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Die Life & Care: the no-nonsense handbook (rust, glue, touch-ups, base fixes)

You bought a good die. Now make it last. This guide is the bench-side stuff—what actually keeps edges clean and your yield high. Short, practical, and a bit opinionated.

Keep your leather cutting dies sharp and consistent: pads that extend life, how to prevent rust and glue build-up, when (and how) to touch up, and quick base fixes—plus our custom die service (Japanese blade on acrylic or wood). Get the checklist and start cutting cleaner.

1) What really controls die life

Three levers you can pull today:

  • Use the right backing pad (PU/HDPE/PP—purpose-made, not kitchen board). These pads cushion the strike, need less force, and self-heal better—so the edge lives longer. Rotate or flip to spread wear. PSI UrethanesBeeplasticEUROCEPPIDonarra Extrusions

  • Don’t drive too deep. Let the tip just kiss the pad; deeper cuts chew the cutting edge and crater the board. (Die shops preach “light contact” for longevity.) steelrule.com

  • Avoid hard contact. Metal-on-metal moments flatten micro-edges and start the downhill slide. Keep a proper pad under the whole cut zone. JBC Technologies

Operator habits that pay off: change cutting spots on the pad; rotate the pad; for thick stacks, do two light passes instead of one brutal hit. (Your edge will thank you.) EUROCEPPI

2) Rust prevention that takes 60 seconds

End of day: soft brush → lint-free wipe → thin oil film. That’s it. If light rust appears, soak/clean, dry fully, re-oil. Evapo-Rust has the least drama for tools; it’s reusable and fast. CRC Evapo-Rust® the Best Rust Remover

Storing for weeks? Dry case, desiccant, edge guards, and don’t let dies rattle against other metal. (Surface dings turn into burrs later.)

3) Glue and gunk: clean it without hurting the die (or base)

Adhesive transfer from backed leather, spray glue, liners—normal. Start gentle:

  1. Dry brush and wipe.

  2. Spot test isopropyl or a mild adhesive remover; clean, dry completely, re-oil.

  3. Around acrylic bases, keep solvents brief and cautious; some plastics haze with harsh solvents—go mild and wipe dry. loctiteproducts.comBetter Homes & Gardens

4) Touch-ups vs re-knife: knowing when to stop

  • Mild dulling: a few light strokes on a fine stone or polishing strip, barely kissing the outer micro-bevel—don’t change the line.

  • Chips/rolls you can feel: send it for re-knife (or have us swap the section). Over-grinding overheats, softens temper, and introduces cracks—false economy. Best Cutting DieAHSS Guidelines

Telltales it’s time: rising feathered edges, having to add force to finish cuts, “squeezed-white” edges that look compressed rather than cut.

Keep your leather cutting dies sharp and consistent: pads that extend life, how to prevent rust and glue build-up, when (and how) to touch up, and quick base fixes—plus our custom die service (Japanese blade on acrylic or wood). Get the checklist and start cutting cleaner.

5) Ejection and alignment: not accessories, lifespan tools

  • Ejection foam/rubber keeps parts from clinging so you don’t pry and scrape the edge every cycle. Replace when it stays squashed or loses bounce. JBC TechnologiesPSI Urethanes

  • Mechanical alignment saves your edge from “test-hits”:

    • Positioning Caliper locks X/Y for batch repeats on EC-17/27 tables.

    • Transparent acrylic positioning holder (with #2 holder) lets you “see the hit” on thicker or curved work before heat/pressure. CÍ OFFICIAL+1

6) Cutting pads: cheap pad, expensive lesson

Choose PU/HDPE/PP die-cutting pads with good rebound (PU ~Shore A 90 is common). Rotate, flip, and keep the strike shallow; store pads flat and away from heat. BeeplasticPSI UrethanesEUROCEPPI

7) Wood & acrylic bases: quick fixes, clear limits

  • Wood base: if a lip lifts or a seam opens, tap the rule back from the underside, wick thin CA into the kerf, let cure, then lightly sand splinters. Keep it dry; humidity moves wood.

  • Acrylic base: the joy is see-through placement; the rule: be solvent-smart. If you notice star cracks at edges, stop and assess before loading pressure again. (Alignment benefits don’t matter if the base is failing.) CÍ OFFICIAL

8) Micro checklist (print it, tape it above the bench)

  • Rotate/flip pad today?

  • Edge only lightly into the pad?

  • Die clean, dry, and oiled?

  • Ejection foam springy?

  • Alignment set (caliper/clear holder) to avoid test-hits? CÍ OFFICIAL+1

AirPodsCurvedCaseLeatherCuttingDie

Need a custom die? We’ll build it.

Send us your sketch (PDF/JPG/AI all fine). Honestly, for quoting we mainly need overall length & width—we’ll sanity-check radii and details on our side. You can choose:

  • Japanese blade + acrylic base (see-through placement), or

  • Japanese blade + wooden base (tough, easy to service).

Turnaround: usually within 1 week to make. Before we cut metal, our production team sends a preview for your approval. Then we ship. (Global, tracked.) If you want batch consistency, we can bundle Positioning Caliper or the transparent holder to match your workflow. CÍ OFFICIAL+1

This cutting die is specially designed for crafting leather straps for Apple Watch, compatible with 38mm to 44mm watch sizes. It offers three different styles to choose from: a classic single loop, an elegant double wrap design, and a creative bracelet-style option. Unlike traditional wooden dies, this tool uses high-quality Japanese blades, ensuring precise, clean cuts and sharp edges that maintain their quality over time.

About CÍ OFFICIAL

CÍ is a boutique leather-work tool house. We run our own factory and collaborate with independent tool designers we admire. We ship to most of the world (free on many orders) and back it up with long-term aftercare. On the shelf: hot-foil machines, pricking irons, stitching ponies, skivers, knives—plus those small, quiet upgrades that make a bench feel dialed-in. CÍ OFFICIAL

References (Harvard style)

BeePlastic 2025, Polyurethane die cutting pad: Shore A 90 rebound and durability, BeePlastic, viewed 30 August 2025. Beeplastic
CRC (Evapo-Rust) 2023, Evapo-Rust heavy-duty rust remover overview, evapo-rust.com, viewed 30 August 2025. CRC Evapo-Rust® the Best Rust Remover
CÍ OFFICIAL 2025, Maxita positioning caliper for EC-27/17, ciofficial.com, viewed 30 August 2025. CÍ OFFICIAL
CÍ OFFICIAL 2025, Transparent acrylic positioning holder (Type 2), ciofficial.com, viewed 30 August 2025. CÍ OFFICIAL
Donarra Extrusions 2024, How to maintain HDPE cutting boards for long-term use (rotate/inspect guidance), donarraextrusions.com, viewed 30 August 2025. Donarra Extrusions
Euroceppi 2024, Maintenance on polyethylene cutting boards (rotate to even wear), euroceppi.com, viewed 30 August 2025. EUROCEPPI
JBC Tech 2016, Steel rule die cutting 101 (kerf, rule setting, rubber ejection basics), jbc-tech.com, viewed 30 August 2025. JBC Technologies
Loctite 2024, How to remove adhesive residue from metal (IPA first), loctiteproducts.com, viewed 30 August 2025. loctiteproducts.com
Maxcess 2022, Die cutting machine maintenance tips (calibration & upkeep), maxcessintl.com, viewed 30 August 2025. 迈克斯网络处理解决方案
PSI Urethanes 2025, Urethane sheets for die cutting (reduced pressure/self-healing), psiurethanes.com, viewed 30 August 2025. PSI Urethanes
Steelrule.com 2018, Selecting the correct rule for different substrates (die-surface hardness & force), steelrule.com, viewed 30 August 2025. steelrule.com
LW Custom Works 2024, How to care for your steel rule die cuts (cleaning joints; ejection), lwleathers.com, viewed 30 August 2025. LW CUSTOM WORKS

Want a quote or a free checklist PDF? Send your sketch + overall L/W and tell us your leather/stack. We’ll confirm manufacturability, send the preview, and get you cutting—cleaner, sooner. hello@ciofficial.com

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