Article by jekky
Different types of scissors - sewing (left), paper (middle), kitchen (right) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) For other uses, see Cutting (disambiguation). Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. An implement commonly used for cutting is the knife or in medical cases the scalpel. However, any sufficiently sharp object is capable of cutting if it has a hardness sufficiently larger than the object being cut, and if it is applied with sufficient force. Cutting also describes the action of a saw which removes material in the process of cutting. Cutting is a compressive and shearing phenomenon, and occurs only when the total stress generated by the cutting implement exceeds the ultimate strength of the material of the object being cut. The simplest applicable equation is stress = force/area: The stress generated by a cutting implement is directly proportional to the force with which it is applied, and inversely proportional to the area of contact. Hence, the smaller the area (i.e., the sharper the cutting implement), the less force is needed to cut something. When referring to propagating plants, cutting is one of the methods that can be used. It involves cutting a part of the plant typically a healthy shoot, with sharp and sterile scissors or any other cutting device, and then placing the removed part in water. Some cuttings do not require water. Certain shoots when cut are able to grow when placed in vermiculite or potting soil. However, the former is the easiest to do as most shoots when cut from the main plant need time to grow roots, and then they are able to be transferred to potting soil. Tools commonly used for cutting A glass cutter, showing hardened steel cutting wheel (far left), notches for snapping, and ball (on end of handle) for tapping Axe Blade Bandsaw Chainsaw Cheese grater Circular saw Chop saw Cutting tool (metalworking) Diamond blade Diamond tool Drill bit Fingernail File Front teeth Glass cutter Hacksaw Handsaw Knife Laser Machete Mezzaluna Milling cutter Nail clipper Pizza wheel Plasma Cutter Razor blade Saw Scalpel Scissors Switchblade Sword Tool bits, turning tools for lathes Water jet cutter See also Tearing External links Optimum blade configurations for the cutting of soft solids How stuff works - Handsaws v d e Types of tools Cutting tools Blade Bolt cutter Broach Ceramic tile cutter Chisel Coping saw Countersink Diamond blade Diamond tool Drill bit Endmill File Fretsaw Froe Glass cutter Grater Hacksaw Hand saw Knife Milling cutter Miter saw Pipecutter Plane Razor Reamer Saw Scalpel Scissors Slasher Surform Switchblade Tap and die Tool bit Utility knife Water jet cutter Wire cutter Wire stripper Garden tools Adze Axe Billhook Bow saw Cultivator Earth auger Edger Garden fork Garden hose Garden trowel Hedge trimmer Hoe Hori hori Irrigation sprinkler Lawn aerator Lawn mower Lawn sweeper Leaf blower Loppers Machete Mattock Pickaxe Pitchfork Plough (plow) Post hole digger Pruning shears (secateurs) Rake Roller Rotary tiller Scythe Sickle Spade Splitting maul String trimmer Hand tools Block plane BNC inserter/remover Brace Bradawl Breaker bar Broom Brush Card scraper Caulking gun Clamp Crimping pliers Crowbar Fish tape Hammer Hawk Hex key Locking pliers Mallet Miter box Nut driver Pipe wrench Pliers Punch Punch down tool Putty knife Ratchet Scratch awl Screwdriver Sledgehammer Sponge Squeegee Staple gun Stitching awl Torque wrench Trowel Upholstery hammer Wrench (spanner) Machine tools Broaching machine Drill press Gear shaper Grinding machine Hobbing machine Jig borer Lathe Metalworking lathe Milling machine Planer Screw machine Shaper Turret lathe Power tools Angle grinder Band saw Belt sander Blow torch Chainsaw Chop saw Circular saw Concrete saw Crusher Cutting torch Die grinder Drill Glue gun Grinding machine Heat gun Impact wrench Jigsaw Jointer Nail gun Radial arm saw Random orbital sander Reciprocating saw Rotary tool Router table Sander Scroll saw Soldering gun Soldering iron Steam box Table saw Thickness planer Welding Wood router Wood shaper Measuring & Alignment tools Caliper Jig Micrometer Pencil Plumb-bob Ruler Sliding T bevel Spirit level Square Tape measure Other Antique tools Halligan bar Kelly tool Ladder Thau claw Toolbox Vise Workbench Categories: Cutting toolsHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from June 2007 | All articles lacking sources