Your tip/s for cutting rubbers neatly?

[TurboZ]

I had used 3 methods to cut and glue my rubbers.

1) Glue rubber on blade and cut with a sharp cutter.
I believe it is the most common method. I recommend rubbing some windex or hand wash on the cutter as lubricant. Remember to dry it completely or the cutter will go rusty fast. It is good for cutting through hard or not so fragile sponges. I once cut a new H3-50 Soft this way with disaster. The red sponge just disintegrated in front of my eyes! May be my cutter is not sharp enough but I know that is good for cutting many other rubbers. If you like to leave some rubber overhang then it is possible by sticking a 1mm foam tape around the edge before cutting.

2) Draw the blade shape on the sponge side, use scissors to cut and glue on blade.
I like to use this method to cut those rubbers with fragile sponges. Slow and small steps with patience is the key. Only thing is that you have to pay extra attention in aligning the rubber to blade. Also after applying the glue, voc or not, the rubber will expand and overhang is inevitable. Better test the sharpness of scissors on the edge of rubber first before going ahead.

3) Glue rubber on blade and cut with scissors.
I see many Chinese pro use this method wth great result. I found it quite difficult as the handle is always in the way. Also it is easy to lift the rubber if glue is not strong especially on those Stiga blades with smooth NCT layers. I only tried this once and give up.

 

[mahomedy13]

I had used 3 methods to cut and glue my rubbers.

1) Glue rubber on blade and cut with a sharp cutter.
I believe it is the most common method. I recommend rubbing some windex or hand wash on the cutter as lubricant. Remember to dry it completely or the cutter will go rusty fast. It is good for cutting through hard or not so fragile sponges. I once cut a new H3-50 Soft this way with disaster. The red sponge just disintegrated in front of my eyes! May be my cutter is not sharp enough but I know that is good for cutting many other rubbers. If you like to leave some rubber overhang then it is possible by sticking a 1mm foam tape around the edge before cutting.

2) Draw the blade shape on the sponge side, use scissors to cut and glue on blade.
I like to use this method to cut those rubbers with fragile sponges. Slow and small steps with patience is the key. Only thing is that you have to pay extra attention in aligning the rubber to blade. Also after applying the glue, voc or not, the rubber will expand and overhang is inevitable. Better test the sharpness of scissors on the edge of rubber first before going ahead.

3) Glue rubber on blade and cut with scissors.
I see many Chinese pro use this method wth great result. I found it quite difficult as the handle is always in the way. Also it is easy to lift the rubber if glue is not strong especially on those Stiga blades with smooth NCT layers. I only tried this once and give up.

So it seems i am not alone in the way i cut my rubber

The same reason you have for no.3 is one of the reasons i stopped cutting after i glued.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

3) Glue rubber on blade and cut with scissors.
I see many Chinese pro use this method wth great result. I found it quite difficult as the handle is always in the way. Also it is easy to lift the rubber if glue is not strong especially on those Stiga blades with smooth NCT layers. I only tried this once and give up.

So it seems i am not alone in the way i cut my rubber

The same reason you have for no.3 is one of the reasons i stopped cutting after i glued.

That is why I said, in my post that at first it feels awkward and then you get used to it. You learn how to cut around the handle and then it is not a problem. I can give a top notch cut if I use a scissors. At first I used to go slow. Then I got used to how to cut around the handle. Once you are past the handle it is smooth sailing but at a certain point it is easy to get past the handle.

The razor works well also. I just did not like that there is too much fuss because you need a surface to cut on. So I like scissors better.

Cutting the rubber and then putting it on? Well, I guess that would work and be fine. I take rubbers from one blade and glue them on to the other. But drawing the outline, cutting, then gluing, also seems like too much of a process to me. The cutting part takes under a minute. In the end, if it works for you, that is all that matters.

 

[chucky21022002]

Just cut my first rubber and it looks like I need more practice.I might have used a different cutter as the gap were quite big. Im just waiting for the edge tape. Rubbers were Big Dipper and a Dawei XP 2008. It is a backup bat but cant wait to try it compared to my h3/zap combo, same bat though.

 

[TurboZ]

This is not new but wonder if anyone had actually bought and used this machine to cut rubber before. You can pick 0 to 2mm overhang around the edge.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDI0NDU5Njg0.html

I found an easier way to practice cut using scissors around the handle by first cutting about an inch near the handle using cutter, then start from there with scissors. But I had lift the rubber up on Rosewood V and Intensity while cutting and have to glue and cut using cutter again. Both have slick NCT surface so for me at least may be there is no one single method that works for all.

 

[NextLevel]

chucky,

That is an excellent cut. Cutting better than that won't help your table tennis one bit.

 

[Killerspintt]

I just cut the rubber with basic scissors. Cut my new Calibra Tour M red today :



Its not pro work but i'm fine with it

 

[haggisv]

My tip for cutting rubbers neatly is simple - DON'T. Short cuts with any scissors are more than good enough and most modern rubbers shrink anyway.

While I agree with you, I actually find it easier to cut with a knife. With scissors you need to be really careful not to lift the rubber on the edge while you're cutting, because with WBG (unlike VOC glue), you can't push it down again and make it stick.
As long as you push down on the rubber while cutting with a knife (I usually push down on a piece of carton), it won't life the rubber edges.

 

[NextLevel]

While I agree with you, I actually find it easier to cut with a knife. With scissors you need to be really careful not to lift the rubber on the edge while you're cutting, because with WBG (unlike VOC glue), you can't push it down again and make it stick.
As long as you push down on the rubber while cutting with a knife (I usually push down on a piece of carton), it won't life the rubber edges.

I've had few problems pushing down again and making the rubber stick. Not sure why (I know the stickiness of VarioClean in particular is helpful), and I do agree that WBG is generally not as easy to use as rubber cement, but that's not defined or affected my failure rate.

I didn't find any particularly attractive knives early (I tried a few) and once I got decent at using scissors, I pretty much stuck to them in all shapes and sizes. Some of the smaller ones that are used for kid's work or in some cases for grooming can be pretty good and can help with the navigation problem.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

When I first decided that cutting with a razor type knife was a bit too much of a fuss for me, I got this nice pair of scissors that are made of titanium at an art supply store. They were not expensive but they are thin and sharp.

http://www.amazon.com/Westcott-Tita...26&sr=8-4&keywords=westcott+scissors+titanium

Now I can use pretty much any scissor. But at first it was nice to have something nice, thin and sharp.

Again, the reason I decided to try just getting used to cutting with scissors is watching the guy at the old TT place I used to play at and how he would cut the rubber in a few seconds with a scissor and it always just came out pretty much perfectly. When I asked, he told me that the more you cut the easier it gets till at some point you don't even think about it. He also showed me how to avoid the handle which was small cuts with the very tip to get the cut started and then the rest is cutting from as far down the scissor as possible.

After doing about 4-5, I was totally fine. The first 10 I just did the cutting slowly and carefully. So it took about the same amount of time as what I was doing with the razor blade (X-Acto knife). I have put a lot of rubbers on for friends so I got plenty of practice. Also, at that club, at some point, the guy would have me help put rubbers on if he was giving a lesson. It just has to do with comfort and experience. Also, if it doesn't come out perfect one time, it really doesn't matter. Edge tape hides the overlap.

Pushing the rubber back on? I have never had a problem with that. I am using Donic Vario Clean glue. But I also use a few layers so I make it so there is a decent amount of glue. I got this idea from a friend several years ago. It feels to me like the rubber stays on better and plays better with a little extra glue between the sponge and the blade. You seem to get more action from the sponge. But, I don't really feel like the rubber gets pulled up when I am cutting anyway.

 

[the_gift]

After couple of times cutting with scissors I gave up, 'cause blade after process was looking like cogwheel
I doing pretty good with razor knife almost from first try

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

After couple of times cutting with scissors I gave up, 'cause blade after process was looking like cogwheel
I doing pretty good with razor knife almost from first try

In the end, what ever works best for each person. If the knife works, use it.

For Mahomedy, if cutting it first and then gluing it on, it is strange to me, it seems a little to much fuss, but, if it works for you, that is the important part.

 

[Der_Echte]

When I was at my Club in Korea, I would mostly use the razor blades they had there. Just snap one off, and cut away. I would use the cardboard the rubber came in as a base so I wouldn't cut through the table.

Sometimes, I would use scissors if the table was busy. As for being mobile and being able to make or service a bat, there is NOTHING than can replace scissors for versatility and mobility. You cannot use a razor blade to cut a rubber off sitting down with the bat on your lap unless you like to live dangerously and risk slicing off Ur manhood.

 

[chucky21022002]

In summary cutter or scissor will do the job, it only depends which one you are comfortable with. Both have pros and cons.[emoji4]

 

[mahomedy13]

1 lesson i learnt over the last two days.

I did the usual(outline ,cut,get ready to glue),however i decided to experiment and boost using baby oil.

I applied 3 layers (1 layer,let it dry,the next then the next) ,then the dome appeared.

However,the topsheet was not strongly binded to the sponge,and it seperated at the edge,about 1-2 cm inwards.

The rubber was Kokutaku 007 Tuple

1 not so good experience with boosting

From now on,all rubbers for boosting will not be cut before gluing.

 

[Olio]

That might be because if booster gets in between sponge and topsheet, it will dissolve the glue keeping them together, so yes, better off this happening on an edge you're going to cut away... But you'll waste some booster. If it's cheap, no prob. If not, just cut the sheet to be boosted but leave 1 cm overhang on each side of the blade, then cut, boost, stick on, and cut as you would normally do (in the order you're comfortable with)

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I was referring to most of the posts that followed, including my own.

Oh I know that, but I was replying to OP.
Not many people do his method, I tried it once and was not nice. Waste too much time imo. Quicker and better cut when doing "our" method

 

[izra]

i use nail scissors which are quite small so i can avoid the handle by starting with the deepest point of the scissors. the trick to a neat cut with those is turning their curve opposite of the curve of the blade.

i tried cutting with a cardboard knife but i found it difficult to cut through the sponge and the topsheet both at the same time while still following the edge of the blade.

 

[Old School]

i use nail scissors which are quite small so i can avoid the handle by starting with the deepest point of the scissors. the trick to a neat cut with those is turning their curve opposite of the curve of the blade.

i tried cutting with a cardboard knife but i found it difficult to cut through the sponge and the topsheet both at the same time while still following the edge of the blade.

The trick is not to try and cut both the sponge and the rubber at the same time but to first cut the sponge with a light touch and then cut the rubber using the track that was made by the cutting of the sponge. This is how I cut my rubbers and it works great.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Oh I know that, but I was replying to OP.
Not many people do his method, I tried it once and was not nice. Waste too much time imo. Quicker and better cut when doing "our" method

Yeah, and it seems like the method of drawing the line and cutting before you glue the rubber on is something that would mainly be used and thought of by someone with less experience. When you cut enough rubbers you realize it always comes out okay so the quickest easiest way for you, ends up making the most sense. After you have cut the rubber while it is glued on enough times, which ever way you choose, you become good at that method and it is quick and easy.