by bandit_boy7
They are pretty perfect. :modest:I cut the general chunks away with my scissors and then work in close on the details with my X-Acto knife. It just takes patience (no rushing) and a steady hand. Part of the steadiness, I think, is leaving myself a few places to hold onto with a firm grip as I make the repeated cuts (short cuts into the same deepening groove). The direction of the knife pulls the piece with it--especially when using illustration board--so I need to hold on firmly to keep control, without crumpling or damaging the piece itself. For the dials, this was tricky, so I just held the center as I worked on the perimeter, knowing nobody would see the center of the dial.
I also work on top of a flattened cereal box, so I have 2 layers of carboard between me and the table. This gives me the subconscious freedom to really lay into it when I need to.
Whenever I get done cutting out a piece, I always look at it to see if there are any white edges. I trim those away. If you can't get those little details without ripping chunks off or making 25 cuts into the same groove it's time for a new blade. (A sharp blade will get through illustraion board in 4-5 passes with proper pressure.) Also, I work from both sides of the cut so no part of the edge is still connected. You can check on your progress by flipping it over. Sometimes a very light surface incision on the back goes a long way.
If you feel like it's not your knife or your steadiness that's defeating you, maybe try heavy weight Bristol Board from a craft store rather than Illustration Board. I-Board has a core with paper bonded to the exterior on both sides. That's 3 layers and it's very dry, coarse & stiff. B-Board is 1 layer of heavy paper, essentially, cold (or heat) pressed--it has a softer texture (you'll see what I mean when you try cutting the two). I buy the cheaper of the 2 (cold-pressed, I think) because the surface of the board (which is the real difference between hot & cold) doesn't matter to me--I'm just going to mount an adhesive sheet on it. Sometimes I get remnants or damaged boards on the cheap; they don't have to know the condition doesn't matter to me!
Hope this helps.