Greetings everyone, I'd like to pass on an excellent method for cutting
pneumatic cloth, leather, cork, or virtually any flat material used in
player restoration.

My wife is an avid quilter.  The tedious part of this craft, cutting out
the pieces, has been revolutionized in the past few years by a device
called a rotary cutter.  This is essentially a razor wheel on a handle,
and in conjunction with a special cutting mat and a straightedge, yields
cuts of incredible precision on virtually any rolled goods, without
deformation.  She has employed it on my behalf for cutting pneumatic
cloth, motor cloth, bellows cloth, cork, roll paper, and leather to
precise dimensions.  The straightedges that are available are
transparent, and have gradations printed or molded into them, so
parallel cuts of any width are easy to make.  The cutting mats, also
available in many sizes, are strongly recommended; without one, the
cutter wheel and your countertop will be destroyed in short order.  A
bit of practice is recommended, as they are equally effective on finger
tissue.  Olfa is the prevailing brand, but others are showing up.
Virtually all fabric or quilting shops carry them.

Restoration guides recommend tearing the cloth to get strips parallel to
the grain; if it is necessary to have this, tear the material first near
an edge to determine the grain, and then lay the straightedge parallel
to this tear to make subsequent cuts..  You'll be very pleased with the
results.  It's fast, and consistent results are assured.

Dan Harrett