrow v-shaped channel in their cutting table. Maybe used a router or something. I've seen some that have an aluminum piece put into the channel. In any event, you can stretch your fabric, nylon, etc. across the channel. With the nylon, you will need some way to weigh down the sides to keep it from moving. This will allow you to keep both hands free. Then you can use a razor blade on the nylon, with the channel as your guide. Straight cuts made easy.

Yes, I know this is a lot of work to prep your actual cutting surface, but if you do a lot of work with nylon, it should pay off. Nylon almost has a mind of its own. This ought to help you keep control of it.

[canoebie]

I use a combination of a chalk line, T square and a rotary cutter. I really like the rotary cutter over scissors.

[turnerminator]

I was taught by a tailor to cut with scissors on a flat table and just let the fabrics rest on the scissors' blade-not to pull or distort the fabric. It works.

As a tradesman, I ignore that and use a straight edge and soldering iron with a cutting bit or rotary cutter

[River Otter]

I've just followed the grid, as Cannibal says.

[Catavarie]

I'm a grid follower when using rip stop. Otherwise I use a straightedge and carpenter square and mark with a sharpie figuring the lines will be hidden inside of a seam anyways.