Rods_of_Revolution Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Can I just say a massive thank you! The information in this thread is spot on and has served as a perfect quick start guide for me. I received my Silhouette Portrait cutter a couple of days ago and I made my first cuts this evening. I am using Solid Edge as I have been using it at work over the last 18 months so I already had a few digital models made with the intention of printing templates and cutting them out by hand. It has been so simple to export DXFs from Solid Edge and then import them into Silhouette Studio. I didn't have to do anything to the drawings once imported, they were ready to cut and only required the settings inputing before I was ready to hit the "Cut" button. Thanks for saving me a lot of time in experimenting and troubleshooting as reading this thread has been brilliantly helpful! Cheers, Jack 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted January 17, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Task Manager isn`t that dangerous in my experience, forcing a close when something has frozen or done a Studio. I can`t remember a problem relaunching afterwards. Hi Tren, closing Studio isn't the issue, it's the fact you are closing processes, not applications. Some of the processes on the list really shouldn't be closed it could cause problems. I suppose I'm just saying, be careful and make sure you have the right process selected before you stop it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Thoughts on CB09: I have a CB09 blade holder as it looks like a more econimical way of changing blades. The Silhouette blades are upwards of £9 each whereas you can buy blades for the CB09 for about £18 for 6. The CB09 drops into the blade carrier on the portrait. So far so good. Now I have discovered problems with it: 1) The CB09 sits a tad lower than the proper cutter. This could be cured by cutting a ring of say 10thou card and sliding it over the CB09 to stop it dropping down so far. 2) There is no 'click' registration for the blade. This shouldn't be an issue but I think it could be. I seem to have a lot of issues in working out how far out the blade should be for cutting material. I try and set it to the same distance as the proper cutter, but the cutting doesn't seem to work as well as the proper cutter. 3) I have 60* and 45* blades. Now I will say that the 60* blades seem to be much better for detail, so I won't buy anymore 45* 4) The blades seem to drag across the surface of the sheet when the blade is traversing and not cutting. It's not very deep but is noticable, and would show up more with paint I guess. 5) So far I have failed to get the CB09 to cut through any sheet, so i have to use a blade to break though. So a bit doom and gloom from Me. Andy G 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Andy, I also have a CB09. I had not noticed the different depth. Using an electronic caliper the Silhouette holder projects 30.6mm from the "band" to the tip of the white domed end while the CB09 measures 31.2mm. To set the depth I use the method I suggested earlier in the thread, place some material up against the blade and adjust it until the tip is just higher using either magnification or as I do by gently running my finger tip lightly over the blade and sheet (I have not cut myself yet). I do not have any 60* blades but will certainly give them a go at a later date. I have not experienced your problem with the blade dragging across the surface, but this might depend on the thickness of material being cut. In my case the CB09 and original Silhouette blade performed the same. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Mike, I'm glad that the CB09 seems to be standard on length! I only noticed when I first noticed the light drag markes on the 20thou sheet I was cutting. I do the fingernail test for setting the blade depth, but it just doesn't seem to cut right through (even if i wind the blade out excessively!). I don't mind this so much as it makes peeling the sheet off the mat a damn sight easier and quicker! But it would be nice to get the same results as everyone else! Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Actually I was thinking Acrylic Car Primer in a rattle can, possibly the plastic primer. I seem to recall from many years ago that Primer is still porous but that might have been the old fashioned Cellulose primer. Experiment 2 - I repeated my trial of inkjet printing onto styrene; this time using a sprayed coat of 'Hycote' white primer (from an auto-parts shop). I think this has given the best result in this series and no hairspray involved! The print is not as sharp as when the same image is printed on photo paper but actually looks better 'in the flesh' than the photo I have a couple of Cleminson chassis kits on the way, so must get on with building some coaches now! Mike 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I have only cut 10thou with it, but did succeed in cutting right through. I am using the 45 degree blade. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Mike O You not using Jasons clemmy parts then? Mike T I've tried both 10 and 20 thou, with similar results on both. I know it's going to be difficult, but is there anyway of measuring how far out you have the blade for 10thou please? I have tried quite a few different attempts, and am beginning to lose the faith! Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Andy, I also have a CB09. I had not noticed the different depth. Using an electronic caliper the Silhouette holder projects 30.6mm from the "band" to the tip of the white domed end while the CB09 measures 31.2mm. To set the depth I use the method I suggested earlier in the thread, place some material up against the blade and adjust it until the tip is just higher using either magnification or as I do by gently running my finger tip lightly over the blade and sheet (I have not cut myself yet). I do not have any 60* blades but will certainly give them a go at a later date. I have not experienced your problem with the blade dragging across the surface, but this might depend on the thickness of material being cut. In my case the CB09 and original Silhouette blade performed the same. I haven't tried precise measurement but I have photographed the two cutters side-by-side. As you can see from the photo, any difference in length is only fractions of a millimetre. The CB09 feels heavier (I haven't weighed them) and, if so, this might be the cause of drag, if it doesn't retract so fully. Also, I'm not sure whether all CB09s are created equal. I suspect they come from various small workshops in China. I have seen some that look to have a rougher surface finish than mine. Mike Edited January 17, 2014 by MikeOxon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 I hadn't considered the weight aspect (which should be an advantage for cutting, but doesn't seem to help mine!) but mine looks to be finished much the same as yours. I do wonder if the length of blades and springs has an effect on its performances... Andy g Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The springs are there purely to retract the blade when adjusting cutter depth and do not feature in the cut. Likewise blade length should not matter providing enough it exposed to suit the thickness of the material. I believe the intention is that the domed end of the holder actually moves across the surface of the material being cut. The pressure increases the downward force of the blade on the material. Not certain how I might show blade depth. Will give it some thought. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Humm, so if the blade is sitting lower that will also effect the pressure won't it? I'm presuming that the head moves down more as the pressure increases, restrict that movement and the pressure will reduce? Ag Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Humm, so if the blade is sitting lower that will also effect the pressure won't it? I'm presuming that the head moves down more as the pressure increases, restrict that movement and the pressure will reduce? Ag I would not expect the blade depth or its distance from the material to affect pressure, but I could be wrong. Not certain if this photo helps. Looking at it I suspect I might need to fit a fresh blade: I should add that I have no control over pressure as I cut directly from Inkscape. Instead I have to duplicate objects to effect multiple cuts, sometimes as many as 4. Increasing blade depth beyond the thickness of the material just increases likelihood of cutting into the carrier mat. Dust particles on the head of the cutter or on the sheet during cutting can result in the head being unable to lower itself sufficiently to cut through. Edited January 17, 2014 by MikeTrice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Mike, that photo is useful as it shows that I have my blade out roughly the same as you, but the most interesting thing is that last sentance. Would you say you normally have to do 4 cuts at 10thou to get the blade through? Is this the same if you use the proper blade? Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted January 17, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Dust particles on the head of the cutter or on the sheet during cutting can result in the head being unable to lower itself sufficiently to cut through. As an aside, having a long haired dog and a sticky mat in the same room, I've got into the practice of using a sharp 12" ruler and scraping top to bottom to remove dust, crumbs of plastic and hairs. Also, when I smooth the plastic down I go over the whole sheet feeling for differences in height were there might be a small piece of debris still hanging on. This could make a difference to the quality of the cut as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Humm, again my mat is getting a tad dog-eared. Maybe I need to clean it down. Whats the best way? Do I need to re-sticky it afterwards too? (It's a shame as the glue has just about got to the right level of tackiness so I don't have to fight to get bits off) I have thought about buying another mat, so that I can pre-load another sheet to cut (I tend to do cutting in batches as I have to tidy the machine away after each use) instead of having to wait while I peel all the cutouts off the first mat. Interestingly I have no problems with the proper blade at all, even with a dirty mat. Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi Mike, It might be a poor quality pic of the blade,but it looks to me that the tip is blunt. I did say it needed replacing ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted January 17, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Try the ruler thing first - or use a Stanley knife type blade to go over the mat to take the rubbish off - any debris should end up on the blade, so wipe it down. Taking the glue off and starting again is what I did after the glue had lost its tackiness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Mike O You not using Jasons clemmy parts then? Andy G Actually, I built my own first time but am going to try the Brassmasters one to see if they're better! I tend towards using materials that mirror the real thing; so, metal for chassis and card for coach bodies. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 For Inkscape users I have just found this: https://github.com/jnweiger/inkscape-silhouette/wiki When I get time I will give it a go (unless someone beats me to it) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbrummitt Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 For Inkscape users I have just found this: https://github.com/jnweiger/inkscape-silhouette/wiki When I get time I will give it a go (unless someone beats me to it) Following the plea for Windows testers I like the last two steps of the Windows Installation guide: - Work more magic - Let us know if you succeed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I did say it needed replacing ;-) Sorry,I missed that bit at the time of reading it. I'll refrain from trying to make what I think are helpful comments in this thread in future. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sorry,I missed that bit at the time of reading it. I'll refrain from trying to make what I think are helpful comments in this thread in future. Allan Don't be daft, we have all done it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris121 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalhip Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Chris, I have a Silver Bullet and bought it because I couldn't get the Cameo to always cut on the line for the print and cut Scalescenes stuff I make for "N" gauge, and found the software somewhat clunky to use for print and cut. With the Silver Bullet I have no trouble cutting 1mm card but have only ever cut circles in 10 thou styrene to make a stand for Vallejo paints. I use Inkscape to put the vector cutting lines on and Signcut for the actual cutting. It's really a more heavy duty machine than the Cameo and has more adjustments available.It's also a lot quieter and sounds less agricultural. There is also an active forum and any queries or software problems will often get an answer in minutes,usually from the distributor in Derby. I haven't used my Cameo for about a year now and am unlikely to use it again. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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