ZJ Humbach

How to Change a Rotary Cutter Blade

ZJ Humbach

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Duration:   3  mins

Description

Having a sharp rotary cutter blade not only makes cutting through layers of fabric easier, it is also safer. ZJ Humbach shows you how to change a rotary cutter blade safely and easily.

When to Change a Blade

Some people like to change their rotary cutter blade after every couple of projects while others change theirs after a certain amount of hours of use. While there is no one right or wrong method, you definitely want to change the blade as soon as it starts skipping threads. This is when you run the blade down a strip of fabric and it cuts all the way through except for a few areas where there is a thread or two of fabric still intact. This is the first indication that the blade needs to be changed.

How to Change a Blade

There are several different brands of rotary cutters available on the market today, and while they may look a little different, the basic way to change a blade is still the same. ZJ show how to change a rotary cutter blade by first disassembling the cutter. She demonstrates how to do this and shows how to lay out all of the pieces in order so it is easy to see how it should go back together. She then explains that you would change out the blade and reassemble the cutter in the reverse order that you took it apart.

When she gets to the step where the actual handle of the rotary cutter can be put back in place, ZJ explains how to change the cutter from a right handed tool to a left handed tool. She also gives a handy tip for how to easily remember which way the handle should go back on. When learning how to change a rotary cutter blade it is important to use general rotary cutter safety and be careful with not only the new, sharp blade that is going in by the old blade as well.

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6 Responses to “How to Change a Rotary Cutter Blade”

  1. Darlene Wietholter

    In changing my blade, I dropped the little (?ruffeled-edge washed?) thing & somehow that little “ruffel-edge” can roll! I have searched & searched for that thing, never being able to find it!!! Surely I am not the only one this has happened to? Is there a way that I can get a replacement for my missing “ruffle-washer”? Rotary cutter certainly does NOT work without it! Thank you for your help!

  2. risearly

    I use a magnet (like a canning jar lid lifter) to pick up the blades instead of handling the sharp edges.

  3. Cathy

    I cringed when ZJ held the blade on the edges. I'm a frequent user of my rotary cutters, and I never touch the edges, only the flat sides. Much less chance of slicing myself open!

  4. Janet Hammond

    Thank you ZJ - it might seem easy until you come to do it! Your tips are invaluable.

  5. LINDA

    Is there a right side and wrong side of the rotary blade? Thanks

  6. Emma

    Having trouble blade

The rotary cutter, first introduced by Olfa, definitely revolutionized the world of quilting and the way we quilt. But there's still a lot of frustration with this simple little tool, and that is changing the blade. Just about every quilter I know of curses when it comes time to change the blade. So let me show you the easiest way to do this. First of all, you're going to turn it over. You unscrew the little nut on the back, and lay it down. Then there's a little washer, and it is bent. It's not supposed to be flat. It's actually bent and doesn't lay flat. That comes next. Lay it next to the nut. The secret here is you're going to put things in the order that you take them off. The rotary cutter, or the blade and the wheel, actually come off. So now put your cutter down. Next is the little nut, the blade itself, be very careful, even though it's dull it can still be sharp, and then the front cover. To reassemble, you're going to take your blade, normally it would be a new one, but since I just put this in yesterday, I'm gonna put this one back on. Before you reassemble, take a little piece of cotton or batting, and just wipe around the cover very gently. Put your blade back on. You're gonna want to clean this nut also, because lint will get in there. Put that on, and then you've got your blade. I also clean in there. I don't like to get lint and things, because it will impede the operation. It's going on in the exact same manner. Now, if you are right-handed or left-handed depends on which way this is going to be facing. When you buy a new rotary cutter, as soon as you get it put your initials on the side that does not have the blade, and that will be your little cheat or hint as to what side is facing away from the blade. Put the cutter itself down, put the nut back on with the ears, if you will, facing up, the scoop should go up. The nut goes on top of that, and you just want to finger-tighten it. I want it tight enough that my blade's not falling off, but I don't want it so tight that I can't get it off the next time. If you let your husband tighten it, you will never get it off. So just tight enough that you can get it off. You will know it's on correctly, when the blade is on the side that will lay next to the ruler, whether you're left-handed or right-handed. That's how you know you've gotten it on correctly and didn't switch sides. It's easy if you do it as that step-by-step process, rather than just taking it apart and then going, oh my god, how does this go back together again? Now, if you want an even easier way, a good friend of mine showed me this wonderful rotary cutter that's a quick change. And all you have to do is turn it over, pull that back, and your blade drops off. Take the blade out, change it, put your new one back on, put that down, push that, and you're good to go. And then to use the blade, you can take either the left side or the right side down to expose the blade and push them back up to cover it. So there you have it. If you're totally tired of trying to change your old-fashioned rotary cutter, you might want to try a quick change.

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