(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best office cutting tools

I'll throw my vote in for a sharpening stone. If he doesn't already have a nice sharpening set, maybe consider getting him something like a nice diamond sharpening stone; I've seen them for $50 or less.

Tools are always nice. Here are some suggestions to think about:
~ microplane grater
~ Japanese mandolines can be fun to have around.
~ Fish spatulas can be a handy tool.
~ Does he have a good quality peeler? Everyone has a "normal" peeler, but I like to have a good quality horizontal peeler, like one of these, to use sometimes.
~ Does he do a lot of baking? If so, maybe some silicone baking mats for his baking sheets, or maybe some parchment paper.
~ Does he like to use fresh citrus juice very much? Does he have a citrus reamer?
~ Does he like to use fresh garlic? Maybe a garlic press?
~ Silicone spatulas?
~ Does he have a pepper grinder for fresh ground pepper?
~ Does he have a set of mise en place bowls or something to use to keep his stuff organized when he's working?
~ Does he have a scale? You can find plenty of options for home-use digital scales that can weigh up to 11 or 12 pounds, and use either pounds, or grams (if he's doing anything metric.)
~ Something like a good quality cast iron pan can be a lifetime investment, because if they're well cared for, he'll be able to pass it on to his grandkids someday.
~ A dutch oven will always be useful to serious home cooks. The enameled cast iron type are very popular, but they come in many different sizes and shapes, so keep that in mind when picking one out.
~ Knives are always nice. Paring knife, utility knife, serrated slicer, etc.

Those are just a few suggestions that popped into mind. Good luck, I hope you find something nice for him.

Hello all, in a previous post made yesterday, I had replied with a picture of a drawer of my Alex 9 unit and received a few of inquiries about how I made my drawer organizers. So, I decided to try my best to tell you how I did it. I apologize I wasn't able to make a complete step by step with a ton of photos, but this process was done over a year ago, and I wasn't really planning on doing it again since I finished!


Materials Needed:

Ruler

X-acto Knife

-I would recommend some extra blades as well-

--Foam Board (the more the merrier)--

Flathead Pins

--Contact Paper--


-The blades become dull fairly quickly, I think I used about four during the process-

--I was able to get a piece for $.99 at Michael’s on sale

---I decided to wrap each piece with contact paper because it makes it very easy to clean. In my actual vanity, I used fabric and it has gotten dirty and damaged and I 100% don't recommend it--


Template Materials:

Copy Paper or Grid Paper

Ruler

Actual makeup products


Steps:

1. I first made templates for each drawer. I found using grid paper to design the setup made it very easy, each block was marked as an inch. Using the actual product dimensions I was easily able to map out what could possibly go in each location. It’s nice to know that the height of a standard sheet of copy paper is the width of the drawers! Also, to note, I made sure to give a little space on each side of the product to give it some wiggle room. (The dimension of each drawer is 11.5"x20.5")
   
   
2. I then used normal copy paper to make a full-size map of each drawer. Then using that I transferred it onto the foam board. Measure twice and cut once.
   
   
3. Using a straight edge, I was able to make cuts of each segment. It's easiest to first cut the width of the product and then afterwards cut the height of each compartment making sure they all have a uniform width and height.
   
   
4. After each piece has been cut, I went ahead and wrapped every piece with white contact paper. Contact paper has a sticky back that easily allows it to adhere. Also, the back has its own grid so it was easy!
   
   
5. Once each piece was ready to go ahead and assemble, I made a new template. This one was to make a uniform depth of each compartment (my smaller compacts all had about 3/4 of an inch between each and larger had about 1 inch) A B. This also made it very easy to ensure I had a perfect right angle.
   
   
6. I decided to use flathead pins to connect everything together. I've seen previous YouTube tutorials that used hot glue, but that can be messy and difficult to work with. Also, if you ever need to redo something, you don't destroy what you had done. I used two pins on each side which really anchors the part. I will note, the tips of my index fingers went numb from doing this so much, but the feeling came back…eventually
   
   
7. Enjoy!
   
   
   Some other things to note:
   
   In my palette drawer, I created L shaped panels to allow for the palette to be better seen
   
   I also purchased from byAlegory a liquid lipstick and lipstick organizers to build around
   
   In my lipstick drawer, I purchased little glass beads to allow for the products to stand up better
   
   My paper towel drawer has a holder which I created using a wooden dowel and clay
   
   Also, I grabbed plastic liquid dispensers to easily get to my various liquids
   
   Managed to slice my finger open making little lids of acrylic to hold all my disposable paper products
   
   *Most of my other acrylic pieces have been purchased from MUJI
   
   
   I hope you enjoyed my ~teal battlestation~, if you have any other questions about it feel free to ask. And I'm sorry if it was unclear at all. And, I'm 100% aware I have a stupid amount of makeup that I've gotten over the years as a makeup artist, Sephora employee, and a true Make Up Addict.

So i haven't DM'd in years, since having kids. Decided when kids were old enough i would DM Dungeon world cause of its ease and flexibility.

Oldest is only 4 but hanging out w/ other Dads i was surprised at the enthusiasm to play D&D. So i thought, why not get ready now and invite a couple over to play a oneShot while the kids played.

I pre made some characters (some like 90% e.g. leaving cleric's religion blank). But also made templates if it goes well and they want to create or modify their characters.

Plan to make a GM tin too. maybe some mini maps/tokens. or at least GM Moves, MM cards, and spare dice, & tokens.

Edit: Wow thanks everyone for the positive feedback. Sorry it took so long (3 kids and my oldest is 4!) but here is the link to everything i made so far, I wish i could give credit to the character images but i just googled them:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hxYY_MtgvOf9xTnGawrNFhdSkTIegAra

And here are the amazon links:
The tins (make sure its the big ones)
Mini pencils
Business card sleeves

Also i've had something like this for years for cutting straight lines easy:
https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Cutter-Automatic-Safeguard-Guillotine/dp/B0757DJR8J

Game of Thrones:

Someone probably already suggested this, but the GOT coloring book is pretty damn sweet

They also have a book to learn Dothraki

ohh! and this GOT letter opener is super neat, even though it's super random, but if you're anything like me, random is good

Blue Stuffs (right now I'm trying not to sing Eiffel 64):

These lights are pretty damn cool and they're remote control operated

If you're into baking, I HIGHLY recommend these spatulas. They work super well for their price

These headphones are kick ass. They're wireless and don't get tangled up all the time

History:

US president rubber ducks, 'cuz why not???

Drunk History Season 1 and 2. My favorite show ever

If world history is more of your thing, they have paintable terroctta soilder models which are pretty neat

Also thank you for this contest. I discovered some pretty cool shit.

I'll give you some practical suggestions. Start with a box knife or xacto knife. You'll want several blades because the sharpness really matters to get a clean cut. You'll also want a metal ruler for measuring and to help cut straight lines. But even better IMO is to add a paper trimmer and break off the blade track from the bottom. It won't cut all the way through but it's way easier to cut straight pieces if you use it to do an initial cut.

Next, get some pins with plastic caps on the end (so you can pull them out). In addition to holding pieces together while they dry, I use them to test everything for fit before I commit to gluing. The glue I use it just some craft glue.

I got all of this and the foam board in one trip to Walmart. It's super easy to get into.

One more piece of advice: it might be attractive to make your first insert for the game that gives you the most organizational trouble. But you should really start small. You'll learn a lot your first few times and making a big game with a lot of pieces fit back in the box with an insert can be hard. I did Merchants and Marauders first. I forgot to leave room for the board so now it doesn't close all the way. Whoops.

A decent straightedge will not only be hardened to prevent cutting in, but will also use in insert that has a round or rectangular cross section, so it won't damage your blade either.
I have found that I have to be careful when pairing with a cutting mat - a light touch is called for or the mat can redirect the blade. For cutting jobs that need more force I like to use a glass surface and a DuroEdge Safety Ruler (the 25.5" is my favorite). They are harder to find these days, but similar products are easy to track down. Sign shops use them extensively.
For precise work, I like a good cutting mat and one of these acrylic rulers with a square steel edge. (I hope that formatting works for the link - I'm on a phone)

The 110lb Index is an uncoated cover stock. As the name suggests, it is the same material they make 3x5 index cards with. There is no coating, so ink will soak into the stock and hold nicely.

The 67lb Vellum Bristol is coated with a soft matte. It is significantly lighter in weight than the index. The coating on this stock is fairly light compared to other kinds of card and cover stock, but will be more prone to smudging than the 110lb Index. It will still work for your purposes since the coating is light and not a glossy cover.

The weights of paper stocks can be confusing. You can find an in depth explanation of weights here and here. The main point being that each category of stock will have a different way of measuring weights. The universal way to tell what stock is heavier/thicker is through the metric grams per square meter (gsm).

I personally would recommend the 110lb Index over the 67lb Vellum Bristol. I prefer an uncoated stock when working with my notebooks. The thickness between the two stocks aren't terribly apparent at a quick glance (200 gsm for the Index vs 140 gsm for the Vellum Bristol), but you'll definitely notice a difference with prolonged use.

Most consumer guillotines are prone to warping and creating a non-straight cut due to the curved blade. I would recommend a rotary trimmer.

I hope this is helpful for you! Feel free to ask anything else that comes to mind.

Source: am a print services supervisor for a large retail printing facility.

There is an "ideal" for an athame, but diverging from the ideal for pragmatic purposes is completely acceptable. The ideal of an athame is a double-edged black handled knife about nine or thirteen inches in length (I have heard both, as well as a few other lengths).

Unless you are of a really picky tradition though, you can dismiss any of those details, but i think it helps to keep as many as you reasonably can. I would suggest not worrying about size, but instead find something that meats those criteria that is as non threatening as possible.

With that in mind, I would suggest something like this or this or this or something similar to any of these.

I like having absolute control over my grind. I find different grinders grind herb to dust or leave it quite chunky. The space case is a chunky grind, and my easyleaf mashes anything but wet bud into powder. Those plastic grinders with the pyramid teeth just mash the herb and gum up first session.

Another reason is the scissors are much easier to clean. Grinders get filled with gunk unless you keep them good and clean - just like scissors. The scissors just require a whip over with a blade. With a grinder you have to pick around the teeth, it's nowhere near as bad if you only grind properly dried bud. However, I've also had problems with properly cured resinous trees.

The only thing I don't like is how long it takes to chop with the scissors, and the dreaded knuckle ache.

I'm thinking of getting a Russell Hobbs mini chopper as a decent halfway house - quick, easy to clean, and controllable. I have one in the kitchen, but if I were caught experimenting there would be some very harsh words in my direction.

E: Vis scissors I'm a believer in a very short blade (oh that's what they're called) and a long handle, more leverage means less stress on your finger and thumb. A nice pointed blade like the ones you're using helps with gunk buildup too.

Instead of scissors you could use those tiny trimming shears, or a bigger bowl and a pair of pruning shears. You could go for hours with a pair of those.

Balloons are fun! yup they sure are :)

I want you to have this because you labeled it as high priority and it's cool to open mail with a dagger.

The same item is ridiculously expensive on amazon.ca so instead, I want these pens from your wishlist :3

I hope you have an amazing birthday <3

I usually just start with basic 110lb cardstock. This is commonly available at Staples and other sources, and is easy to run through almost any printer.

​

https://www.staples.com/Staples-Card-Stock/product_SS992807

​

Once things are a little more stable you can either print onto label stock and put it onto mat board, or just print onto regular paper and use a spray adhesive like this:

​

https://www.uline.com/BL_773/3M-Light-Duty-Aerosols

​

For cutting, you can use an xacto knife and a metal ruler. But if you're going to be cutting a lot, it's worth investing in a rotary cutter like this:

​

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Rotary-Paper-Trimmer-18inch/dp/B0006HV9O8

​

That Carl rotary trimmer is by far the most useful thing I have ever purchased to help me with game prototypes.

​

This is the funniest prank I've ever seen. Sorry if anyone already posted these items, I'm too tired to check -

• Fluffy princess pens
  
• Some pink paper clips
  
• A pair of cute pink scissors
  
• Some pink baskets to hold everything
  
• Pink staples
  
• And a little baby pink stapler
  
• Thumbtacks
  
• A high heel tape dispenser
  
• Minnie Mouse stationary
  
• A princess planner
  
• Princess pens
  
• Glittery pencils
  
• Pink highlighters
  
• A pink letter opener
  
• A pink white out pen
  
• Pink markers
  
• A bright pink dry erase board
  
• To decorate the office
  
• To stay nice and hydrated
  
• Some more adorable decorations
  
• Pink paper
  
• Hello Kitty stationary
  
• A hello kitty clock
  
• A leopard Hello Kitty notebook
  
  pink is the new black!

With the laser cutter I was just playing with the settings myself, I could cut 5 sheets at a time with clean (though brown) edges but anything more and it would start to burn. If it were my own laser, I wouldn't mind so much and I could set up multiple stacks of paper with registration lines but I was on borrowed time.

That trimmer you linked is an idea, I have a fancy Rotatrim I could use like that, it will just be time consuming. Time isn't a big problem for this project obviously, I only need to make one book and I'm not selling anything but I like to think in terms of production. I will have to look around town for a clicker, it seems like an invaluable tool for book art, especially when you think about stamping covers.

Pen turning is an excellent hobby! For making pens, some things you'll need might include:

• pen blanks, a pen kit, and bushings for that specific kit
  
  
• a way to drill the blank to glue in the inserts. If you don't have a drill press, then you can drill on your lathe with a chuck, a face plate, and a way to hold the blanks like some pen jaws. If you do have a drill press, then to ensure that you're drilling vertically, some people use a pen vice
  
  
• Once the blank is drilled and the insert is glued in, you need to to trim it with a barrel trimmer
  
  
• then you put it on your lathe by putting the bushings on either side of the blanks, and sliding the whole thing on a mandrel
  
  
• Then you turn it, finish it, and assemble it. Some people use a pen press
  
  Note: Of course there are a million ways to do everything. I don't promote any of the links, they're just examples to show what the tools look like.

I've had mine for a few years (didn't buy it for my current project), but I think it was this one or something like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01174H37K/

Mine is by no means a high quality cutter (it's a little off true), but with a little caution it works fast and easy. Just make sure you get one that's fairly large (the little ones intended for cutting four or five sheets at a time will not work. Any A4 or larger guillotine cutter should work with a little fiddling.

Based on the middling reviews on mine, you might be better off with this one: https://www.amazon.com/HFS-Heavy-Guillotine-Paper-Cutter/dp/B00NO7PYYI/

Yes! Our entire cost for the photo booth was around $200 -

$80 for a canon selphy photo printer (ebay)

$50 for the simple booth app

$10 for an iPad tripod

$10 for a photo cutter

$20 for extra printer paper (we had about 80 guests and still have some left over)

$25 for photo booth ['accessories']
(https://www.amazon.com/Graduation-Birthdays-Accessories-Christmas-GreenLF/dp/B074DZT2JM/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519329542&sr=1-8&keywords=photo+booth+props)

We already had the box lights but you can find a set of two for around ~$50.

You can do it cheaper if you don't want to print photos... I really wanted to have doubles of every strip for our guestbook. We had guests tape their 'extra' strip into a paper scrapbook and write little notes. It's one of my favorite mementos.


You can also set up the app to email/text photos guests, in addition to sending copies to a dropbox or a tumblr and then you could share the link with guests.

It was really simple and so much cheaper than any professional service I researched.

Great job! 52gsm TRP is a very hard paper to work with. Binding is such a rewarding hobby. If you continue binding, I'd highly recommend a manual stack cutter like this one for cutting edges. I have run about 100 TRP bindings through this model and it's still going strong. The cost over the long run is well worth it if you want cleaner edges. I used to use a homemade plough, which offers the smoothest and softest edge, but I started to develop carpal tunnel after 15 bindings.

The two most common devices for automatic cutting on the consumer market are the cricut and Silhoutte Cameo. It's fairly straight forward to just cut squares out of the box, but it might not save you any time over a paper guillotine.

Also, I'd recommend just getting spray glue and making a mask for the gluing part. Spray glue is the best.

The sidebar has some great info on tools and what to do. Get an exacto knife and plenty of blades, get a self healing cutting mat, get some cardstock to print onto for a sturdy model, get some Aleenes tacky glue. Print the model onto the cardstock and then carefully and slowly cut it out. Fold the tabs, glue with the tacky glue (only takes 30 seconds to a minute to attach firmly) and continue! Take your time and cut as accurately as possible in order to get the best result..

I found something that might do. It's a letter opener, but a guy in the reviews shows it with his 1/6 scale Eddard Stark figure. https://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Ice-Letter-Opener/dp/B00G35795K