A Guide to using the Silhouette Cameo Cutter

[Phil Brighton]

Hi all,

 

I have been using a Portrait Cutter successfully on plasticard for a while but now wish to cut accurate windows to flush glaze some coaches.

 

Unfortunately the cutter is not cutting the clear plastic accurately. I don't know if the blade is slipping or the material moving on the mat but the cuts outs are not square and egdes not straight.

Anyone managed to get good cuts on clear plastic? If so any tips?

 

Thanks

 

Phil

[peter findlay]

The signal box design includes a upper walkway supported by timbers protruding from the main walls. In the design of the box I have made the walkway supports extensions of the joists that will support the upper floor in the box. The main joists were cut from 20 thou styrene and two laminated together to produce each joist.

 

The ends of the joists which carry the walkway has been rebated to carry the walkway and detailed as per the original plan.

 

 

The Portrait cutter handled the fine dimensions very well as shown below. The joists are designed to slip through the holes on the main walls to provide the internal support for the floor.

 

 

The walkway supports for the end elevations are shorter to meet the main joists from the elevation again with the same detailing.

 

 

The joists in place passed through the main walls and secured.

 

 

Next is to move on to the walkway itself.

 

 

 

 

 

[JCL]

Hi all,I have been using a Portrait Cutter successfully on plasticard for a while but now wish to cut accurate windows to flush glaze some coaches.Unfortunately the cutter is not cutting the clear plastic accurately. I don't know if the blade is slipping or the material moving on the mat but the cuts outs are not square and egdes not straight.Anyone managed to get good cuts on clear plastic? If so any tips?ThanksPhil

Try creating your rectangles using horizontal and vertical lines instead of the rectangle shape. Make the lines of each orientation a different colour, and then when you come to cut, all of the lines of the first orientation will be cut first. Then the knife will turn when you start the lines of the second orientation. A long time ago I did an experiment that compared boxes of differing sizes cut using either 4 lines, or using a rectangle shape. The 4 line version boxes were quite a bit more accurate.

 

Again, make sure your speed is 1, and I always do an initial light score before doing a proper cut - though this may be more superstition than based on good practice.

[MickRalph]

It has just occurred to me that the blade will still be (say) vertical after cutting the last of the vertical lines, so that it will have to turn to horizontal at the start of the first of the horizontal lines; this will make that particular corner a bit jagged.  If I could work out how to make sure that it became the first cut, it could be advantageous to cut a simple horizontal line first to orientate the blade before it cuts the required lines.  I think, though, that working out how to get this line to cut first may be too difficult to make it worth doing. 

 

I think that the lines are generally cut in the order they were created (their "z-order"), though there are various options in Studio for the cutting order - no sort(ie z-order); mazimise speed; minimize roller movement; or sort interior contours first.  When cutting small items with small strips between holes, or even cutting coach panelling, the latter option (which is selectable separately from the others) is probably a good one in order to cut the smallest holes first before cutting out the complete item.  I have found in the past that complete small items (eg hand-wheels) can get detached from the backing sheet before the internal holes have completely cut through (perhaps because of the order the lines are cut).

 

On balance, I think I can live with the issue of a single curved cut at the start of a new colour, as it really only shows up at high magnification.  I will, however, try out the internal contours cut option for the future.

 

Mick

[Ron Heggs]

It has just occurred to me that the blade will still be (say) vertical after cutting the last of the vertical lines, so that it will have to turn to horizontal at the start of the first of the horizontal lines; this will make that particular corner a bit jagged.  If I could work out how to make sure that it became the first cut, it could be advantageous to cut a simple horizontal line first to orientate the blade before it cuts the required lines.  I think, though, that working out how to get this line to cut first may be too difficult to make it worth doing. 

 

I think that the lines are generally cut in the order they were created (their "z-order"), though there are various options in Studio for the cutting order - no sort(ie z-order); mazimise speed; minimize roller movement; or sort interior contours first.  When cutting small items with small strips between holes, or even cutting coach panelling, the latter option (which is selectable separately from the others) is probably a good one in order to cut the smallest holes first before cutting out the complete item.  I have found in the past that complete small items (eg hand-wheels) can get detached from the backing sheet before the internal holes have completely cut through (perhaps because of the order the lines are cut).

 

On balance, I think I can live with the issue of a single curved cut at the start of a new colour, as it really only shows up at high magnification.  I will, however, try out the internal contours cut option for the future.

 

Mick

 

A thought Mick

 

Can you put single dummy horizontal and/or vertical lines of unique different colours. Then before making your specific horizontal/vertical cuts, cut one of the relevant dummies first. This should line up the blade before its proper cut

 

Ron 

[davetheroad]

According to the manual if you select advanced cutting options you can cut by line colour. Have all your vertical lines in one colour and the horizontal ones in another. add a small horizontal line in another colour and set the cut order so the 3rd line cuts before the horizontal ones. That should rotate the blade, in theory!

[Phil Brighton]

Try creating your rectangles using horizontal and vertical lines instead of the rectangle shape. Make the lines of each orientation a different colour, and then when you come to cut, all of the lines of the first orientation will be cut first. Then the knife will turn when you start the lines of the second orientation. A long time ago I did an experiment that compared boxes of differing sizes cut using either 4 lines, or using a rectangle shape. The 4 line version boxes were quite a bit more accurate.

 

Again, make sure your speed is 1, and I always do an initial light score before doing a proper cut - though this may be more superstition than based on good practice.

Thanks - I will try this out

[Rob Pulham]

I spent most of Saturday on a very enjoyable whistle stop tour of the Yorkshire Dales so modelling time was much reduced.

 

What did get done was further detailing on the NER G1 and G2 vans.

 

 

 

They are still very difficult to photograph whilst still white. 

 

Also after a marthon 10 hour cutting session I made a start on assembling the layers for a NBR D42B van which is visually very similar to the D39B van but it's wider and higher. I will be making the ends for this one myself so it will be interesting to compare them to the Parkside ends on the D39B when I get that far.

[Guest Nevadablue]

Mick, if the layout allows, just make the lines of the rectangles slightly longer than the sides of the rectangle. That way, the cut starts outside the corner, leaving no messy corner.

[MickRalph]

Ken's suggestion would be fine for external rectangles, but won't work where the rectangle is inside other shapes (eg windows in the panel overlay for pre-grouping coaches).

 

I think that the suggestions from Ron and davetheroad, for creating the dummy lines in completely different colours to be cut between the horizontal and vertical ones, is probably the best solution.  It would be necessary to make sure that there is consistency in the colour scheme for any design, in that no vertical line should be in the colour for vertical lines.

 

Mick

[James Harrison]

I have finished the first of the carriages I'm planning to rebuild using sides produced via the Portrait Cutter. 

 

 

Compared to what I can achieve building by hand, this is a huge leap forward.  If this is what I can look to achieve as a FIRST ATTEMPT from it I consider the tool well worth the expense (which to be fair I did find initially off-putting).  I'm very pleased with this result!- and can't wait to draw up the other carriages I need to complete this particular rake. 

[JCL]

Hi James, it can be addictive - have a look for Andy's Coach Bodging thread - he's doing some quite complicated builds now.

[peter findlay]

The Portrait cutter was used to cut two 20 thou laminations for the signal box walkway. The cutter was also used to cut 1 and 2 mm square holes that would be used to house the handrail posts as shown below.

 

 

The handrail posts were formed from 40 x 40 and 80 x 80 thou styrene strip. The post have an octagonal cross section, which has been represented by carefully filing away a small portion at 45 degrees along each edge.

 

 

Each post is secured in the holes in the laminated walkway.

 

 

The handrail is added and then the diagonal cross members.

 

 

The front elevation almost complete. The handrail will be continued around both ends.

 

 

Peter

 

[Siygess]

Hi folks - I've been following this thread for a very long time with a view to purchasing a Silhouette machine for cutting plasticard and last year I finally took the plunge.. and it only took me six months to get it out the box and get started with it! 

 

I'm really struggling with material thickness, however, and the impression I get from reading all the previous posts is that I shouldn't be having these problems. I can cut through 10 thou plasticard with one pass (Blade setting 5, Thickness 33, Speed 1, Doublecut) but that's my backup plan because I really want to be working with 15 thou. However, I just can't cut through the blasted material! With a new blade, I've just tried blade settings 6 through 10 (none of these make a discernible difference), all at Thickness 33, Speed 1 and Doublecut. Even after 10 passes (technically 20 if you include Doublecut) it isn't going all the way through the material. Short of flipping the sheet over and cutting through from the other side (which I have tried, but even with the registration marks on the mat and everything lined up, it hasn't been accurate enough) I don't know what else to try. 

 

Is 15 thou really a lost cause, or should I be trying 20 passes instead of a mere 10?

[JCL]

Hi there

 

I hope you have a great time with your Silhouette cutter. From what I remember, the limit for cutting through is 10 thou, 15 thou and thicker its a case of score and snap. On the settings, you'll find that although most people seem to use similar settings, there are outliers. Personally I had everything set to maximum to cut through styrene, but others managed with the settings you are quoting.

 

cheers

 

Jason

[MikeTrice]

I have only successfully cut through 10thou. Everything else I snap out.

 

Whilst on the subject if I were cutting out a window aperture in thick styrene by hand I would cut around the perimeter and then do two diagonal cuts corner to corner which aids snapping out. When producing artwork for cutting in the thicker materials it is worth considering putting such cross cuts in. It can also aid snapping out items with straight edges if they are lined up together.

[Siygess]

Thanks guys although it isn't exactly happy news - scoring and snapping the exterior edges is fine but I have a lot of small interior details with curves so they will have to be cut out of 15 thou by hand - and one slip up trashes the whole piece. Looks like I might just have to stick with the 10 thou and double up on the layers

[Colin_McLeod]

I have just found this thread and these cutter/plotters are very impressive. I can see potential time saving in my planned city buildings.

[BG John]

Thanks guys although it isn't exactly happy news - scoring and snapping the exterior edges is fine but I have a lot of small interior details with curves so they will have to be cut out of 15 thou by hand - and one slip up trashes the whole piece. Looks like I might just have to stick with the 10 thou and double up on the layers

I haven't used mine much yet, and have found that 10 thou is the maximum it will cut. I've snapped out thicker pieces, but what I haven't tried yet is using a knife to finish cutting out thick material. It's got to be easier, more accurate, and less likely to go wrong, than marking out and cutting entirely by hand.

[Ron Heggs]

I haven't used mine much yet, and have found that 10 thou is the maximum it will cut. I've snapped out thicker pieces, but what I haven't tried yet is using a knife to finish cutting out thick material. It's got to be easier, more accurate, and less likely to go wrong, than marking out and cutting entirely by hand.

 

That is my preferred way of cutting out thicker materials. I even use the same method when cutting small intricate shapes in 10thou to prevent tearing of the material when the odd piece comes loose off the mat. It may be a bit fiddly and increase the time spent, but it does preserve the accuracy of the cut item

 

Cutting and snapping, or cutting and hand finished cuts I find are the best way to go

 

Ron

[BG John]

That is my preferred way of cutting out thicker materials. I even use the same method when cutting small intricate shapes in 10thou to prevent tearing of the material when the odd piece comes loose off the mat. It may be a bit fiddly and increase the time spent, but it does preserve the accuracy of the cut item

 

Cutting and snapping, or cutting and hand finished cuts I find are the best way to go

 

Ron

Considering the alternative is a laser cutter at many times the price, and with the need for special plastics, it seems a fair compromise. Although it would be nice if a new version was produced with a much deeper cut, at the same price as the Portrait, with a good trade in deal!

[Rob Pulham]

I posted this on my rolling stock workbench but thought it worth repeating here for those that don't visit the workbench threads.

 

Meanwhile in between glue drying on the second full brake I made further progress on a couple of the wagons.

 

The NBR Diagram 39B now sports a roof it just needs, rain strips,  wheels blackened, couplings and the painting finishing.

 

 

The NER G2 has had more detailing added to the sides, a start on detailing the solebars (they aren't fixed yet it's just resting on them for the photo and it's roof cut and curved - I still need to work on the canvas roof door covering.

Still a fair way to go but it's nearer than it was.

 

[peter findlay]

Been a while since I posted an update on the signal box, but have been able to make some progress. The walkway is complete and an initial coat of paint applied.

 

 

Trial fitted in place on the model, final fitting will be done when roof and staircase are added.

 

 

The next step is to produce the staircase. The aim is to produce something looking like the picture below.

 

 

The individual pieces to be sent to the Portrait cutter were laid out as shown. I think it would have taken me much longer to cut these by hand and I doubt they would have been as accurate.

 

 

The bulk of the pieces were cut from 10 thou so plenty of time was allowed for the pieces to set with weight applied to try and prevent warping. the bottom layer was scored using the portrait to represent wood panelling.

 

 

The spindles, yule posts etc. were constructed from 40 thou square rod as for the walkway described previously. Small 2mm  beads were super glued to the yule posts to add decoration.

 

The final assembled staircase is shown below. It will be painted to match the walkway.

 

 

Next step is to construct the roof.

 

Peter

[JCL]

That is brilliant.

[peter findlay]

That is brilliant.

 

Thanks Jason,

 

I'm really happy with the way the staircase (and the rest of the signal box) has come together and with how easy it was to produce with the software and the Portrait cutter.

 

Peter