Is this what I need to cut down 8x10 film?

[jonbrisbincreative]

I'm considering adding whole plate and 8x10 but I need something to cut down the xray film to whole plate size. Will something like this work?

http://www.target.com/p/fiskars-prem...2/-/A-12917568

[jose angel]

Personally, I hate this stripped down trimmers. I`d get a model with a larger board, -at least- a squared one with the length of the material to be cutted in both sides. If you want to have 8x10" sheets, get a 10"x10" board trimmer (a whole plate is a bit smaller than 8x10"), or larger.
BTW, I think straight blade (not that sharpened sabre type blades) guillotine type trimmers work best, but it may be matter of taste.

[vinny]

My wife has that trimmer and while it works for film, I'd go for something different if I were you. When you run the cutting head over whatever you're cutting, it's not clear if you've pressed hard enough to cut all the way through.

[jonbrisbincreative]

So something more like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...bXCSbz_g229_i1

[seezee]

I'm considering adding whole plate and 8x10 but I need something to cut down the xray film to whole plate size. Will something like this work?

http://www.target.com/p/fiskars-prem...2/-/A-12917568

I use this to cut down 8×10 to 4×5. I used some dyno tape to permanently mark the position of the film for each direction of cut & slide the movable guide over the tape before making the cut. The sheet holder does a good job of preventing the workpiece from moving as long as you don't try to cut more than 2 – 3 sheets at a time.

[Sirius Glass]

I find that blade cutters can cause the film/paper to rotate unless clamped down. Therefore I prefer cutters will a roller blade.

[Jim Jones]

To keep fingers off of the film while cutting, hinge a sheet of mat board on the side opposite the blade and trim it with the blade so it holds the film flat against the baseboard close to the blade. Apply pressure close to the blade while cutting. This prevents the film from rotating or buckling up. Seezee's tip about using Dymo tape sounds great. I've used the less elegant duct tape.

[Jim C.]

I have an older version of the Fiskars rotary paper cutter with a gray board and it cuts film and paper just fine.
You'll need to set a stop of some sort like thick tape to butt your film or paper against to cut accurately,
use a fubar film sheet or in your case for whole plate trim a sheet of stiff cardboard to whole plate size.
Come to think of it if you have a glass negative that's whole plate you could use that as a template.

I've been able to to cut fine slivers of film off with the Fiskars, only drawback is that you have to bear down on
the cutting head to cut. I've used gloves cutting film/paper.

I recently purchased a Rotatrim and have yet to try cutting film, seems it might be a lot better since you don't have to
bear down on the cutter head like you do on the Fiskars and the Rotatrim blades are self sharpening.
But Rotatrims are on spendy side.

[Tin Can]

I use 2 Dahle brand economy cutters which have a very delicate rubber automatic clamp which softly contacts the film before the blade. I have 2 because I bought a small one first to test and then a big one for 14x17 Ektascan. I use them only for film, never paper, to limit dust. They cut very straight. I prefer them over my 24" Rotatrim.

This allows me to set 2 mat board production stops with gaff tape or just use their included guide. I use store bought old negs for pattern and never measure. Cut one piece of film at a time.

My fingers run very dry and not greasy. I wash them too often. I always wash with dish soap just before touching any film and dry thoroughly. No fingerprints.

[c.d.ewen]

Just my opinion: guillotines = good, Fiskars = not so good. The Fiskars' blades are quite small.

Rotatrims, however, = best. Here's a selection from B&H. Every time I use mine, I thank Dave Goldfarb for insisting I get the 24" Pro version, with the two rails.

Try out the cheapies first, and see how much you use it. Whichever you get, start cutting only one sheet at a time, as any cutter will have a tendency to pull the sheet(s) down with the blade. Doing multiple sheets, particularly without practice, will result in multiple-sized sheets.

Charley