Bladerunner plasterboard cutting tool

python · Post by **python** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:13 pm

Here is a link to a utube promotional clip fr anyone that hasn't seen one -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBAVsWAIVr8

I bought one a couple of months ago now, and it's good.

It takes a little while to get accurate with it, but once you do it's a real beauty.

It is much faster, but more importantly, it's just much less hastle. The blades score both sides of the plasterboard simultaniously, so the snap is always clean and accurate.

It doesn't replace a knife, or padsaw, but when used in conjunction with those tools, it makes a project much much easier.

It reduces the ammount of tidying, both of your cuts themselfs, and the workspace. Redudes kneeling and awkward work practices, and most importantly reduces time.

I bought mine for ~£20 on special offer from travis perkins. I suggest you try TP still if you are interested because I believe they have discontinued them. If your branch still has one they will be cheap. That's how I bought mine. I also got a pack of 6 spare blades for <£2 (rrp ~£10).

This does raise a question of wether you will be able to buy blades in the future for them, but I think the product will catch on enough for blade sales to make it worth it.

The best thing about this product is that it looks ultra cool. Both sat on the work surface, and in action. I am yet to show it to a tradesman who wasn't impressed with it.

It isn't the end for rasps/knifes and padsaws for dry-lining, but it is a valuable addition to the toolbox for anyone who does a reasonable ammount of plasterboard cutting imo.

python · Post by **python** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:18 pm

just had a (very quick) poke around online and I'd say that you'll pay ~£30 for one online today.

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:41 pm

Looks the business

Is it magnetic then?

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:04 pm

I saw these at a tool show last year in Harrogate.

The makers of the blade runner asked if they could promote the blade runner on here. I said they could if they supplied a few free of charge for the competition, but they never got back to me

Inky Pete · Post by **Inky Pete** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:05 pm

Hitch wrote:Is it magnetic then?

Witchcraft - apparently.

blade-runner-t9942.html

python · Post by **python** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:39 pm

very, very strong magnet.

I have also used it to pick up nails from a gravel drive after re-roofing a house

diyguys · Post by **diyguys** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 3:01 pm

uhm no wonder they are not selling well if that is there attitude ,its called word of mouth free advertising for them ,the marketing sales departmant missed out .

lagi · Post by **lagi** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:15 am

Looks good in the vid. But i bet its slightly harder than that. Don't do enough to warrant buying a full price one but now i know if i see a cheap one, thanks.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:45 am

diyguys wrote:uhm no wonder they are not selling well if that is there attitude ,its called word of mouth free advertising for them ,the marketing sales departmant missed out .

Exactly

If people approach and say they want something promoting on this site, I do not have a problem with it as long as they supply some free samples/prizes for the forum members. I never ask for any money or anything, but if their products are good then they should be prepared to give a few free samples, which can then be passed onto the forum members, either by way of free distribution or by way of a competition prize.

Deleted-user-3 · Post by **Deleted-user-3** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:25 am

i bought one of these when they first came out, probably august 08...
looked brill in the vid but i just couldnt get on with it...
'cuts curves with ease' - how often do you cut a curve on a sheet of plasterboard?
you have to have your single sheet of plasterboard on two trestles, i just couldnt get mine accurate enough with the boards on edge
plus every time you come off the end of the board the incredibly powerful magnet nearly takes the ends of your fingers off...
once its on the trestles the force of the magnet means while youve got your hand on the bladerunner and the other holding the tape against the edge of the board it just pushes the board along with it, you have to keep your knee or foot on the board.... its just awkward...

i just find it much easier working of a stack of boards laid flat on the floor or even leant up the wall with a stanley and tape...

i gave mine to my mate who does a lot of replacement glazing for cutting laminated glass in the hope it might be of some use to him....

nice idea.... mine must have been a duff one

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:40 pm

Ths thread kind of reminds me of the Fisher space pen. It cost millions of dollars to develop and years to perfect, before they had a pen that they could use in space.

The Russian cosmonauts used a pencil

royaloakcarpentry · Post by **royaloakcarpentry** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:46 pm

What a space pencil they developed to use in space?

I am the same as CW in that I have my boards in a pile or stacked up. therefore the bladerunner is not something I would use. I don't have a problem with cutting boards and getting a good edge anyway, it is all in the technique you use for cutting.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:47 am

royaloakcarpentry wrote:What a space pencil they developed to use in space?

The Americans spent millions developing a pen that could write in a zero gravity atmosphere, upside down and under water, called the fisher space pen.

The Russians just used a pencil, they did not need a space pencil as such as writing upside down is not a problem with a pencil, they might have just printed CCCP on it or USSR

Gadget · Post by **Gadget** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:50 pm

Like UHM, I saw it demonstrated at a tool fair in Harrogate last year, and I thought at the time it was absolutey useless. Even the guy demonstrating it was struggling to make it look easy!

Cantseeitfrommyhouse · Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:39 am

ultimatehandyman wrote:
royaloakcarpentry wrote:What a space pencil they developed to use in space?
The Americans spent millions developing a pen that could write in a zero gravity atmosphere, upside down and under water, called the fisher space pen.

The Russians just used a pencil, they did not need a space pencil as such as writing upside down is not a problem with a pencil, they might have just printed CCCP on it or USSR

Unfortunately, whilst it's highly amusing to mock the americans, this is completely untrue.

Graphite in pencils is conductive, and so the consequences of bits of snapped pencil lead floating around in zero G could be catastrophic if they entered electronics.