Some box-makers, in addition to manufacturing set-up and folding boxes, also make advertising “cut-outs,” cardboard fans, wall-pockets, fancy calendars, photograph mounts, and “set-in” forms for holiday boxes for holding neckties, suspenders, garters, collar buttons, etc. Work of this variety is also cut on cutting and creasing presses, but the dies and make-ready are different than the dies and make-ready for folding boxes.
Steel dies for all kinds of “cut-outs” are made of 2-point cutting rules. For add shapes like hearts, fans, fancy calendars, etc., “soft” cutting rule is used. For straight-line work such as squares, oblongs, diamonds, keystone and triangle, “hard” cutting rule is used.
The steel cutting rules for dies of this class are inserted in laminated board, of three, four or more plies, for the reason that laminated board will not warp or be affected by atmospheric conditions.
Steel die form for cut-out from Simonds Mfg. Co.
The design, or several different designs, which are to be cut out, are marked with pencil on the surface of the piece of laminated board, which must be of a size to accommodate the dies. These pencil lines are then followed with a jig-saw, and in the grooves made by the saw the steel cutting rules are inserted. The die is then ready for press.
It should be mentioned, however, that it is possible to build a plain “cut-out” die, like a square or oblong, merely by cutting the rules to the proper sizes and then blanking out the inside space with metal or ordinary wood furniture. But, an odd-shaped “cut-out” die should always be inserted in laminated board.
As many as half-a-dozen “cut-out” dies for cardboard fans, advertising novelties, etc., may be placed in rows in the one section of laminated board, and the entire six articles may be cut simultaneously on the press.
Half-a-dozen dies for folding boxes, or more than this number, can also be run together in the same form, according to the size of the cutting and creasing press.