using 13" SB with a 24" long mat

[rob]

Hello

In That's scrap inc site, stated that we can use any mat with the 13" SB.
"NOTE: With the exception of the Over Sized Multi Use Mat.....ALL of our mats will fit in any of our machines by turning mat to it's width vs. length. Our 13" machine opening is 17", our 15" machine opening is 19", our 18" machine opening is 22" and our 24" machine opening is 28"."
(A link: http://thatsscrapinc.com/silverbulletmats.aspx)

I'd like to cut a sheet 13" wide and 23" long. Will this mat satisfy my needs? can i feed the short side of the mat and cut all along its length?

How come the 13" machine has a 17" opening? isn't it a contradiction? or do i get the "opening" term wrong?

Thanks!
rob

[rob]

Forgot to attach the link to this mat i was talking about:
http://thatsscrapinc.com/925x14silverbu ... 2-1-1.aspx

BTW, is there any limitation on the maximum cutting length? i guess it has something to do with the software...

[Gigi]

Hi Rob -

You can certainly turn the mat - I do that all of the time depending on what I am cutting. Just remember that your machine will not cut the full width so keep the mat over to the right side so you do not go out of cutting range.

[newbiecat]

Hi Rob

I regularly use a 15 x 24" mat in my bullet (18") without issue - the only real problem that can arise is that sometimes when cutting very close to the end of the mat - the mat moves out from under the pinch wheels and then everything goes to pot ! or at least you loose the cutting lines as the mat skews away from the blade. If you cannot maintain the mat under the wheels you will need to rethink what you are trying to do.

So may I suggest that you line everything up and test whether or not this will happen by sending to cut WITHOUT a blade in place. That way you won't damage your media or your mat.
Obviously if you are cutting vinyl without a mat then there is no problem .

One really good way to ruin a blade is to have it catch on the edge of the mat - go on ask me how I know

good luck
Pandora

[LisaH]

Rob, the 13" SB has a 17" opening because the blade carriage has to be taken into consideration. But it's maximum cutting width is 13".

[rob]

Thank you all for replying.
Gigi, at first I didn't understand why won't it cut the full width of the mat but then I checked it up again and saw the picture of it with only 12" width (which can be cut at full width) although under the pic it says 15"x27.75".
Maybe someone here can clarify this contradiction please?

newbiecat, do you think I can maintain the mat under the pinch wheel with some simple mechanical support from each side of the SB? By that I mean to place "towers" on each side at the appropriate height to support the mat when it comes back & forth while cutting. May I know please how you manage to maintain it?

[Gigi]

The mat size is not the cutting size. The mat size is the opening - how much mat you can fit in. Does that help?

[LisaH]

newbiecat, do you think I can maintain the mat under the pinch wheel with some simple mechanical support from each side of the SB? By that I mean to place "towers" on each side at the appropriate height to support the mat when it comes back & forth while cutting. May I know please how you manage to maintain it?

not Pandora, but most of us use the support tables made specifically for either the Silver Bullet or the Black Cat for support. Others use reams of paper or boxes stacked to the correct height for support, but the tables are the recommended option. Now, that being said - if the mat travels out from under the pinch wheels...it doesn't matter what support system you are using...it will not work correctly...the mat/media(vinyl) has to maintain contact with the wheels/grit shaft to push / pull the mat and media back and forth to cut your project correctly.

[Angel135612]

The opening on the machines is larger than the cutting area for two reasons. 1). To allow enough room for the mat to be under the pinch wheels so that it can move the mat forwards and backwards. 2). To allow room for the cutting head to move far enough from left to right to allow the full 13 inches of cutting area. With the smaller openings, you do need to be sure your mat is placed so that the cutting head will not try to go too far left or right, as this will cause the machine to pause.
The length you can cut depends on the software you are using. Most of them have some sort of limit on it. I don't recall what the limits are, as I don't usually do anything very large. I do know that SCAL3 PRO has extended cutting lengths, but I'm not sure how long it can go. (I couldn't find the specs on the Craft Edge site).
If you are going to be doing a lot of larger projects, it may be worth the investment to buy a larger machine, so that you have some wiggle room in where to place your mat for the larger projects. I purchased the 24 inch Silver Bullet, not because I plan on doing a lot of large projects, but because it allows me to place my mat (any size) any where within the opening of the machine. And if I ever did need to do something large, I have the capability to do it with out having to tile the project. I wanted a machine I could grow into instead of out of.. so I won't have to replace it or find work arounds when I was ready to tackle larger projects.

[rob]

Thank you all for replying! appreciated!
OK, so I get the idea of the "opening", this is extra room for other things than the actual cutting.
Still have an unclear point, why would anyone buy a 24" machine if s/he can buy 13" machine and cut to the length of the mat instead of to the width.
To be clear, if one can feed 24"x12" mat to the 13" (on the short side), why bother to buy the 24" in the first place?
Right now, for me, the only reason to buy it would be if one wants to cut 24"x24" media.

[Thyme]

Exactly because you CAN cut 24" wide by whatever length you choose

[Gigi]

You can also put multiple papers on the mat at one time and cut many shapes and sizes without having to constantly pull the mat out and replace the paper. I have an 18" and love it - upgraded from a 13". I love the flexibility of using a smaller mat or a larger one depending on the project and how many different things I need to cut.

[Angel135612]

I like the larger size because when I cut something out, I'm usually making more than one, so I can put on more than one piece of paper, and put my design on the virtual mat to get the best fit to the paper, and then cut out more than one piece at a time. Plus the flexibility of putting a smaller mat in the machine any where with in the opening. With the larger machine, I have never gotten the pause that some people get because their mat is too far to the left, or something is out of the cutting range. I have tons of room to "play" with, so I don't have to worry about things being in the "right" spot on my mat.
Also, if I ever decide to start a business cutting things out, I don't have to upgrade my machine because I would need more area to cut. If I wanted to make a vinyl sign that was 2 feet wide by 4 feet long, I could do that with a 24 inch machine. With a 13 inch machine you would have to cut in sections then put them together.
And I have always felt it is better to buy as much as you can afford, so you don't have to upgrade later. I would rather grow into something instead of out of something. I don't see me ever growing out of the 24 inch cutter, but I would have quickly grown out of the 13 inch.

[Tyler]

Placement is easier - you can be a bit more lazy with your placement of the mat.

Also, vinyl often comes in 24 inch rolls. I have cut pieces that are 2ft x 15 ft before.

[rob]

Thank you all for replying!