TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kits

How to build your kit

Build your ideal TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kit in three simple steps: select your cutter series, choose the kit type, and pick the blade that matches your testing needs. 

Manufactured by our TQC Sheen brand, the TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kits are portable hand tools for Adhesion Testing of dry paint, varnish and coating films. A series of parallel cuts are cross-angled through the coating to obtain a lattice of 25 or 100 similar squares; the ruled area is then evaluated visually against a classification chart, after brushing or applying adhesive tape depending on substrate hardness. 

Used by paints and coatings laboratories, industrial paint QC teams, automotive OEM coating suppliers, aerospace and defense coating specifiers, marine and protective coating manufacturers, and powder coating applicators, the kits are the workhorse tool for adhesion classification wherever cross-cut testing is required – in the lab, on the production floor, or in the field. 

Three cutter series and two kit configurations let you pick the right combination for your standards, coating thicknesses and substrate types. Blades are sold separately, so you buy only what your test protocols need. Results are traceable to ISO 2409:2020, ASTM D3359-23 and GOST 15140. 

Our cross cut test kit contains items made from aluminum, rubber and vacuum hardened stainless steel.

Why it matters

Defensible pass/fail data to current international standards. The kits classify coating adhesion to ISO 2409:2020 (Edition 5, current), ASTM D3359-23 (2023 revision, current) and GOST 15140 – so your pass/fail decisions stand up to customer, regulatory and internal quality audits without needing to re-run the test against a newer standard revision. 

Full 0-250 µm coating thickness coverage across hard and soft substrates. Blade selection covers thin coatings (0-60 µm, 1 mm teeth), mid-range (61-120 µm, 2 mm teeth) and thick coatings (121-250 µm, 3 mm teeth), with dedicated blades for hard substrates (metal) and configurations for soft substrates (wood, plaster). One kit family covers the coating range from thin conversion coatings through to heavy protective and marine coatings. 

Portable, no power, no calibration between tests. The cross cut adhesion test is a manual visual-classification method – no power supply, no computer, no calibration cycle between samples. Standard kit contents (cutter grip, brush, illuminated magnifier, adhesive tape, case) run adhesion checks in minutes at the bench, on the production line, or on-site during coating inspection visits.

Choose your cutter series – CC1000, CC2000 or CC3000

Three cutter series are available – pick the one that matches your standards, coating types and test volume: 

• CC1000 – Multi-cutter (8 round edges). Rotating round cutting head with eight interchangeable cutting edges – one blade lasts eight times as long between changes. Self-positioning knife bracket ensures equal pressure on the cutting edge. Ideal for high-volume QC labs and production floor testing where blade changes need to be infrequent. 

• CC2000 – Single cutter (easy cutter). Traditional single-blade design with a self-positioning knife bracket for consistent pressure. Simple, robust, easy to service – ideal for labs and inspection teams running lower test volumes or where operator training time is limited. 

• CC3000 – Adjustable cutter (wheel-guided). Depth-adjustable cutter guided by two ball bearings for reproducible cutting depth across samples. Ideal for R&D and specification work where cut depth needs to be verified and controlled test-to-test.

Choosing the right blade

Blades are sold separately so you can specify the exact combination of teeth distance, teeth count and substrate compatibility for your standard and coating thickness range. 

• 1 mm teeth distance, 6 teeth – ISO 2409 hard substrates 0-60 µm, ASTM D3359 0-50 µm. 
• 2 mm teeth distance, 6 teeth – ISO 2409 hard substrates 61-120 µm, ASTM D3359 50-125 µm, ISO 2409 soft substrates 0-60 µm. 
• 3 mm teeth distance, 6 teeth – ISO 2409 hard substrates 121-250 µm – the thickest coating range covered. 
• 1 mm teeth distance, 11 teeth – ASTM D3359 pre-2009 edition, hard substrates 0-50 µm. See section flag below. 
• 1.5 mm teeth distance, 11 teeth – ASTM D3359 pre-2009 edition, hard substrates 50-125 µm. See section flag below. 

Full blade selection guide, teeth counts and part numbers by cutter series on the Cross Cut Adhesion Test Blades product page. For guidance on which standard applies to your test, see the Standards article on the cross cut adhesion test. 

Testing to international standards

The TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kits are designed to support cross cut adhesion classification to the following current international standards: 

• ISO 2409:2020 (Edition 5) – Paints and varnishes – Cross-cut test. The internationally recognised method for classifying coating resistance to separation from hard and soft substrates. 
• ASTM D3359-23 (2023 revision) – Standard Test Methods for Rating Adhesion by Tape Test. Method A (X-cut) is intended for field use; Method B (cross-hatch) is intended for laboratory and shop use. 
• GOST 15140 – the Russian and CIS standard for adhesion testing of paint and varnish coatings.

Spares and accessories

Genuine TQC Sheen spares and accessories keep the kits running to specification: 

• Cross Cut Adhesion Test Blades – full range of round blades (for CC1000) and single or square blades (for CC2000 and CC3000) across 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm teeth distances, covering ISO 2409, ASTM D3359 and GOST 15140 blade patterns. 

What happens after you enquire

When you enquire about the TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kits, our TQC Sheen specialists will confirm which standards you need to test to (ISO 2409, ASTM D3359, GOST 15140, or a combination), your typical coating thickness range, and the substrates you work with. They will recommend the right cutter series (CC1000, CC2000 or CC3000), the correct kit type (Basic or Standard), and the blades that match your coating thickness and standard. 

For purchasing teams, we provide clear SKU references across the three cutter series, two kit types and 10+ blade options, quotation turnaround, and the technical documentation you need for internal sign-off. Standard kits are dispatched within 2 days from stock so you can start testing quickly. 

Service, warranty and ongoing support

Every TQC Sheen Cross Cut Adhesion Test Kit is supplied with a 1 year parts and labour warranty as standard – our Industrial Physics group commitment across all brands. Because the kits are manual hand tools with no calibration cycle, ongoing support focuses on replacement blades, brushes and adhesive tape as consumables. To arrange replacement blades, order spares or discuss volume purchases for multiple sites, contact our support team. 

Guidance on selecting the right blade for a new coating thickness, standard revision, or substrate change is available from your TQC Sheen contact – so the kits stay productive across changing specifications, coating chemistries and quality requirements.