Helpful Hint - Score and Snap Method


Helpful Hint

Here is a tip to enhance your use of the well-known score and snap technique used with sheet styrene. When scoring, be sure to steady your hand by allowing your pinky and ring fingers to brush against your styrene as you hold your hobby knife while tracing the line you have drawn for the snap. If this is too obvious and everyone is already doing that then I ask your indulgence.

Confirming the utility of this technique, I noticed that as I reached the end of my styrene sheet and those two fingers had no styrene left to rest on, my scoring was not as accurate.

Another suggestion

While I am blessed with a steady hand, I think my success using the score and snap method can be ascribed to a few more pointers.

First, be sure the area you are working in is very well lite.

Second, carefully mark with a pen the fine line you wish to score.

Third, use an absolutely fresh blade - one that has never been used before.

Fourth, don't use a ruler to guide your hand.

Instead, make your first pass of your blade extremely lightly - once you have created the "furrow", you have a great path you can follow. Take another cut or two. You might be amazed at styrene's ability to snap with even the lightest of a score (and yes, it might take some effort to get this line to snap). Also be aware that you should have your styrene rest on a solid flat table with the part you wish to snap off hanging so to speak in the area. Hold the balance of the styrene tightly against the table - yes, you might even need to spread your legs a bit wide to get a steady stance - the payoff will be a nice result.

Enough said - good luck.

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