Cutting out illustrated shapes from industrial cardboard requires a few considerations worth noting.
But first a quick word about cardboard👇🏾
When I say ‘industrial,’ I’m not talking about an empty Amazon box!
Nor am I referencing a flimsy or warped shoe box either.
I’m talking about *THICK* cardboard; like really thick and so sturdy that you can barely bend it.
I tend to source most of my industrial cardboard from a recycling dumpster located behind two local restaurants; they toss out so much industrial cardboard (daily?!) so there’s plenty of high-quality cardboard options to rummage through and choose from.
Hopefully you have similar access to a recycling dumpster near you; but regardless of how or from where you obtain your industrial cardboard, here are 3 quick tips for carving out your shapes 👇🏾
1) Keep your (sharp) cutting tools close
Be sure to have several scissors (large and small ones) and box cutters (with extra blades) on hand because you never know when during the cutting process you might need to switch from box cutter to Xacto knife or to scissors (or vice versa).
2) Twice … or thrice?
Because industrial cardboard is pretty thick (not to mention it’s not the smoothest material, especially if it’s corrugated or creased) , the shape won’t always cleanly snap itself free from just one cutting pass.
So be prepared to go over your shape’s outline several times, as needed.
In my own experience, there’s been times where I’ve had to go around my shape at least twice; and in smaller, more delicate areas I’ve even had to do a lighter third pass as well.
3) Sand edges gently after cutting
With a fine sanding block (usually about the size of a dishwashing sponge), lightly sand the outer edges of your cardboard shape after cutting.
This is necessary because the cutting process does create some frayed cardboard areas in need of gentle smoothing.
If at any point during the sanding process, a small part of the cardboard’s layers start to separate, simply use a strong adhesive to carefully adhere them back together.
Lastly, try angling your sanding block slightly, especially as you sand curved areas. This helps achieve the smoothest edges and cleanest finish.
If you enjoyed these tips or know someone who might benefit from this advice, please share this post!
Yours in cardboard cutting 🙏🏽 🙂
