Picture a small electric motor spinning a spindle with a circular paper cutout, about 2 or 3 inches in diameter, attached to its end. It would be a little like a miniature disk sander or circular saw, only that the blade is much safer, cheaper and easily replaceable. By rapidly spinning the piece of paper, you get the cutting power we experience in unfortunate paper cuts, but when it’s turned off it’s perfectly benign- so you don’t have to worry about kitchen accidents if it slips and drops. In fact, for safety purposes, it would only run while a button on the handle is pushed.

The engineering behind this device would be quite simple (similar to an electric toothbrush) which means that it would be cheaper than a good cutting knife, yet will never become dull. As soon as something happens to the paper blade, you would simply replace it with another. This feature would also be handy for people who need to cut things that must not be mixed (for example in kosher kitchens). You could also vary the paper type for different jobs, from light paper for delicate thin cuts to heavier paper and even aluminum foil for cutting tougher material. For other purposed you may be able to use anything from cloth to plastic, with or without serrated edges. You may even have a “professional” version that also allows you to control the speed and/or power of the motor.
-- imho, Mar 02 2009

Color clock made using paper-disc cutter http://www.youtube....watch?v=wnkzbwRSnIA
This is one of the clocks I made from plastic and cellophane. [colorclocks, Mar 02 2009]

What you're suggesting sounds suspiciously like a Dremel power-tool, but with cutting blades made of anything except their usual materials.

I'd like to see the performance of these blades, but feel I'd be disappointed.

Nifly thinking though.
-- Skrewloose, Mar 02 2009


Baked. I made a paper disk and mounted it on my Dremel tool, to trim cellophane. (I was making a clock with transparent cellophane-coated gears, sandwiched between polarizing filters. The paper disk removed cellophane very efficiently, without damaging the plastic gear teeth. It was great fun, and made a nice clock, too. See link.)
-- colorclocks, Mar 02 2009


Very cool clock.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 02 2009


I think this would have quite specific applications, but not sure about the kitchen. I don't want my precision sliced foodstuffs to taste like paper or foil. Neutral
-- saprolite, Mar 02 2009


I think that cutting wet stuff would be a nonstarter. Although fingers are pretty juicy. I wonder if this could actually work?
-- bungston, Mar 02 2009


Regular saw blades aren't that dangerous unless moving, either.
-- Spacecoyote, Mar 02 2009


That is a VERY cool clock you have there, Mr. [colorclocks].
-- wagster, Mar 02 2009


What [wags] said.
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Mar 02 2009


What [Absinthe] said. I want one.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 02 2009


Thanks for the clock comments guys. I'll have to get the web page back up, which shows how to make one.

I wish [imho] had posted this paper cutter idea before I had already tried a bunch of other ideas (some truly stupid) that didn't work.
-- colorclocks, Mar 03 2009



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