cutting paper

[Mike Rambour]

I like to write a journal and I have a leather journal that I have used for almost 2 decades. I was able to get refills for it for years and would refill it 3-4 times a year. The manufacturer stopped making that size about 3 yeas ago and I don't want to change the leather cover. Trust me I have looked EVERYWHERE for refills this size, but the guy that made them originally also made his own refills from home made paper. I have found refills close, but the paper was not good for a fountain pen, and that is all I ever use.

So, what I have been doing is getting 11x14 paper and cutting it to 9 1/4 x 11 1/2 (yes, I know regular paper is almost that size, but I want it to fit in my leather binder), then fold it in half and bind it myself with waxed thread. Been quite happy with that. But it looks odd, the sheet the most inside is larger than the outside sheet when folded in half because of the extra length the outside sheet has to do to go around the first one. So I have been binding it in small sections, like 8 pages at a time and then binding all those 8 page books together. It takes me a afternoon to do it all.

I was thinking of doing the binding and then passing it on the table saw to even it all up, after all paper is wood right :). The total thickness is about 1 1/2" and I have 3hp saw. My concern is that the individual pages will rip and shred, so now thinking of a sled like jig that can hold and compress the pages together to cut them. Or band saw but I think that would leave a rough edge.

I did create a small jig for the drill press, that I use to drill 1/16" holes for the sewing that worked out ok, but was/is harder to drill through than I expected making me wonder about cutting.

[Stewart Lang]

Make a quick jig. Take 2 pieces of MDF and sandwich 30-40 sheets of paper in between and run it through your table saw and bandsaw. See how the cut performs. My guess it you'd definitely need to sandwich the paper between something to keep a clean cut.

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd try cutting the paper with a knife. Bind the paper into a book. Put a straightedge along one edge to guide a sharp knife. Each pass with the knife probably cuts ten sheets or so. Multiple passes cuts the whole book. I'd use a sheetrock knife with disposable blades.

[David Bassett]

It's been eons ago, but I briefly worked in a HS print shop. We had a paper shear (not sure of an official name, but what we called it) that was basically a cross between a paper cutter and a hydraulic press. It was huge and I'm not sure what its limit was but we routinely go thru 4-6" stacks, or multiple stacks across its 3-4' width, in a second or two. If you can find a shop with one, I doubt you'd be out more that a couple six-packs getting them to do a trim for you.

[roger wiegand]

Unless you really enjoy the challenge I'd go to a (real) printer and have them make up what you need from the paper you like. They should be able to trim it and stitch it to your specifications. I used to use a fancy paper calendar/to-do/note system but the incredibly expensive refills were nasty paper for fountain pen use. I went to a local printer who duplicated the pages for me with some improvements I made on wonderful paper. For the price of year's worth of brand name inserts I got a decade's worth.

[Earl McLain]

Since you have to trim the 11 x 14 sheets anyway--no harm in building a jig or two as Stewart suggested and trying the table saw and/or bandsaw. I'm thinking the bandsaw might surprise you.
earl

[Curt Putnam]

Any good printer will have a paper cutter that will do the cutting in a couple of seconds (power blade). Take some original stuff to them and they should be be able to accommodate you with little cost. Be prepared to buy paper from them and give them some time to work it in. A shop that does bindery work would be ideal.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Look for a bookbinder & see what they would charge.

There are bulk paper cutters such as this one https://www.amazon.com/Mophorn-Industrial-Guillotine-Commercial-Photocopy/dp/B01C50S8D8/ref=dp_fod_2?pd_rd_i=B01C50S8D8&psc=1 that can cut up to 600 pieces at one time - that are fairly reasonable to buy ($160)

[Richard Coers]

As mentioned, you just need to find the right place. A good place can cut 4" of paper in one pass. 5 minute job to cut 1,000 sheets. Here's an option https://www.etsy.com/listing/613020605/recycle-paper-refills-refills-of-paper?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_e-craft_supplies_and_tools-canvas_and_surfaces-paper-premade_pages&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jgx68E-pwqc3K0R2lmMBansbm1rschhDJfb-3hGI_cNOvdLe8Q4PtDRoCrSsQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_11502762713_113997781324_4761357431 47_pla-297341994888_c__613020605_131934791&utm_custom2=11502762713&gclid=CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jgx68E-pwqc3K0R2lmMBansbm1rschhDJfb-3hGI_cNOvdLe8Q4PtDRoCrSsQAvD_BwE

[John K Jordan]

As mentioned, you just need to find the right place. A good place can cut 4" of paper in one pass. 5 minute job to cut 1,000 sheets. ...[/url]

I once had a print shop cut a ream of card stock into four pieces. Two cuts with a guillotine book trimmer, took less than a minute. Perfectly smooth edges - indistinguishable from the factory edges. They didn't charge anything.

JKJ

[Richard Verwoest]

Since you seem fine with making your own inserts, maybe make a shear? Old planner blade and a hydraulic press?

[Richard Coers]

Since you seem fine with making your own inserts, maybe make a shear? Old planner blade and a hydraulic press?
To shear more than one sheet of paper at a time, it needs to be clamped down with a lot of force to keep it from creeping. Paper sheers are massive machines. Not like the one your teacher used in grade school.

[Peter Kelly]

If you look around on Fleabay or CL, you can sometimes find a used or vintage Kutrimmer guillotine for less than $100. Will easily trim a stack of 50 sheets with a sharp blade in one go.

They're a little more expensive new https://www.talasonline.com/Kutrimmer-Paper-Cutter

[Jerry Wright]

Www.thepaperstoreandmore.com claims they will provide custom sized. Give them a call.

[Bill Dufour]

Cardboard cuts well on a tablesaw or bandsaw but it leaves a fuzzy edge. I would think paper would be more so.
Bill D

[Marcos Figueredo]

I like to have spiral binding in my music books. When I get a music book with "regular" (glued binding) I cut the binding, and then take it to the binding machine at work. To cut the binding, I made a simple table-saw jig where I sandwich the book, some distance away from the binding, between a plywood base, whose right edge runs on the fence, and a strip of plywood, putting pressure at the end of the strip using plastic knobs and threaded inserts on the base. I use a bog-standard combination blade. It works fine. I have tried it with up to 100 pages.

[Tom Bender]

Clearly your journal is a labor of love. You are a woodworker, most of us are. If you seek out a forum for bookbinders or preservationists you will find someone with the tools. Or you could ask in a football club or horse racing forum.

Even if it costs a few $ it's time to show your mission some love

[Charles Lent]

Take your paper to a local print shop. They have power paper shears that clamp the stack and then shear it perfectly clean. It would take them less than 5 minutes to set up their cutter and trim your stack (up to about 8" high) very cleanly as if it was an original factory finish cut. All sheets would be exactly the same size.

Charley