Use a straightedge and sharp blade to get clean, straight lines.
The shroud lines are old and have bends.
Run an iron over the lines with the iron on a dry, cotton setting.
TIP:
NEWBIES:
Try not to touch any stickers. The oils on your fingers could diminish the adhesive. Here I've lifted the reinforcement ring with my knife. Center and position with the sticker still on the blade.
To prevent a tear from starting, punch the hole up against the outside edge of the ring. Rotary punches work great but you've got to have cardstock behind the sheet when punching through the plastic.
Shroud lines can be hard to tie.
TIP: Use long tweezers to tie the knot. On shroud lines, I use a simple square knot.
Good point about not touching the sticky side of the adhesive tape with your fingers -- the problem with the finger oils lessening ability of the adhesive to stick isn't immediately obvious.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to note how the shroud lines have been handled over the years.
Earlier instructions have you cut the shroud lines into individual lengths (rather than paired) and long rectangular tape strips.
At some point there was a switch to using round tape discs, and sometimes indicate an open loop or hook in the shroud line under the tape disc.
At some point the instructions began showing the shroud lines being in pairs (with some variations on the pairing -- sometimes with three adjacent pairs, and other times one set connecting opposite corners and remainder being adjacent).
At some point reinforcement rings (the type you'd use on paper you'd put in ring binder) are being used instead of the tape discs -- and the instructions have you tie a knot through the ring.