Cutter for Textile Ribbons DIY

Hello.

Many of you who tried to use textile ribbons for packing some stuff knows, that cutting ribbons is very annoying process. This sort of actions requires to cut ribbon with scissors and, to avoid the disheveled edges, have to be melted with gas lighter, or something similar. As an extra option you can use hot wire cutter, which makes process of cutting ribbons much easier. Offcourse such device could be purchased or you can make such cutter from the old stuff that you can't use anymore. Interested? … please have a read below this instructable and you'll see that it's easy.

* an old conventional burned soldering iron 60w or similar

* 5V changer from old mobile phone which have ≈1A output

* C7 wire and outlet for it

* rocker switch 12 x 20 mm

* 1 red led 5mm

* resistor 220 Ohms

* soldering iron with supplies

* some wires

* 40x60mm perforated PCB board

* some screws, 4xM3 shims and nuts

* 2 pieces of the plastic tube

* screw terminals for wires

* 3D Printer

As usually, I'm attaching the models, which yo can 3D print and repeat the same project.

On this stage we have to take off the PCB board from the old cell phone charger.

Disassemble the old soldering iron and release the heating block from it. Remove the heat isolation and find a short piece of the heating wire about 12 cm long. Fold this piece of wire and twist the ends.

Insert the AC connector into the housing and fix it with 2xM2 screws and nuts.

Snap the button on its place.

Solder the wire terminal or something similar on the PCB.

Solder the LED, it'll help to see when device turned on.

Connect and solder all pieces with wires as per wiring diagram.

Wrap the charger with electrical tape (I've used kapton tape).

Put the cover on its place and fix with 4xM3 screws.

Take the couple of M3x20 screws with shims and pieces of the plastic tubes and finish the assembly with screwing the hot wire on its place.

Once all this done, we have to verify current, that heating wire consumes. As you can see, in my case it has 873 mA, which is good and changer will not be heavily loaded.

Many of you can seek in the garage or on the shelf in the workshop and find some broken stuff that can be used again, as part of the new device that fit your needs.

This hot wire cutter, very small, handy, It helps my wife with cutting ribbons that used pack her amazing cookies and bakery, all cut edges are always looks great and attractive.

Thank you for reading.