Ideal hand tool for cutting traces on prototyping strip board?

[badrequest400]

For someone who has a stock of copper strip board and is therefore kind of committed to that method of building circuits, what is the ideal tool for breaking the strips that connect the through holes? I know you can use a 2 mm drill bit but is that the most ideal tool? A good tool would be self-centering in the hole like a drill bit is and only take a couple of turns to reliably cut the trace.

[themadhippy]

the tool designed for the job, a  vero spot face cutter https://verotl.com/verowire-accessory-spot-face-cutter-part-number-22-0239

[tggzzz]

A dremel with a dental bur.

That can also be used to cut islands/tracks on copperclad PCB, for use with manhattan and rat's nest construction techniques.

[Gyro]

2mm sounds a bit small. I can't find my vero spot face cutter at the moment, but I think it's more like 3mm [Edit: I suppose it can't be quite that big!], allowing more copper removal in a smaller number of turns. I remember seeing magazine adverts for the original cutter, when veroboard came out, it looked to have a center pin but I never saw one in the flesh. The modern ones are just a spade drill shape, A standard drill in a piece of wooden dowel would be just as good.

[asis]

... I accidentally found it in a hairdressing supplies store and adapted it to suit my needs...

[tooki]

2mm sounds a bit small. I can't find my vero spot face cutter at the moment, but I think it's more like 3mm [Edit: I suppose it can't be quite that big!]

Mine, a Farnell-branded knockoff, is 3.5mm, in fact.

[Gyro]

Thanks tooki, yes I just found mine - 3.5mm.

[jpanhalt]

I use a small burr in a Dremel as mentioned.  I can get a small, straight cut between holes.   I also keep a drill bit in an inexpensive pin vise hand when the cut is centered on a hole. 

Drills come in different included angles.  The wider the angle, the shallower the hole needs to be to cut a trace.  118° included angle is most common.  135° is readily available, still centers well, and is what I use.

[tggzzz]

I use a small burr in a Dremel as mentioned.  I can get a small, straight cut between holes.

I should have mentioned that. The capability can be useful, either to fit components closer together, or to allow an "extra" component to be added furing testing.