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Chris121

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  1. Try again with that link, but if it doesn't work try dhl.co.uk + payment options http://www.dhl.co.uk/en/express/resource_centre/shipment_billing_and_payment/payment_options.html Chris
  2. I had only given a landline number and the notification of duty due came as one of those rather hard to understand text messages, but it just stated the sum and referred me to this link:- http://www.dhl.co.uk/en/express/resource_centre/shipment_billing_and_payment/payment_options.html - following the "Personal Customers" link took me to a payment page. Might be worth a look? In my admittedly limited experience the 'scheduled delivery' day is not necessarily accurate - mine would have been a day early (good) if the driver had actually tried to deliver it (not so good!). Chris
  3. Mine has now turned up too, which is impressive considering it is only two weeks from order and Darkly Labs advised despatch as two to three weeks plus shipping time. Actually it would have been even quicker if yesterday's DHL contract driver hadn't claimed that we were not in to take delivery - we were - all day! For reference, I had to pay DHL £165 for Duty, VAT etc., for a 4W A3 Emblaser plus an extra pair of the Eagle safety glasses. No breakdown of the charges that I have been able to find, but it was roughly what I was expecting (while naturally hoping for less!). Sadly, apart from a quick check of the contents - including making sure of no travel weary Huntsman's (I share your views Giles!) further progress will have to wait a few days, so I look forward to hearing how it goes with everyone else. While searching for a UK distributor of IPI material I came across http://www.csionline.co.uk/materials/ , who seem to also claim to be "Exclusive Rowmark Distributors". Haven't had time to investigate further but it might be useful. Brilliant thread, thanks everyone, just need to make sure I can prove how much else the laser can do apart from modelling! Chris
  4. No Good! I couldn't resist all the pictures of the detail possible with the Emblaser and have taken a deep breath and placed an order for a 4W A3 kit - so now I just have to be patient for a few weeks! I too had begun to look for a source of Rowmark in the UK, and was finding it quite elusive - thank you Jonathan for the link to Trotec. As a bit of background, I am hoping the laser will be able to combine the convenience and simplicity of use of the Silhouette Cameo but without the limitations of blade and sticky mat, and the accuracy, and ability to handle thicker materials of the CNC without its workholding and programming demands (in fairness I ought to add that my Roland CNC, while excellent, is not one of the latest generation of 'maker-friendly' benchtop machines and I am using rather too heavyweight software - a legacy of my old day job). A tall order I know, but if I get at least some of the way there I will be very well satisfied, and it will be fun trying! So, thank you for starting this thread Monkeysarefun - fascinating stuff and please keep it coming, especially while a lucky some of us wait for DHL to come knocking (or, more likely, phoning to request the Duty and VAT!). All the best, Chris
  5. Could well be a bad influence on me too! Thank you very much for all this invaluable information - I thought I was well up-to-date on availability of small friendly equipment but had completely missed the Emblaser. Two years ago I very nearly bought a Silver Bullet cutter and since then have bid (unsuccessfully!) for s/h Black Cat Cougars. In the end, however, I opted for a Silhouette Cameo to explore the possibilities of this type of cutter. While I am very impressed with the Cameo, which is a really excellent machine for the money, there are limits as to what you can do with the 'sticky' mat and a blade. The Cameo has only about a quarter of the cutting force of a Silver Bullet, but I think this is only part of the story because even with much more downward force the limitations of the work-holding (and removing!) and the ability of a blade to execute a sharp change of direction remain. Indeed, the thicker the material being cut the more challenged the blade becomes on those right-angles. Admittedly the ability to accurately cut multiple layers to laminate partially gets round the problem, but it takes a few layers to build up the 2mm 'heavy card' of a Scalescenes kit. So, even though it may get me into trouble, please keep the posts coming, and in case I haven't fallen before your machine comes, Giles, it would be good to know how you get on with the Duty and VAT - and if mine is already on it's way I will at least know what to expect from TNT/DHL. Chris
  6. Hi Allan, That was quick! Thank you. I too originally bought the Cameo with the idea of labour saving (plus 'skill' enhancing) on cutting out Scalescenes models, and I am still working on ways to get the best out of it for this, but since getting it I have become intrigued by its wider potential. The largest job I have done so far was a pair of decorative guards for swords for a production of 'Midsummer Nights Dream' - sorry nothing to do with modelling, but it shows the versatility of the Cameo. Straightforward vector cutting in layers of card, curved to shape, laminated and spray painted silver. Not a million miles off coach bodies - apart from the silver (unless you are modelling certain very specialised stock!). If you do try any thicker styrene in the Silver Bullet I would be fascinated to know the results, but please don't destroy any blades on my account. Chris
  7. Strictly just a touch off topic, but very closely related, I have been trying to remember who was contributing to this thread who was using a Silver Bullet cutter? A much more expensive machine with several times the cutting force of the Silhouette, I am curious as to how it can handle thicker materials e.g. what thickness of styrene can it cut cleanly? When I first got interested in the potential of cutters I looked at one of these machines, but couldn't justify the cost for what was after all experimentation (and fun!), so I went instead for the excellent Silhouette Cameo. I wonder whether the limiting factor is, in the end, how neatly one can really expect a triangular shaped blade, whether 60 or 45 degree to turn a right angle in thicker material. Any wisdom gratefully received, and would, I hope add to the general store of knowledge about our machines and their potential. Chris
  8. Hi Jason, Thanks for this, I've just had a play with importing different coloured layers, and it works well from Serif Drawplus X6, but, so far, less well from Rhino 4, but it is useful to know how to keep things separate in Studio. Inkscape would be great if one could programme all functions of the Silhouette, including cutting force, directly, but I gather this is not possible. Studio does open and close quite happily, and only seems to 'hang' during the shutdown process - not really a problem - as long as it gets no worse. I use Rhino chiefly because I have been designing for Rapid Prototyping/3D printing and have just got used to this way of working. I am lucky enough to have a 3D miller (Roland MDX500), but the simplicity and convenience of the Silhouette on the desk is very attractive - and it is a lot easier to programme, although not quite as easy as a Stanley knife, Allan - but in my hands probably safer! Chris
  9. Thank you Mike, If it happens again I will certainly try this work round - much less drastic than my remedy, which was actually on Windows 7 so Vista is not to blame for once. Also thank you JCL for jogging my memory about Studio's other, possibly connected, peculiarity that it often doesn't shut properly and has to be 'forced' when the PC is shut down. None of which stops the Silhouette being a great bit of kit, although I do wish Studio could handle layers. I get round this by drawing in Rhino (I know - a 3D programme is somewhat excessive, but I have been using it for years and it is very reliable) and then exporting sections as separate DXF files. These DXF files are then merged one by one in the desired order for cutting into Studio, each being deleted after completion of that particular cut (or planking scribe). As long as the positioning in Studio remains unchanged, and the workpiece doesn't move, this works well, but it would be so much easier with layers or the facility to select to cut by colour of line. Control over the direction of cut would be great too! Ah well - wishful thinking perhaps? In the past we have at work paid four times the cost of the Silhouette including Studio just for one year of support on one high-end machining programme, so I suppose one must keep a sense of proportion! Chris
  10. Inspired by this thread, and thank you very much to all who have been contributing, I have been experimenting with the Silhouette I bought last year - but haven't had time to use as much as I would like. Last week I got a similar message when I tried to open Studio, but rebooting didn't get rid of it, and nor did an uninstall and reinstall. In the end I guessed that something recent had corrupted the Studio files and restored the PC back a couple of weeks - a rather desperate move, and one I wouldn't want to make a habit of, but it did cure the problem. I then reinstalled the only recent software (Serif Drawplus X6 and McAfee) that the restore had removed and the problem has not reoccurred (thank goodness) but I am none the wiser as to the cause. One of those moments when you feel helpless in the face of technology! Has anyone else had similar problems? Chris
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