Advice for blade setting needed!

[Outpost]

Hi all,
Trying out my new cutter with Georgia Pacific 110# cardstock and having a bit of difficulty. I am using a 60 degree blade in the blade holder that came with the machine. I have the settings at v100 and f70, which seems similar to other settings I've seen posted for this cardstock and the best I've tried so far. Tried some basic shapes that came out well, and then tried a welded word. It cut out completely, but at the corners of some of the letters there is catching of the blade and tearing of the paper as pictured. Can someone tell me if this is a result of using the wrong blade (45 instead of 60?) or if the blade is too low? Or? Thanks for any advice ... I seem to be going round in circles!
Deborah

[Thyme]

I don't know what 110 cardstock is equivalent to in grms weight so can't tell you if it is the wrong blade, but try it with the 45 degree and see what the result is

[Suzan]

110 I think is about business card thickness. For normal paper in reams from office stores it is about the heaviest you can buy.

[Angel135612]

Dawn and every one else... I found this conversion chart that I think will be handy when we are talking about paper. Since those of us in the US use lbs, and those in other countries use gms. It may not be EXACT, but I think it will be close enough so that we all would know what is being talked about when someone has a question about paper.

http://www.papermojo.com/paper_weight_conversion.html

From what I can tell, 110 lb paper is equal to about 199 gms give or take.

[Suzan]

Thanks Diane, this will be great. I never understand what type of paper they are talking about on the UK site. LOL

[Angel135612]

I found another interesting page about how the weight of paper is determined. And at the bottom of the page, it has a calculator so that you can input either the gms or lbs and pick the type of paper, and it will give an equivalent of the other number. One of the reasons that US weights are so confusing, they use different sizes (height and width) of paper for various types of paper, while gms are calculated on a square meter of the paper, no matter the size used in the manufacture of the paper.

http://www.lcipaper.com/kb/text-weight- ... ained.html

[Suzan]

To much info on not enough caffeine. I will have to look later. Now off to boring work.

[Gigi]

Great info - will check it out later.

Deborah - nice job on the welding.

Is your cardstock really stuck to the mat - did you brayer it on? I know that can cause tears for me in an otherwise successful cut.

Off for the morning (and yes Suzan I need more caffeine too)- sure others will have ideas that will help.

[fairwayflunkie]

These are the settings that I used:

45 degree blade, Click Holder (click was on 2), v 145 and f 75 on Georgia pacific cardstock 110lb from Walmart

Hope that helps!

[PennyDuncan]

Try the force on 60....that's what I'm using and it works well...

[Thyme]

Ok, then it looks like you should be using the 60 degree blade.

Thanks for the chart Diane - that is really useful as I don't understand the US weights at all!

[Phyllis]

Deborah, I always use a force of around 100 for that weight card stock. I know every machine is different. I have been using the 60 degree blade also in the original blade holder. Also, make sure your blade is not sticking out too far, I think I've heard that could be a problem also, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Also, could be a dull or chipped blade. Ask me how I know. LOL.

[fairwayflunkie]

Dawn, I used the 45 degree blade on the same cardstock and it worked fine...

[Gigi]

Ok, then it looks like you should be using the 60 degree blade.

Thanks for the chart Diane - that is really useful as I don't understand the US weights at all!

And we don't undertand your weights at all either - so we are even!! (paper weights that is!!)

[Thyme]

Lol!

[Gigi]

Just thought I better clarify the weight issue!! before I got into trouble - again!!

[Outpost]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I've been trying to work this out based on your help throughout the day, but am not making too much progress.
1) Could it be that BOTH my 60 degree blades ended up with dulled (or chipped?) tips? I looked at them both under a magnifying glass and they appear to be slightly blunted at the tips, but not much. It is impossible that they were dulled by the few times I used them ... went through the media and well into the mat a few times, but did not cut through the mats. What I think might have happened was dulling or chipping by dragging the CD under the blade ... sometimes the blade would be scratching it, especially if I wasn't pressing down on the mat and media. I found a piece of matboard that seems to be about the right height, and have started using that instead.
2) At one point, the blade picked up a bit of paper from the cutting and dragged it around. (That does have a distinctive look, and I include a picture for those who haven't seen it before.)
3) Switched out the 60 degree blades for a new 45 degree blade. I still have the same effect in the cut.
4) It's humid outside, but inside the dehumidifier is running, the windows are closed, and the air conditioner is on.
5) I've been using a Cricut mat, though I've tried a bit on the Black Cat mat (the part that's left, that is. Impatience, ready availability of a hair dryer, and well known tendency to over-do proved to be an unlucky combination when trying to get rid of a curl in the mat! [Yes, I knew better about the iron, but was at the point of no return ... ])
I generally use this Georgia Pacific cardstock for experimenting (and it worked out fine most of the time when I was using my old Craft Robo), so I am really perplexed as to why I can't manage to do this ... I think it's time for me to try a different and lighter weight cardstock. My next welded word experiment will be "Keep Calm".
Further advice is welcome!
Deborah

[Thyme]

Looking at the photos the blade is more than a little blunt!!!
If you do cut into the mat it will dull the blade and can chip it.
I would try a new blade, and yes the matboard is a better height setter than the CD in my opinion.
Use the test button, and start at a lower force than you think you need. Increase by 10 at a time. You are looking for the point where you get a clean cut and just a faint line on the mat that you can see but not feel

[Outpost]

Ohhh... didn't realize the mat could dull the blade so much. I'll be more careful of that then.
I hope I will be posting a "Eureka" moment today!

Deborah

[Gigi]

We do too - for your sake!!

Here's to more success today!!