New cutting blade for tape dispenser ideas sought

[extropic]

Buy a good dispenser. They also sell replacement blades.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[WobblyHand]

Buy a good dispenser. They also sell replacement blades.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

I didn't think to look there! Not very expensive in the scheme of things. And I'll end up with a decent unit. I wasn't very happy with this dispenser, it is not very good in a several ways. The blade is very thin and unsupported. I was just about to print a prototype blade holder thingy. There's some dimensions I can't measure easily. And the blade actually doesn't really fit the unit. So I couldn't just copy the design, I had to fix it. Think I will abandon that path. I'd much rather get a decent tool than patch up a subpar unit.

Looking up the McMaster replacement blade, it is specified at 0.024", so it won't bend in use.

Thanks.

 

[mcostello]

Talk about getting cut, just swipe the serrated blade down Your arm. Don't ask How I know this little fact, was not the only person to do this at that place. Haste makes hurts. Like a super carpet burn.

 

[main_cogg]

Another possibility if you don't go the McMaster route would be a section of a fine-tooth Xacto saw blade.

 

[WobblyHand]

Another possibility if you don't go the McMaster route would be a section of a fine-tooth Xacto saw blade.

That's a very good idea. However, my Xacto saw is MIA, haven't seen it in decades.

This time around I'm going to buy a new one. The HF unit has some design shortcuts that make it awkward in practice. Replacing the too thin blade with another won't fix that. I did iterate a couple of 3d prints to make a prototype design that fits. The existing blade design slots are off by about 2mm. Just not worth fooling with. Of course, had it been easy, I'd have cobbled something up and be done. The tape dispenser still would have been not so good. This is why I decided just to upgrade it.

 

[mmcmdl]

Uline Industrial Side Loader Tape Dispenser - 3

Quick side loading dispenser. Adjustable brake to control tension. Works with 3" wide tape only. Replacement Blades available. Free Offer FREE TAPE DISPENSER WITH ORDER OF 1 OR MORE CASES OF 3" INDUSTRIAL , INDUSTRIAL PLUS OR HEAVY DUTY ULINE TAPE . ULINE offers over 42,000 boxes, plastic poly...

www.uline.com

I have a couple of these for taping up shipping boxes . They get the job done .

 

[WobblyHand]

Uline Industrial Side Loader Tape Dispenser - 3

Quick side loading dispenser. Adjustable brake to control tension. Works with 3" wide tape only. Replacement Blades available. Free Offer FREE TAPE DISPENSER WITH ORDER OF 1 OR MORE CASES OF 3" INDUSTRIAL , INDUSTRIAL PLUS OR HEAVY DUTY ULINE TAPE . ULINE offers over 42,000 boxes, plastic poly...

www.uline.com

I have a couple of these for taping up shipping boxes . They get the job done .

Just ordered the one from McMaster. I have about 5 rolls of 2" wide 3m tape, so need a 2" wide dispenser. Just about any decent dispenser would do, like the Uline, or whatever McMaster offers.

Just don't understand how anyone thought that a 0.34" stick out of a 0.0129" thick blade made of soft steel would hold up. Blade just folded over, rather than cutting the 0.003" thick polyester tape!!!

 

[twraska]

Have an el-cheapo 2" packing tape dispenser, from HF. My good one disappeared.

The cutting blade is about 23mm wide and 52mm long. It is really thin, maybe only 0.32mm thick (0.0129"), and well, it has bent along the whole cutting edge. It's some cheesy, very soft steel. It's rather magnetic. Since the blade literally folded along the whole edge, the dispenser is not terribly useful. I managed to straighten it out with the arbor press, but at 0.3mm thick it has no strength whatsoever.

So I'd like to make an inexpensive replacement blade. I was thinking of using some 0.020" thick hardened 1075 spring steel for the blade, that is if I can find some that's less than a whole new dispenser! Beats me how to cut the teeth though. How could I make the triangle teeth? Or just sharpen the blade to a knife edge? (That strikes me as an accident waiting to happen.)

I was looking around for a new dispenser, and they all look like the HF one now, (or worse, with a riveted blade). Went online to the 3m site and it seems they don't want to sell their better stuff to consumers! It says industrial use only - for a tape dispenser??? Come on. My HF dispenser is actually kind of dangerous with the non-retracting blade.

Anyways looking for suggestions to either fix / make a new blade, or get a new dispenser. Here's the silly little blade. It literally folded along the whole serrated edge about 7mm from the tooth tips. Pretty junky.
View attachment 493693
Probably any junk steel of moderate thickness would be better than this. This blade material is very easy to bend. I thought of using a box cutter knife blade, they are 2.4" wide, which I could grind off the tips, but they taper to the rear. Think there's room to put in a couple holes. Have to go find some blades though, I pulled this one out of an old cast metal box cutter handle. (The blade's dull, too!) The blade is 0.025" thick and much much stiffer! The HF blade is almost half as thick. 0.0129" vs 0.025".
View attachment 493697

Is it possible to cut teeth in the box cutter blade? With what, a diamond sharp edged wheel? Can't imagine a stone lasting more than a single tooth.

Any suggestions?

Find a buddy with a power hack saw or a band saw with 1” wide blades

 

[Red96]

 

[David2011]

The problem has been solved but I was thinking about replacement X-Acto type saw blades as well. Hobby shops and Hobby Lobby/Michael’s have them.