# Knife v/s Bud's Wire Cutter



## KristaY (Feb 22, 2015)

I've had a lot of problems with my cuts in the last several months. It happened when I began using SL regularly and silicone molds. I tried various ways to fix the problem but always ended up with the bottom chipping off, especially on the "log" side of the knife. I finally decided to buy a wire cutter from Bud Haffner. Woohoo! No more chipping!:clap: In the photo you can see the 2 bars on the left that have large chipped edges but the 2 on the right look great. (HUGE sigh). This is a photo of the bottom of the bars. And yes, I got a partial gel with this one.

BTW, I got the adjustable single wire cutter because I cut different width bars based on the mold I use. I'm doing my happy dance right now! (Luckily you guys can't see how dorky that looks, lol!)


----------



## IrishLass (Feb 22, 2015)

KristaY said:


> I've had a lot of problems with my cuts in the last several months. It happened when I began using SL regularly and silicone molds. I tried various ways to fix the problem but always ended up with the bottom chipping off, especially on the "log" side of the knife.


 
Very nice!

I used to have the same chipping problem when soaping with sodium lactate until I figured out it only happened when I used my normal 3% SL while discounting my water too far beyond a 2:1 water to lye ratio. As long as I stick to a 3% usage rate with a 33% lye solution, I'm fine. But if I use a sronger lye solution, I need to knock my sodium lactate down to 2% or so.


IrishLass


----------



## Confused_Penguin (Feb 22, 2015)

Lucky! I want to get one now lol.


----------



## KristaY (Feb 22, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> Very nice!
> 
> I used to have the same chipping problem when soaping with sodium lactate until I figured out it only happened when I used my normal 3% SL while discounting my water too far beyond a 2:1 water to lye ratio. As long as I stick to a 3% usage rate with a 33% lye solution, I'm fine. But if I use a sronger lye solution, I need to knock my sodium lactate down to 2% or so.
> 
> ...


 
That's interesting, IrishLass. I usually use 33% "water as % of oil wt" and the photo'd batch had 35%. I was using SL at 2% but decreased it to 1.5% to try to help with the chipping - no luck. I even tried cutting at different times after pouring. First I waited longer, then I cut sooner. It all chipped the same. I thought maybe my knife was too thick so tried a different one, still no luck. So...the order out to Bud.

Cutting this batch was a lot different than normal for me too. I unmolded and did the first 2 cuts about 12 hours after it was poured. I decided to put it back into the mold, cover and put it in the fridge since I was in a hurry to get out of town. Luckily my cutter came in the mail while I was away so I took it out of the fridge and cut. This loaf was 4 days old. I can only imagine how badly it would have chipped if I was using a knife.

Bud to the rescue!


----------



## DeeAnna (Feb 22, 2015)

Danger, Will Robinson, danger! 

Please don't get confused -- 
33% "water as % of oil wt" 
is not the same as
a 33% lye solution!


----------



## KristaY (Feb 23, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Danger, Will Robinson, danger!
> 
> Please don't get confused --
> 33% "water as % of oil wt"
> ...


 
Exactly, that's why I specified my usual process. Thank you for pointing that out for those that may have missed it!  In my 35% "water as % of oil wt", the water:lye ratio is about 2.5:1 which another reason I'm scratching my head over the chipping problem. I use more water than IrishLass (she mentioned 2:1 water:lye ratio) plus less SL. I'm baffled and irritated by the problem but happy the wire cutter worked well.


----------



## Be Love (Feb 23, 2015)

I have recently purchased the same cutter and absolutely LOVE it! Highly recommend it, and Bud was so easy to deal with. Enjoy your new toy!


----------



## KristaY (Feb 23, 2015)

Be Love said:


> I have recently purchased the same cutter and absolutely LOVE it! Highly recommend it, and Bud was so easy to deal with. Enjoy your new toy!


 
He is! Plus, the quality and craftsmanship is top notch. I've only cut part of one batch but I'm excited to get more done!


----------



## DeeAnna (Feb 23, 2015)

If you're using a real knife (as opposed to a bench scraper type of cutter), the wedging action of the knife blade can cause problems where a wire cutter or bench scraper won't. Even a wire cutter can cause chipping under the right circumstances -- I've had that happen with my Bud cutter. The damage is different -- a wire cutter causes a chip of soap to fly out and away from the bottom of the cut. A knife fractures the soap so the last bit of the bar just splits apart sideways.


----------



## Rowan (Feb 23, 2015)

Lovely smooth cuts with your new cutter. I'm feeling so envious right now. I would really love a bud but the soap postage to the UK is so expensive!


----------



## RhondaJ (Feb 23, 2015)

I love my Bud Cutter! <3


----------



## KristaY (Feb 23, 2015)

Rowan said:


> Lovely smooth cuts with your new cutter. I'm feeling so envious right now. I would really love a bud but the soap postage to the UK is so expensive!


 
Hi Rowan! Yes, international postage can be more than the item you want to buy. :cry: Surely there has to be a UK version of Bud. Hopefully someone else from your part of the globe can chime in with a suggestion. I like the thicker piano wire he uses which makes the cut straighter, IMO. I tried a cheese cutter but it kept wobbling around while cutting and I had jagged places in the bars. I hope you can find one on your side of the pond!


----------



## Rowan (Feb 23, 2015)

Thanks Krista.  If I can't find something similar in the UK, I will definitely save up to get one! I've had the same problem with wobbly cuts using a cheese cutter too!


----------



## SplendorSoaps (Feb 23, 2015)

Gorgeous!  I got my Bud cutter for Christmas this year (I sent my hubby a link to Bud's shop so he could "surprise" me! LOL) and soaping has been such an endless joy since then.  Best gift ever!


----------



## zolveria (Apr 8, 2015)

MY NEXT ITEM TO ENGINEER: I was meandering the guitar chop for wire. I wanted that military wire they use to cut throat  dont know what it is called. hubby dont know either. but i have the plans all in my head. will draw them out and post for you gals.
want to keep under 30 bucks to create from scrap wood from Home depot. I initially wanted steel but that would mean hubby would have to drill holes. I am looking at the strips or steel with holes also. I'll keep yall posted.


----------



## zolveria (Apr 8, 2015)

I love the sharpness of your soap LOVE IT SL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE !


----------



## nframe (Apr 9, 2015)

Rowan said:


> Thanks Krista.  If I can't find something similar in the UK, I will definitely save up to get one! I've had the same problem with wobbly cuts using a cheese cutter too!



If you ever find one in the UK, please let me know.  I want one too!


----------



## ourwolfden (Apr 9, 2015)

Nice!  I just got a Bud multi bar cutter this week.  I love it!!!  It is so easy to use, may bars are even, and it is fast!  Love, love, love it.


----------



## JBot (Apr 9, 2015)

I've been having problems with my Bud cutter lately.  I have the adjustable single-wire cutter.  Sometimes the wire deflects/skews, no matter now much I tighten it, and even when I'm cutting thicker than his recommended minimum of 1/8 inch.

The other, more frequent problem is that my cuts come out slanted, so when I line up the cut bars, they look like a row of crooked teeth.  But it doesn't do that all the time, so I'm pretty sure the problem is ME, not the cutter.  I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.


----------



## Dorymae (Apr 9, 2015)

JBot said:


> I've been having problems with my Bud cutter lately.  I have the adjustable single-wire cutter.  Sometimes the wire deflects/skews, no matter now much I tighten it, and even when I'm cutting thicker than his recommended minimum of 1/8 inch.
> 
> The other, more frequent problem is that my cuts come out slanted, so when I line up the cut bars, they look like a row of crooked teeth.  But it doesn't do that all the time, so I'm pretty sure the problem is ME, not the cutter.  I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.



Most likely your loaf is moving back when you go to cut. Try putting something flat behind the loaf and hold it steady with one hand. I think you'll find the loaf starts pushing against your hand trying to move.


----------



## JBot (Apr 9, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> Most likely your loaf is moving back when you go to cut. Try putting something flat behind the loaf and hold it steady with one hand. I think you'll find the loaf starts pushing against your hand trying to move.



I'll try that, thanks!  I try to hold the loaf still by pressing down on it, but I've never put anything behind it.


----------



## DeeAnna (Apr 16, 2015)

Someone shared recently that she uses that rubbery non-slip mesh stuff people use to line drawers. She puts a piece of the mesh underneath her loaf to keep it in place when she cuts. I haven't tried it, but it sounds like a good idea.

I have the same Bud cutter that you do, JBot. I try to carefully pull the arm straight down when I cut. I think it's really easy to put a wee bit of sideways pressure on the arm, and that makes the wire drift sideways. Also I don't try for speed either -- just slow and steady.

Also, make sure the bolt and nut that holds the arm onto the cutter is snug enough. I tighten the nut and bolt enough that the arm just starts to be hard to move up and down -- and then back off the pressure by 1/4 to 1/2 of a turn.


----------



## JBot (Apr 18, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Someone shared recently that she uses that rubbery non-slip mesh stuff people use to line drawers. She puts a piece of the mesh underneath her loaf to keep it in place when she cuts. I haven't tried it, but it sounds like a good idea.
> 
> I have the same Bud cutter that you do, JBot. I try to carefully pull the arm straight down when I cut. I think it's really easy to put a wee bit of sideways pressure on the arm, and that makes the wire drift sideways. Also I don't try for speed either -- just slow and steady.
> 
> Also, make sure the bolt and nut that holds the arm onto the cutter is snug enough. I tighten the nut and bolt enough that the arm just starts to be hard to move up and down -- and then back off the pressure by 1/4 to 1/2 of a turn.



That's a good idea about the mesh, I'll try that.  I'm attaching some pictures of recent cuts so you can see what's happening.  Part of the problem is that the cuts are not consistently crooked in the same way.  These are all oriented in the same direction, so you can see how it changes from cut to cut.  The pictures are of the side, not the top; it's NOT a bird's eye view.  So it's not like the wire/bow isn't at a right angle to the base; it is.  It's drifting on it's way through the soap.  I did these just now, and I was SO careful to go slow and not put sideways pressure on the arm.

It worked perfectly at first.  I contacted Bud when it started doing this, and he said if it continued that he would replace it, but I don't feel right about that because the problems started after I fiddled with the tightness of the bolt.  I'm certain it's my fault.  It's never been the same since.


----------



## DeeAnna (Apr 18, 2015)

Hmmmm. I'm running out of ideas for you. The sides of two bars (if I'm following your description properly) do show a consistent drift in one direction. If it's not your technique (as in putting side pressure on the arm of the cutter), then I can think of two possibilities. The first one is more likely and the second is a bit of a long shot.

It might well be that the log is sliding slightly as you cut as others are suggesting. I can't say I've seen this with my wire cutter, but I have seen it when cutting with a bench scraper blade. If this is the case, the cutoff bar should be narrower at the bottom than at the top, because the heaviest part of the log will want to slide away from the cutter. Also the problem may be more obvious as your log gets smaller, because the log can slide easier as it gets lighter. I think the drawer mesh stuff will help with that.

"... it's not like the wire/bow isn't at a right angle to the base; it is. It's drifting on it's way through the soap..."

Another possibility is that you inadvertently misaligned the blocks on either side of the cutter arm when you adjusted the tightness of the bolt and nut. Those blocks need to be perfectly vertical so they keep the arm perfectly vertical. If they are not, the arm will make a correct perpendicular cut when looking at the top of the soap log, but the cut will not be vertical when viewed along the side of the cut, just like what is showing in your pics. If you have a small "square" like carpenters use, you could use the square to check this. If you don't, try doing the not-so-obvious thing of loosening the bolt a touch more, so the cutter arm has a tiny bit more wiggle room as it moves up and down. Try a cut or two, bearing in mind to put even downward pressure on the arm, and see if that works better.


----------



## JBot (Apr 18, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> It might well be that the log is sliding slightly as you cut as others are suggesting. I can't say I've seen this with my wire cutter, but I have seen it when cutting with a bench scraper blade. If this is the case, the cutoff bar should be narrower at the bottom than at the top, because the heaviest part of the log will want to slide away from the cutter.
> 
> Another possibility is that you inadvertently misaligned the blocks on either side of the cutter arm when you adjusted the tightness of the bolt and nut. Those blocks need to be perfectly vertical so they keep the arm perfectly vertical. If they are not, the arm will make a correct perpendicular cut when looking at the top of the soap log, but the cut will not be vertical when viewed along the side of the cut, just like what is showing in your pics.



You know what?  I think BOTH of these things are happening.  It would explain why the cuts don't always drift in the same direction.  When I'm careful not to let the log move, the cutoff bar is wider at the bottom (blocks not perfectly vertical).  When the log does move, they're narrower at the bottom.  And every 4th bar or so, the two problems converge and I get a straight cut.

So this is extremely helpful, thank you so much!  I will use the mesh next time I cut, and I need to buy a square anyway, so I'll see if that's the issue and if I can correct it.  I'll let you know what happens!


----------

