How Do I Get A Nice Clean Cut When Using Tappits?

Decorating By drakegore Updated 15 Feb 2010 , 9:41pm by dalis4joe

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drakegore Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:03am
post #1 of 17

i am not a beginner at using tappits, but lately i have been having a lot of trouble getting a nice clean cut. the edges of my letters are rough (see the photo).

i use crisco on my cutting board and let the fondant rest before cutting and have no trouble with the letters sticking. but when i go to pull away the excess fondant from the letter, i get furry egdes that look really bad.

does anyone have any tricks or tips for getting really nice clean edges on the letters?

thank you!
diane
LL

16 replies
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drakegore Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:07am
post #2 of 17

here's a better illustration of the problem (that other photo came thru too small):
LL

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jammjenks Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:12am
post #3 of 17

I press down very hard and move it back and forth before lifting up. That seems to help me.

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tarheelgirl Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:15am
post #4 of 17

I do the same thing.. move it around and it comes out clean.

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drakegore Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:16am
post #5 of 17

i forgot to mention i do that. i gently push the cutter up and down and slightly side to side, and i am still getting the hairy edges. as far as i know i am doing everything right and still screwing up, lol.

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Deb_ Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 3:53am
post #6 of 17

I found it helps a bit if you let the fondant or gumpaste sit out for a bit before using the cutter....so it's not so soft.

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Kitagrl Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 4:04am
post #7 of 17

Yeah you should let the fondant dry a bit, and it should be rolled very thin. Then wiggle around a bit when you cut it.

Before you "tap" it out also you can gently wipe the edges with your finger as well to brush away any raggedy edges.

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leah_s Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 4:07am
post #8 of 17

I think your fondant is just a wee bit too thick.

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KrissieCakes Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 4:09am
post #9 of 17

Something that has helped me get rid of the jagged edges is a soft paint brush. After I have cut the letters (even moving the cutter back and forth, like others have suggested), I let them harden. Before I put them on anything I brush them all over with a soft paint brush. It gets off any prickly pieces as well as any leftover cornstarch residue!

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cylstrial Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:23pm
post #10 of 17

I love your apples - they are super cute!

I pretty much do the same thing that everyone else does. I also roll my gumpaste very thin and then let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Then I press the letter into the fondant and then I put my hand on top of the letter and I press really hard with my right hand and I wiggle the whole strip with my left hand.

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grandmaruth Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 2:46pm
post #11 of 17

i watched a video by cupcakenvy on you tube....after cutting she rubs her hand across the bottom of the cutter before releasing the letters or whatever is being cut out and that gets rid of the rough edges.

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drakegore Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 3:00pm
post #12 of 17

i agree, my fondant was too darn thick. i tried to reroll it after it had rested but i ended up wrinkling it, so i decided to do my best with thick.

i crisco my cutting matt so that when i cut, my letter sticks to the mat instead of sticking in the cutter and doesn't suffer any distortion.
perhaps this method is not the best for me, lol.

so when you remove your cutter, the letter is still in it....running your finger over the edges sounds like it would work really well, but do you have any issues getting it out of the tappit? do you have to dust your cutter with cornstarch first?

diane

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TexasSugar Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 3:40pm
post #13 of 17

How are you getting it out of the cutter Diane? Are you "tapping" them against something to pop them out?

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drakegore Posted 10 Feb 2010 , 4:47pm
post #14 of 17

when i lift the cutter, the letter is left behind (adhered to the mat from the light rubbing of crisco i put down before rolling). i don't have to tap it out at all....

but if i leave it in (no crisco) then i can rub the edges and get 'em clean.
but before i used the crisco trick, i could never get the letters out of the cutter and by the time they fell out they were seriously mangled.

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RobzC8kz Posted 11 Feb 2010 , 11:54pm
post #15 of 17

Your apples are so adorable! I'm a dude...not sure if "adorable" is really all that manly, but my Wife is a teacher, and I'd totally like to steal your idea sometime in the future!

As for your problem with the jagged edges, I usually run a razor blade around the edges of my letters and stuff once they're dry to cut off all the excess!

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drakegore Posted 12 Feb 2010 , 3:05am
post #16 of 17

steal away icon_smile.gif. these were for a teacher appreciation luncheon.
i love the razor blade idea, now why didn't i think of that!
thank you!

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dalis4joe Posted 15 Feb 2010 , 9:41pm
post #17 of 17

I use the thin foam pad from the wilton light pink 2 foam set and rub the back before I take ot off the tappit.. but I think leah is right... needs to be thinner and it won't happen as often....

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