Hi,

Has anyone tried using a ?

I like the look of it for the safety aspect but I'm not sure it does what WW models require (as there is no cut, only bend, at the score line).

Many thanks,

Never seen it before, looks interesting. I just wonder how much and if it really is too bulky. Also can you cut on the mat? Otherwise it would be a great waste of time and space for a cutting mat and this scoring tool.



Lord Abaddon of Wormwood

That does look very useful. I've managed to find a vender close to me who carries it, online stores are fantastic!

Anyway, the professional version which measures 12 3/8w by 13 1/2h is $59.99 and the mini board measures 3/8w by 7h with a $29.99 price. Only problem I see with this place is that they don't have a brick and mortar location, so I'd have to have them ship it to me.

Ah well, it does look very promising though!

Skunk

You wanna be alright you gotta walk tall
Long Beach Dub Allstars & Black Eyed Peas

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While it looks interesting, I'm not sure how well it'd work for the precise needs of cardstock modeling. Since you have to turn your paper face down, trying to handle all the folds that are on some of these models would be insane.

It does look like a handy tool for scrapbooking though.

Looked at the tool, looked at the video.

From a safety point of view, it's definately safer than wielding a really sharp knife (though how are you going to make the tiny cuts without it?)

From a usability point of view, it looks (from the video) like it scores the card quite adequately. I can't tell for sure if it makes a cut in the surface of the card or if it just puts a fold line "pushed" into the surface, but it doesn't really matter...both are equally usable for cardstock builds. Mel Ebbles swears by the "soft" scoreline method, as it doesn't leave the obvious white line where the card "breaks", but the corners aren't as "crisp" that way.

My biggest problem with it is that you have to align each of your score lines with the guide and the trench in the tool. Freehanding a project (like in the video) is no problem, as are straight, rectangular bits with regular measured intervals.

But trying to envision myself horsing a WWG model of any complexity around...turning it this way and that and being entirely unable to abutt it against the guide at the top due to odd bits sticking out here, there, and everywhere? I just can't see it as being useful from a time point of view. It's a lot easier to swing a metal ruler around on an open mat than to try and horse the cardstock piece itself into different orientations and careful alignments.

On top of that, for even modestly complex models, I tend to score the pieces while they're still "on the page"...score first, cut second. It helps with avoiding mashing, mauling, or shifting fiddley bits, and sometimes it's quicker if the pieces are aligned right on the page too.

Watch the video, then think of trying to manouver all of Igor's bits and pieces into proper alignment in that thing.



Igor doesn't like Scor-It!

Hi,

For myself and our potential use of the Scor-It I don't see it as replacing the hobby knife. I am hoping though that it might reduce the number of times the hobby knife has to be used to score the folds on a model. I guess I'm hoping that any time you need a big long straight score -- making a wall section for example -- that the Scor-It might be used in preference to the hobby knife.

Anyway, many thanks for everyone's feedback. I really appreciate it. I think I'll get one and do some experimentation.

Regards,

I agree that the scor-it probably would be too hard to use for modeling. But if your looking for a scoring tool for kids to use maybe you should try an embossing stylus. They can be found at most art and craft stores. I think they're only about $3.

Its simply a double ended tool about the size and shape of a pen with rounded metal tips. It will score fine, although depending on the hardness of your cutting board, you might want to use it on top of cardboard for better results.

Very safe and easy to use. It takes a little practice at first though, you need to offset the straight edge a just bit to account for the width of the tip.

I think Bob's right-looking at the Scor-It's tool, it looks too fat and clumsy to use for closely spaced folds. You need control, and you really need to see where the tool is going. That tool looks like it's comparable to a box cutter in size, and I seriously don't think I'd be able to do any precision work with it unless I was scoring hinges for book covers.

I used to be a passionate advocate of creasing rather than scoring, but for the past few months, I've been using both creasing and scoring to build models. I crease folds that are very close together, folds that are less than 45 degrees, or folds on objects that need to look rounded (like wheels, for instance). For folds of 45 degrees or greater, I score. I get the best of both worlds that way.

For creasing, a dry ballpoint pen or an embossing stylus will do, but I find that both tend to be too fat to make a nice tight crease that folds well. I use the blade end of a wax carving tool for creasing, since the blade is sharp enough to make a crisp groove, but dull enough not to break the paper. Here's a link to Dick Blick's wax carving tool page:

http://www.dickblick.com/zz330/59/

Click on the thumbnail for the 12 piece set-the best tool for creasing is the smaller blade tip of the second one up from the bottom. Note: sometimes you might end up with an overly sharp carver-in that case, run the blade across scrap cardstock/cardboard/matboard until it stops cutting through.

The proper technique for creasing with a wax carver is to push the blade along the fold at a shallow angle, away from yourself-don't use it like a hobby knife. You have more control over the crease when you push the blade, and it's easier to exert the necessary amount of pressure as well.

I use some of the other tools for burnishing glue tabs, among other things.

-Mel

I've thought about using carving tools before. But I have a had time finding them in stores near me. The ones they have seem to have too dull of a tip. So they're not a real improvement over the stylus. But I'll keep an eye for these next time I'm there.

Has anyone tried using a pizza cutter (the rolling sort) for scoring?

I'd give it a go - but we don't have a pizza cutter, and the only ones I've seen in the shops here are too poorly made to use reliably.

That seems awkward for fine pieces like props.

Agreed, the business end of the pizza cutter can be a bit thick, plus, the depending on the size of the cutting disc, you may not be able to see your line so you could mis-score.

What about a bone scorer/creaser? Cardmakers use them for making a nice, clean fold. They're often made from plastic these days and have a fine but not sharp edge. I've never tried one for paper models but it could work. You'd need to be using mid-weight card and a good ruler (in crafts, they're usually used with folding boards). The only problem might be that the fold isn't sharp/thin enough; the edges would be too rounded.

I'm sure I've got one of them somewhere in my craft stuff. I'll hunt it out and have a go with it.

Cheers, Mandy.

Here are some crochet hooks and an embossing tool used for creasing. There are no problems with making the folds after these are used. The crochet hooks are enclosed in some scrap wood to make handling them easier. The ends come in many sizes. Those shown in the picture have very small ends. Those tools and a metal straight edge work quite well.

Any one ever come up with something better than the exacto blade for scoring? The compass needle worked, but not better then the blade.

I can see how nice some the fold score's are on the WWG promo shots and they don't look like there were edged at all. so either they are very good edges or the guy's have a secret.

My current favorite tool is a wood awl. The key to using it though is to hold it at an angle closer to horizontal than vertical. You don't want the point pressing down and tearing the paper. Rather like the way Denny holds the blade in the video, although a little more horizontal than that.

There are couple things that might improve your edging.

1 a nice crisp fold. This is why I like the awl better. The score is thinner.
2 Always edge before gluing. It so much easier to fold the score flat and edge the now flat end than it is to do the corner of a building.
3 use colored markers to match the textures. This requires a lot more markers and is more time consuming but it blends in a LOT more. Prisma and sharpie both have a range of colors. But to the budget builder crayola are the ones to go for. The also bleed less, and at least for me can usually be picked up dirt cheap during the back to school sales. lol, I bought like boxes for $1 each last year and still have like 5 left.