Question 1

How small are the ruler lines on the board itself?  I need to cut certain measures off edge of page, for ex: .75 inch off edge, then 3.25 inch, etc

Accepted Answer

I solve the problem of perfect measurements by making a template out of heavy card board or heavy cardstock or even the 1/8" craft chipboard materials. I found this the most helpful way to be exact when I  need to be. I can also label the template with what sizes it is and save it for future lay outs. Now you can adjust the sliding magnetic bar right up to the template edge. (My Carl 210 happens to be slightly skewed and not perfectly aligned down it's grid marks. So this has resolved that problem too. I then slip the template out and can cut my paper exactly what I want. I had a problem with the magnetic bar slipping over time so I now place a heavy magnetic 25# round magnet knob or two on the outside edge which stopped this slippage completely. My only problems now is when my spouse comes along and pulls out the set up for his own work and never bothers to return it. I can live with that or have for 16 years as he loves my cutter and ignores his 15" other brand rotary trimmer I bought over 20 years ago before ever learning about Carl. He wanted one and I bought it for his BD and for years he did use it. BUT along came the Carl and almost instantly we were both hooked. The original one we have does not have the yellow guide cutter just a clear plastic one. I can see how the yellow might be helpful for seeing an edge much clearer along the outside edge if you are especially trying to trim just a hair off of an edge to even it up or similar. (On rare occasions my printer prints a photo card that is folded in half slightly off center making the back show and easiest thing is to just trim that off using the Carl.) About getting exact measurements I also used two thin very accurate drawing rulers on each end to align the magnetic bar up to an exact spot so blade would cut just where I need it to. And I often do that still when setting up a new template piece. Or remaking one. But I seem to have enough templates made to cover almost all my projects on a daily basis so I can set it up in an instant and like I said the magnetic knobs sold on Amazon work perfectly to hold the bar from slipping. I used a sewing machine magnetic rectangle bar but it did not work as well as the stronger magnets did.

Question 2

Is thus trimmer really precise? I've been through soo many & they are always off just a touch! I'm a cardmaker & I need precision!

Accepted Answer

Precision means 1- straight line, 2- correct angle, 3- correct size/measurement. When you have a large number of paper, the arm curves, if your hands apply a little force on any direction, then also a curve in the cut happens. 2- The way you pick up and move the trimmer, affects its cutting angle, the upper and lower guides seem to move slightly away from perfection when a force applied, their angle gets changed, so I cannot rely on it right angle unless I move it again and test, also the magnetic cutting guide arm is also not tight to keep it straight all the time, and nor it stops paper from passing from under it. 3-  The square boxes drawn are using both thick and thin lines. When you are cutting at inch level which is one, two, three inch and so on, the lines are thick, so the exact placement of paper is difficult for the correct measurement. And after separate cuts when you bring all the papers together, you will find none of them got cut correctly. These problems are avoidable after some training and experience and a trained eye.

Question 3

Can this cutter cut one sheet of 100# card stock smoothly as well as many sheets or would I need a different cutter for the single sheets?

Accepted Answer

I use this to cut 100# card stock almost every day. I usually cut 4-5 sheets at a time, but it takes at least three passes. The most I can cut with a single pass is 2 sheets of 100# card stock.

Question 4

Is the black bar in the middle removable?

Accepted Answer

The magnetic paper gauge is adjustable but cannot be removed.

Manufacturer	Carl Manufacturing USA, Inc
Brand	Carl
Model number	12238
Product Dimensions	64.14 x 36.2 x 8.89 cm; 3.38 kg
Color	Black/Silver
Material Type	Alloy Steel Plastic
Number of Drawers	2
Number of Items	1
Size	18-Inch
Manufacturer Part Number	12238
Item Weight	3.38 Kilograms

CarlHeavy Duty Rotary Paper Trimmer 18inch - 12238

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