OK, somebody decided that the classic metal blade used on all plastic wrap boxes since the dawn of time cost too much, so they decreed that it be replaced with a plastic blade that costs essentially nothing:
Unfortunately, a thin plastic blade also bends easily and, after a few uses, cracks along the midline. After that, it simply doesn’t work; there’s no way to actually tear the plastic off the roll.
It turns out that a common hacksaw blade is exactly the right length and, oriented with the teeth pointing to the left, will rip through plastic wrap like, uh, a hacksaw through plastic:
That this hack should not be necessary goes without saying…
There’s a layer of double-stick foam tape between the box and blade. It’s probably removable, but I was in a hurry.
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 
Comments
5 responses to “Plastic Wrap Plastic Cutter Blade: FAIL”
how did you clean the blade before putting it to work in food service?
It’s been sitting unused in a tool drawer of the Basement Warehouse for decades: any self-respecting bug would have starved by now.
That’s my story and I’m sticking with it! [grin]
Why haven’t you 3-d printed a new plastic-wrap box with a custom attachment for the blade, yet? Jeez!
I’m claiming that a shiny new laser cutter would be the right tool for the job. Hasn’t gotten me a foothold in the budgetary process, but …
We use Stretch-tite plastic wrap; both Costco and the local restaurant-supply outfit sell it. (No sales tax in OR, so no reason to exclude the unwashed masses from wholesale places.) The Costco size (750 sq feet) comes with a double-ended cutter blade in a dismountable track. The supply-outfit size (500 sq feet) uses the steel quasi-hacksaw blade, but the film doesn’t play well with it. However, a spare track/blade slips over the blade on the box, and we’re good to go. If you run into this brand, check out the track/blade–the blade seems to last a long time, too.
I suppose you could print a functional replacement, mounting a razor blade on a metal track. [grin]