JSA Precision PDC Cutter
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First of its kind on the market
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Designed, made and hand assembled in house, in Cambridge, England
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Micro adjustable cut depth with guard
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Cuts sensors from 18mm- 32mm
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Omnidirectional cut direction
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Self aligning tungsten carbide blade
- Cuts on curved panels not
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Adjustable rotational and longitudinal drag
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Replaceable blades, blade tip and suction cup
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Ultra precision components throughout
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Patent pending
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Customisable plaque for your company logo
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Main Grip Handle
Micro Blade Depth Adjustment
A very fine blade depth adjustment system is used, which allows the blade depth to be set in 20 micron steps with tactile feedback. This ensures that the blade depth can be set correctly and with confidence for cutting a wide range of PPF/Vinyl materials.
Extremely close tolerances and finely machined components throughout ensure minimal 'slop', meaning circles are perfectly round, and more importantly, close and join exactly at the end of your cut.
Diameter
Adjustment
The Diameter of the circle cut is adjusted by way of a rotating barrel with tactile feedback and ranges from 18mm to 32mm allowing for most PDC sensors on most cars.
Drag
Adjuster/
Brake
A brake, or drag adjustment is incorporated into the bodyof the tool. This can be adjusted to suit the user and situation and ads another level of control to the cutting process. (See figure 1)
Suction cup
foot
The tool positively attaches to the vehicle, by way of a suction foot, keeping you locked in place for a cut that is both perfectly round and precisely joined at the ends.
The blade is supported on two miniature precision ball bearings allowing it to self align to the direction of cut. (See figure 4)
The blade guard is made from a self lubricating and durable material to allow it to slide on the PPF. It is this that stays in contact with the surface during the cut and stops the blade penetrating deeper than is set.¹
The blade is removable for cleaning and replacement
Instructions for use
Thank you for purchasing the JSA precision PDC cutter. This precision tool will, with little familiarisation and practice, allow you to cut parking sensor holes in paint protection film, after the film is fitted to the vehicle, in sizes from 18mm to 32mm diameter. It employs a blade guide system that, when set up correctly, allows the film to be cut in a perfect circle, without fear of cutting though and into the underlying paint.
Prepare for cutting
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Set up the brake (see figure 1)
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Measure sensor (see figure 2)
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Set diameter on tool (see figure 3)
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Check/set blade cut direction (see figure 4)
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Adjust cut depth to suit film stock and situation (see figure 5)
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Perform test cut on scrap film (always perform your cut test on a flat, hard surface, on the backer)
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Align the suction foot to the sensor and push firmly in place This prevents any sliding or movement in relation to the panel when cutting. This fixing is however flexible enough to allow the tool to be held at an angle to the sensor, where the sensors are positioned at an angle to the surrounding panel. This is to allow the cutting head of the tool to be kept, as much as possible, perpendicular to the panel when cutting (see figure 6). The suction cap is replaceable (See figure # UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
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Perform a quadrant check around the sensor to check concentricity to the sensor and diameter setting is satisfactory (see figure 7)
Cutting
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See figure 8. Grip the top handle with your thumb in the end depression and first two fingers either side, think of a cigarette grip. Adjust the angle so the axle of the tool is as close to perpendicular to the panel as possible.
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Hold it there!
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Now grip the tool around the upper grip section of the main body with two or three fingers.
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Make a mental note of roughly where you start your cut. Slowly and carefully rotate the tool in your desired (but preset! (See Figure 5) direction. The blades are extremely sharp and very very little force is needed to cut the correct depth (set on the bench earlier) to allow easy peeling. The depth of cut is in no way related to how hard you push. Pushing too hard will make the blade guard to dig into the film and cause it to bunch up and ruin your cut. ²
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As mentioned above, the best cut is one continuous one. If the blade breaks contact with the panel there's an increased risk of the tool moving and the cut not joining all the way round the cut causing a rough or untidy peel. In extreme cases it could cause the PPF to tear beyond the cut and into the panel.
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Once you have completed a full turn and are back to your start point continue past at least a quarter turn to ensure both that the cut is closed but also that this part of the cut is of the correct depth to start the peel. In some cases, such as panels where the sensor is located on a curve, there can be some benefit to continuing your cut for a full second rotation.
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Remember, you will not cut any deeper by going for a second rotation but it will help mitigate differences in pressure around the circle caused by negotiating the curvature of the panel, ensuring a clean peel.
Peeling
See figure 9. The tool is not cutting all the way through the film and the adhesive... The last part of the film depth must be 'torn' (as when it is cut on a plotter). The best tool for starting this process is plastic tweezers or the trusty fingernail! Position your tweezers or fingernail as close as possible to the cut you've just made and with reasonable pressure into the panel, pull the cut inwards towards the centre of the sensor to open the cut a few mm.
Only a very small opening is needed to allow the rest of the sensor to be peeled out. Now pull the opened flap of the cut disk back on itself at an oblique angle to the panel and peel round the circle in one direction at a time. Don't try to fold the cut disk back on itself and pull both sides of the cut at the same time, this risks pulling the outside of the cut away from the panel.
Lastly, carefully push down any part of the edge of the cut hole that may have been pulled up by peeling the cut disk out and... You're done!
Maintanance
Blade and blade guide replacement/ cleaning - (see figure 10)
Lubrication - The main shaft bearings need periodic lubrication. Half a drop of oil on each end of the main shaft is sufficient. Use a high quality synthetic or semi synthetic oil in the 20W viscosity range WITHOUT SULPHUR BASED EXTREME PRESSURE ADDATIVES as these are corrosive to the phosphor bronze bushes of the main shaft. Slowly pull and twist the shaft backwards and forwards to distribute the oil on the working portion of the shaft. Then wipe away the excess that will accumulate on the foot and the handle.
Suction foot replacement - SECTIION UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Notes
1. In areas where there has been significant stretch of the film during fitting there are two points that are vitality important to take into account before cutting. The first is to ensure the film is totally dry and fully adhered across the sensor to be cut. If the cut is made too early, when the film is still wet, there's a high risk that when the sensor is cut and peeled, the hole will distort and local adhesive damage (adhesive shift) will occur.
The second point is that when the film is stretched, it becomes thinner. This, of course, is a limitation of the process of setting the blade depth on the bench. However, since the blade depth adjustment can be made in such fine increments there are actually several 'clicks' of adjustment between a very shallow cut and cutting all the way though the film. Taking this characteristic of the film into account it is recommended to err on the side of caution and set the depth on the bench a click or two shallow.
2.It is highly recommended that you make many practice cuts on the bench then further practice cuts on a car before committing to cutting your first sensor on an installed bumper. when you do test cuts on the bench, make sure what you are cutting on is smooth. A piece of glass or perspex is ideal. A great way to practice on a car is to stick a reasonable sized offcut of PPF over a PDC sensor, for protection and peace of mind. Then on top, dry fit a smaller piece by placing over and smoothing with a finger around the sensor. This piece of film can now be test cut, pulled off easily, restuck, and cut again as many times at is needed to get a feel for the cutting process.
Dos and Dont's
Do
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Oil the main shaft periodically but sparingly. See lubrication section above
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Always test cut when something is changed
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Keep dry. The blade adjustment/rotation mechanism and diameter adjustment relies very heavily on it's lack of internal friction. Do not use or leave in a wet environment or one with corrosive chemicals or solvents. Corrosion of internal components and/ or the washing away of internal lubrication will destroy the tool. If allowed to get wet, place in a warm dry environment for several hours or overnight.
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Become familiar with the tool before using on a car
Do Not
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Do not disassemble. In the interests of internal packaging and miniaturisation of the mechanisms inside the tool, it was necessary for it to be designed in such a way that disassembly is not possible once assembled. On account of this, with the exception of the blade, the blade guard and the suction foot, the components used inside are designed and manufactured to last the life of the tool and are therefore not user replaceable/ serviceable.
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Do not drop, shock or treat roughly. The tool is built robustly and is designed to give many years of service but incorporates delicate components and assemblies that could be damaged or knocked out of true by a heavy shock, such as a drop into a hard floor
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Do not force the drag adjustment mechanism. To make the brake mechanism as smooth and tactile as possible, the components inside are both small and delicate. Excessive force when increasing or decreasing drag can damage them. No more than a few turns either way is enough to increase the drag to a point where the tool has so much friction it would be difficult to make a cut or loosen it off completely. There is no reason to turn or force the adjustment tool any further when these two states are reached.
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Do not oil the blade, blade guard, blade bearings. The blade adjustment and rotation assembly is precision lubricated with the correct viscosity oil when its assembled and will last the life of the tool. Adding excessive oil to the blade assembly will actually inhibit the blade adjustment and rotation performance, not improve it.
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DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, UNSCREW THE BLADE DEPTH ADJUSTMENT KNOB AND PULL IT OUT. DOING SO WILL IRREPARABLY DAMAGE THE TOOL AND VOID THE WARRANTY
Setting the brake
Figure 1
The brake is a feature that allows both the rotation and the lateral movement of the central shaft to be braked or damped. This is very useful for stopping the tool from skipping or dropping away from the panel during the cut and in particular, when the hand position changed during the cut. The best cut is made in one continuous circle, without the blade leaving the surface. If the blade comes away from the film during the cut it can cause a slight disjoint that can make peeling the sensor more difficult. Brake amount is personal preference but a good starting point is tight enough so that when the central axle is held parallel to the ground the tool doesn't rotate and drop under it's own weight, but will do so when lightly pushed.
Measure
Figure 2
Measure the parking sensor diameter with a vernier caliper, ruler or tape measure. We recommend a plastic (to prevent surface damage) vernier caliper as the best choice for acuracy and ease of use
Figure 3
Setting diameter
The position of the blade on the diameter adjustment column is not concentric to the axis of its rotation resulting in an adjustable size of cut from 18mm to 32mm. A sprung detent at every millimeter of diameter adjustment positively engages giving tactile feedback
Figure 4
Setting blade direction
Although the blade is self aligning, It is good practice to check the blade is not 180 degrees to the driection you want to cut. This is the only position the blade cannot self center from and can cause a rough start to a cut on the vehicle. To set the blade direction is very simple. On a scrap peice of PPF, after pulling the handle back so the foot is clear of the cutting tip, gently drag the cutter tip down and then 90 degrees in either direction as if drawing an L or a reversed L. Drag down and to the right if you intend to cut the sensor in a clockwise direction and to the left for anticlockwise.
Figure 5
Setting blade depth
Setting the blade depth correctly on the bench before cutting on the car is imperative. If the blade is set too deep, paint damage will likely result. Blade depth adjustment is by trial and error. Extend the blade until it can be felt by lightly running a finger over the cutting tip (it won't cut you!). Next, perform a test cut on a piece of scrap film STILL ON THE BACKER AND THE SAME BRAND AND PRODUCT AS IS INSTALLED ON THE CAR. This should be done on a clean, flat surface such as a piece of glass or flat acrylic sheet. Peel the disk from the cut by pulling the edge away with a finger nail and check how it peels. If it pulls apart very easily and doesn't lift the edge of the surrounding film, the cut is too deep. If it's very difficult to start the peel it's too shallow. Once you've got a cut that peels correctly, with a little resistance while lifting the cut edge it's time to lift the cut edge of the hole and check for any scoring on the film backer. If there is scoring, turn one click towards negative of the blade depth adjustment knob. Repeat this process until no cuts are made in the film backer after the cut is made and the edges of the hole are peeled to check.
Figure 6
Positioning suction foot
The tool positively attaches to the vehicle, by way of a suction foot. This prevents any sliding or movement in relation to the panel when cutting. This fixing is however flexible enough to allow the tool to be held at an angle to the sensor, where the sensors are positioned at an angle to the surrounding panel. This is to allow the cutting head of the tool to be kept, as much as possible, perpendicular to the panel when cutting. Initial alignment is made by positioning the sucker as concentric as possible to the core of the sensor
Figure 7
Performing the quadrant check
Perform a quadrant check around the sensor to check concentricity to the sensor hole and diameter setting is satisfactory. Because sensors are not always completely concentric to the hole they sit in in the bumper it is necessary to perform this test. This is especially important in the case of parking sensors that sit in plinths where the centering of the sensor is way off the hole in the panel in which they sit. Start by aligning the sucker foot as above, then bring the cutter tip into light contact with the panel in 4 quarters around the sensor. check that the diameter you've set is sufficient so that the blade will be cutting on the panel all the way round (not the rubber gasket or the plinth) and that the cutting tip is the same distance from the edge of the sensor in all four quarters. If not, adjust the position of the tool by sliding the suction foot accordingly and recheck. This is also the point where you can adjust the diameter if necessary. Remember that the markings on the tool refer to the diameter of the hole, so every mm bigger or smaller you go on the tool will only be half a millimetre on the radius. This means one millimetre bigger on the tool will only take you half a mm closer or further away from the edge of the sensor. This is obviously a good thing because it means control of the gap around the sensor is very fine.
Figure 8
Cutting
Grip the top handle with your thumb in the end depression and first two fingers either side, think of a cigarette grip. Adjust the angle so the axle of the tool is as close to perpendicular to the panel as possible. Hold it there! Now grip the tool around the upper grip section of the main body with two or three fingers. Make a mental note of roughly where you start your cut. Slowly and carefully rotate the tool in your desired (but preset! See section #) direction. The blades are extremely sharp and very very little force is needed to cut the correct depth (set on the bench earlier) to allow easy peeling. The depth of cut is in no way related to how hard you push. Pushing too hard will make the blade guard to dig into the film and cause it to bunch up and ruin your cut. ² As mentioned above, the best cut is one continuous one. If the blade breaks contact with the panel there's an increased risk of the tool moving and the cut not joining all the way round the cut causing a rough or untidy peel. In extreme cases it could cause the PPF to tear beyond the cut and into the panel. Once you have completed a full turn and are back to your start point continue past at least a quarter turn to ensure both that the cut is closed but also that this part of the cut is of the correct depth to start the peel. In some cases, such as panels where the sensor is located on a curve, there can be some benefit to continuing your cut for a full second rotation. Remember, you will not cut any deeper by going for a second rotation but it will help mitigate differences in pressure around the circle caused by negotiating the curvature of the panel, ensuring a clean peel.
Figure 9
Peeling
The tool is not cutting all the way through the film and the adhesive... The last part of the film depth must be 'torn'. The best tool for starting this incision is the trusty fingernail. Position your fingernail as close as possible to the cut you've just made and with reasonable pressure into the panel, pull the cut open. Only a very small opening is needed to allow the rest of the sensor to be peeled out. Now pull the opened flap of the cut disk back on itself at an oblique angle to the panel and peel round the circle in one direction at a time. The best tool for this job is fine plastic tweezers. Don't try to fold the cut disk back on itself and pull both sides of the cut at the same time, this risks pulling the outside of the cut away from the panel or tearing beyond the cut. Lastly, carefully push down any part of the edge of the cut hole that may have been pulled up by peeling the cut disk out and... You're done!
Figure 10
Replacing blade and guard
It is important to replace both the blade and the blade guard periodically. How often will depend greatly on usage. It is better to preemptively replace the blade rather than waiting for the quality of the cut to deteriorate. As a rough guide, replacing the blade every 100-150 cuts is a sensible starting point. The blade guard is a hard wearing but delicate component. Over time, it will wear during normal use however and require replacement. When the blade guard becomes badly worn or damaged it may no longer provide the protection its designed to give against cutting too deep into the film and this will increase the risk of paint damage. The guard wearing evenly is normal. it will still function correctly as long as the end of the tip remains flat. If the end of the tip, for any reason (for instance if its knocked, dropped or forced in any way) is worn unevenly, distorted or chipped it will seriously affect the tools' function and its safety when used in its intended purpose. Beyond a visual inspection, if the blade sticks when it is retracted or rotated this is a sign of an either dirty or damaged tip. The blade should not be cutting as far as the adhesive layer of the film but of course when setting it up on the bench, it may cut that deep for a few cuts. this can result in the blade getting a small build up of adhesive which can clog the tip. The best way to clean the tip from adhesive or debris is with the brush in our XL maintenance kit, slightly wetted with IPA. As a rule of thumb, it's a recommended to replace the tip every second blade change.
Gallery
Photos
Videos
Warranty
Jules Sturgess Automotive will warranty the tool against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from date of purchase. If upon inspection it is determined that the tool has been abused, misused or dissembled the warranty shall be void. Consumable and wear parts (blade, blade tip, suction foot) and general wear and tear are not covered. This warranty is non transferable and is only applicable to the initial purchaser. Please contact us.