How Paper Boxes Are Made / A practical and instructive book telling how the beginner may manufacture all kinds of paper boxes, with special chapters on the printing department for paper box plants, embossing, gold-leafing, label work, etc.

by Robert F. Salade

STEEL CUTTING RULES AND STEEL CREASING RULES.

All dies used for cutting and creasing folding boxes are constructed of steel cutting rules and steel creasing rules, and with the proper material and devices, the box maker will have no difficulty in building his own dies to suit all requirements.

The apprentice in the folding box industry should carefully note the fact that there are two kinds of steel cutting rule—one kind is called “hard” cutting rule, the other kind is known as “soft” cutting rule. The hard steel cutting rule is used for all straight-line die work which does not call for the rules being bent into round, oval or odd shapes. The soft steel cutting rule is used in all cases where rule-bending is to be done. For example, a die having round corners for the flaps of folding boxes would call for the use of soft cutting rule in forming the round corners. All odd-shaped dies, such as dies for cutting hearts, semicircles, ovals, etc., are made of soft steel cutting rule on account of the soft rule bending to the special shapes easily. “Square” dies for cutting diamonds, oblongs, crosses, keystone, and other straight-line work of this class, are made of hard steel cutting rules.

The “hard” and “soft” steel cutting rule, and the regular creasing rule, comes in strips from 24 to 30 inches long, and is sold by the foot. The standard height of steel cutting rule is .923 in. The standard height of steel creasing rule is .918 in. Both the cutting and creasing rules are made in various thicknesses, from 2-point size up to 6-point size, but the 2-point cutting and creasing rules will do for the greater portion of all folding box work. The following list will give the reader an idea of the standard kinds of steel cutting and creasing rules:

Cutting Rule Scoring Rule

No.	Description	Height	Thickness
A-10	2-point Hard Black Cutting Rule	.923”	.029”
A-11	3-point Hard Black Cutting Rule	.923”	.042”
A-12	4-point Hard Black Cutting Rule	.923”	.057”
A-13	6-point Hard Black Cutting Rule	.923”	.083”
A-14	2-point Hard and Polished Ctg. Rule	.923”	.029”
A-15	3-point Hard and Polished Ctg. Rule	.923”	.042”
A-16	4-point Hard and Polished Ctg. Rule	.923”	.057”
A-17	6-point Hard and Polished Ctg. Rule	.923”	.083”
A-18	2-point Soft Cutting Rule	.923”	.029”
A-19	2-point Hard Scoring Rule	.918”	.029”

The Simonds Manufacturing Company, of Fitchburg, Mass., is a large manufacturer of all varieties of steel rule for cutting, scoring or perforating. This concern is in a position to furnish the folding box maker with any kind of steel cutting or steel creasing rule. The American Type Founders’ Company, of Jersey City, N. J., or any of the printers’ supply houses, will also furnish the box maker with steel cutting or scoring rule.