What do you use to cut the vinyl?

[Marty McFly]

Some of you use a plotter but that will not work for my budget. What should I use and how can I get the most professional type of cut? I currently just use a box cutter.

Also what does a plotter do? Never used one before.

 

[hippiediscdude]

Get yourself an x-acto style knife, and some extra blades. You can pick them up at any craft store, walmart, etc... You can hold them like a pencil which gives you alot more control, smoother lines.

A plotter is alot like a CNC machine for vinyl minus the Z axis. You have rollers that hold/move the sheet of vinyl, and a blade that moves side to side that cuts the vinyl. The plotter is fed info from a cutting program that traces vector/.eps images. They are pretty fun toys to play around with.

 

[English101]

Another option with the xacto blades is a 360 swivel blade. Some prefer the rotating blade to the fixed blade of a standard x-acto.

 

[Ball-Z]

I use a Kobalt break-off style knife, small size. About the same size as an Xacto but when the tip starts to get dull, I take a pair of plyers and snap the end peice off and it's like a new knife. There's about 12 "snap off lines" on each blade and it comes loaded with three blades. About 10$. Very comfortable grip too. I've been doing the cutting out proscess right on the disc, The vinyl cuts very easy and hardly makes a scratch on the disc itself. I find the transfer a real pain so I've just been tracing the original, apllying to the disc, then cutting.
Good luck

 

[solomon.trenton]

use the super small blades for an exacto knife.

 

[I3ooI3oo]

Well as soon as I get some vinyl I will use a laser to cut all of mine.

 

[Ryan P.]

a laser? i've never dyed, but that sounds like overkill.

 

[I3ooI3oo]

While it could be considered over kill I work at a company that build laser systems. It easy to convert Autocad drawing to our laser format. I do not have access to a vinyl cutter so why not use what I have available?

I have never dyed disc but love the idea and have seen some really nice ones. I can draw on the computer better than free hand cutting or trace cutting.

 

[zenbot]

Does anybody have bleeding problems with using xacto?

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

Yes, if you cut your skin it will bleed.

 

[zenbot]

Yes, if you cut your skin it will bleed.

So I should cork the blade like I have to cork my forks?

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

A knife and a fork, a bottle and a cork, that's the way you spell New York.

 

[zenbot]

A knife and a fork, a bottle and a cork, that's the way you spell New York.

Perfect, Tom! New disc design idea.

New York

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

Actually, this is the new Dye I am doing...

 

[zenbot]

Actually, this is the new Dye I am doing...

Yeah, but you have a vinyl plotter...cheater. This thread is for po'folk.

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

Perhaps the Cheap Folks have a friend with a vinyl cutter....

 

[zenbot]

Perhaps the Cheap Folks have a friend with a vinyl cutter....

I'll make you regret that.

 

[Tacoma_Tom]

Regret of neglected opportunity is the worst hell that a living soul can inhabit.

 

[XxInnovaxX]

Yes, if you cut your skin it will bleed.

haha wow

 

[Legend KILLer]

get an xacto set. any craft store will have one. remember steady hands get the job done. a light table can also be very handy.