How to Maintain Paper Cutters

Paper cutters are convenient in an office or school environment.

Paper cutters make life easy when you want to make straight, equal cuts on multiple sheets of paper. They typically consist of a metal table with a swinging blade that cuts the paper. With use over time, however, the table may become rusty and the blade dull. In order to keep the paper cutter working efficiently, you must perform regular maintenance on the machine.

Things You'll Need

• Instruction manual
• Cloth
• Water
• Rust-B-Gone
• Paper towel
• Replacement blade

Instructions

1. Use only clean paper while cutting. Avoid paper with oozing glue or wet ink. These items may contribute to rust on the table and dulling of the blade. Also do not cut stacks of paper that are too large for your specific machine. The instruction manual should tell you the height of the stack that the cutter can handle.

2. Wipe the paper cutter and blade with a damp cloth whenever you notice any spills on the machine. This will go a long way toward keeping it working properly.

3. Clean the paper cutter more thoroughly when you see signs of rust. Rust will hinder the ease of movement of the paper. Spray a product like "Rust-B-Gone" on the surface and allow it to dissolve the rust. Then wipe away the residue with a paper towel.

4. Wax the paper cutter table after every cleaning, using a paste wax. Make sure the wax does not contain a cleaning product or it may wear away at the table. Waxing will seal the surface and prevent liquids from corroding the metal.

5. Send your blades away to be sharpened once a year by a professional sharpener. Do not try to sharpen the blade on your own; you could nick the surface or warp the blade, resulting in an inferior cut. Hardware stores usually will perform this service for you.

6. Replace blades that are nicked or warped beyond repair. Check the instructional manual, making sure you purchase the right model and make for your machine. Also in the manual will be instructions on how to remove and replace the blades safely.

References

• Challenge Machinery: Paper Cutter Table Maintenance
• Office Equipment Blog: The Right Way to Sharpen your Blades