Good hint! Thank you.

I manage but always dread changing the blade. I'd do it more often it was easier.

I just looked up pictures of the brand that I have because I was wondering if I have it correct. All the pictures show the blade on the left. I checked mine and it's okay. Would it help to see a picture?

Goodness, I did not realize that there was a art to changing the blade. I just do it and have for 6 years without mishap or error.

I took a blank piece of paper and as I took pieces off, I very carefully traced around them in a horizontal line. Then I put the paper in a sheet protector. Whenever I change a blade I pull it out and set the pieces on the diagram.

I really like the idea of taking pictures with my phone and just finished doing that and printing them out - one with it together and a second with the pieces on the diagram. I have added them to my original diagram and love it!

A few years ago JoAnn's had a free flier on how to change rotary blades. I picked one up thinking this would come in handy. Of course, it is very handy, but my problem now is where did I put it so I can change my blade again. I will look at UTube next time I need to change my blade.

I have cut myself, lost the little washer somewhere under a cabinet, assembled so that the blade won't turn, assembled so that the blade is sticking out away from the handle, and have now come to the conclusion that I'm so challenged that I've been known to buy a new cutter rather than figure out how to change the blade ever again.

I have to look on the back of the packaging. So you are not alone.

First -- make sure no one will interrupt you and turn off the TV or radio -- it is so easy to get distracted.

When I take the washer and put it with the other pieces, I keep it in the same position that it was in on the cutter. I also put my pieces starting with the first piece off the farthest from me. I also have the new blade out and in the correct position for assembly. I put the blade I remove very far away from my work area (I hate to say how many times I put the old blade back in before I did this).

I have tried to use gloves when changing blades but I seem to grab multiple blades if I do.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you look at it, the blades are heavily oiled -- thus they have a tendency to stick together -- so please don't be hard on yourself if you happen to get two blades instead of one -- the blades are hard to separate. Rotary cutters aren't the only things that get put together wrong. I obtained a 201-2 Singer sewing machine -- it had been brought to a place for repair -- the SM Mechanic apparently didn't know what he was doing either, because he couldn't tell that the tensioner was put back on the machine backwards. My son took one look at the User's Manual and at the machine -- and saw that it was backwards -- a 201-2 for free, except the foot control was gone as well as the slide plate, but those were relatively inexpensive. Ladies, give yourself credit for being human beings -- none of us are perfect and I've put my rotary cutter back together wrong before too!