Can a Paper Blade on a Dremel Tool Actually Cut Card, Plastic, Wood?

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Can a Paper Blade on a Dremel Tool Actually Cut Card, Plastic, Wood?
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I never would have thought it possible to cut through cardboard, acrylic, and even wood, with a paper wheel on a rotary tool, but it looks more viable than I imagined. In this video, JohnnyQ90 pastes two sheets of paper together and cuts them out into a small rotary tool cut-off wheel. Using it, he’s able to cut through corrugated cardboard, acrylic sheet, plastic pipe, and even a wooden dowel. You can see that the cuts are not super controlled (the paper disks being bendy), but the wheel does handle the cutting action surprisingly well. I don’t think I’ll be replacing my commercial wheels any time soon, but it’s a cool experiment.

This video was inspired by another one where a paper blade was used on a table saw. Poking around on YouTube you will find other videos of people experimenting with paper blades on other types of saws, angle grinders, and other tools.

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

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