I could throw this machine

[mjmrrs206]

Hi All,

To say that I am frustrated would be an understatement at this point. I am so mad I could throw this machine out the window. I have been trying to use the SB for several months. I have looked through the forum for answers, I have looked on youtube, I have googled everything I can, but I have been unsuccessful with this machine 90% of the time. It is so inconsistent. I will have a day that the machine works flawlessly and then have a week where it hardly works at all. Today I cut vinyl and got 2 out of the 6 decals to weed correctly and the rest of the decals had places that would not cut through. I cut HTV with settings that have worked before and of course I had places it would not weed. So I thought maybe my 45 degree blade is chipped so I switched over the the 60 degree blade to cut some sticky flock and it was cutting okay until it decided to stop cutting circles and started cutting my circles into ovals. I checked my software to see if they were circles in the software and they were perfect circles. I have tried cutting with a mat and without. This machine is so inconsistent and I am wasting a lot of material. I make test cuts and they come out great but I start to cut a design and it is a crap shoot whether it is going to come out or not.

[Gigi]

I am sorry you waited until you were so frustrated to make your first post since February. I wish you had asked for assistance when you first started having issues so someone could have helped you and alleviated the feelings you are having.

I understand you are frustrated - we have all been there at one time or another. But you haven't given me enough information to even begin to try to help. What speed and force are you using. Are you using a SB mat? Is the mat clean? Where are the designs from that you are cutting. What numbers are you using for offset and overcut. Have you done a machine reset just in case some setting was thrown off. Are you origin cutting or WYSIWYG?

HTV is some of the most difficult vinyl to cut and you will see many users having issues with it at times. It is not the machine, it is the HTV. Have you tried cutting it from the back side?

It is hard to figure out the problem when you are switching from material to material so I cannot tell what works and what doesn't. If you are getting a clean test cut, that is good. So now we need to look at what you are cutting, the mat, the blades etc. When you are using the mat, are you brayering the material to the mat so it is laying flat. One of the most common reasons for a design not to cut is that the material is not making a good contact with the mat.

Here is a conversation with someone having the same type of problem - at least with the circles.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5861&p=94945&hilit=cutting+circles#p94945

The purchase of the machine does come with an hour of technical support and other than the fact that it is a holiday weekend, you can certainly email Sherri and request support to get you on track. She is on vacation (the first week off in years) but is checking her email. That might be something that would be beneficial to you - to have direct help rather than trying to google things on the internet which can be frustrating. Have you watched the videos posted on You Tube and this forum that go over the basics of the machine to be sure you are not missing something simple? Have you had difficulty from the beginning or is it just a hit and miss situation? Again, trying to get a clear picture of what is happening.

If you want to upload one of the problematic designs so someone can test cut it, please do so. I assume you are using the most updated version of the SCAL software? Are you on a Mac or a PC? The more information you can supply, the more we all can help. Although given that it is a holiday weekend, most users are not checking the forum.

The more information you can give, the more helpful we all can be. I would suggest you start with a machine reset, check all of your settings, and work with one material with a fresh blade and clean mat and see if you can get consistent cutting of just a basic design - for instance something from the SCAL library. Switching between materials makes it really difficult to problem solve - but we will do our best.

[mmhockeyfan]

Hi,

Agree with Gigi that more information is needed and I have a few quick thoughts in the meantime (please note I've only cut paper and chipboard with my SB):

1) Check the circle measurements to ensure the circle is actually a circle. What looks like a circle visually on screen may not be according to the measurements.
2) Would suggest setting speed and force directly on the SB and not via SCAL. I found it difficult to set consistent force for different paper weights via SCAL.
3) The SCAL presets feature didn't save my settings and as a result my cuts were inconsistent.
4) Spend time testing your media without the pressure of a project deadline. Save the test cut samples and record settings in the My Personal Guide (love this booklet!). I gained confidence and achieved better results.
5) Check your mat conditions. I traced my inconsistent cuts to a warped, etched, or unclean mat.
6) Don't give up! I love my SB more each time I use it.

Good luck!

[mjmrrs206]

Hi Gigi,

I am sorry if I have ruffled some feathers. I know you all love your machine and trust it to make consistent cuts. I also know that I will love my machine one day as well, but in the heat of my frustration I posted this and I now regret it. I am the type person who is determined to figure things out on my own and I went into this thinking I didn't need anyone's help, but obviously I do. So I will tell you what I have done up to this point. Like I said, I have been working with the machine for several months, but it has been a little bit here and there. I made my first cuts and everything came out great so I figured I've got this. I work with vinyl, HTV and sticky flock primarily, but I got this machine realizing that if I ever wanted to venture out into any other craft I would not be limited at all. I cut HTV with a Silhouette and I can honestly say I never had a problem with it. By far HTV was the easiest thing I have ever cut, but for some reason I will have a good cut with a design turn around and cut it again and it doesn't cut all the way through in spots. Nothing changed, settings, material, blade all the same. I just recently started cutting my permanent vinyl and I have not really figured out what I am doing with that at all because most of the design will cut flawlessly, but I will have places that it refuses to cut through. I have done (without exaggeration) at least 50 test cuts on each material trying to dial in my settings. I will do a test cut each time I change out material as well just to make sure everything is set up properly, so it is not a matter of me not doing enough testing.

I have cut with and without the mat and had the same inconsistencies, but not in the same places. I also cut the designs I have had issue with on my silhouette yesterday and had no issue, so I don't believe the issue is with the design. My mat is warped and after research I found that I need to possible try ironing it flat and I need to buy a couple more mats, but I buy vinyl by the roll and I would like to figure out how to cut it well without the mat so I don't always have to cut it from the roll. Even though my mat is warped, like I said I tried cutting without the mat and still had the same problem with things not cutting all the way through in some places.

I looked at my blade under a magnifying glass and the best I can tell there are no nicks or chips in the blade, but of course I was going cross eyed to look at it. I brayer my material to the mat just like I was shown in the videos.

My settings are

HTV- V=600, F=22, click blade 1, 45 degree, offset=.30, over cut= 1.00
Vinyl- V=650, F=20-22, click blade 1, 45 degree, offset= .30, over cut= 1.00
Sticky Flock= V=335, F=125-130ish, multi cut x2, offset= .70, over cut= 1.00 60 degree blade in regular blade holder set at a CC thickness.

The ovals that are cutting in my sticky flock are coming out of nowhere it seems because the software dimensions of the circles are perfect circles. I cut them at a dimension of .129x.129 for 6mm rhinestones.

I hope this gives you enough info. Again, like I said, I am the type person that likes to try to figure things out on my own and I have come to the realization that with this machine I might not be able to do it on my own. I will contact Sherri when she gets back from her vacation.

[Gigi]

First of all, you didn't ruffle any feathers. I totally understand about wanting to figure it out on your own, but I also understand how the frustration mounts with ongoing problems. It's ok to need help - I think all of us have been in that situation at one time or another. We all had to learn and hit bumps and hurdles along the way, especially unexpected ones! We will be glad to help you figure it out.

I have not cut sticky flock, so hopefully someone who has will chime in, but your settings seem high to me for that medium. And if you are using the regular 60 degree blade, then your overcut is off. The only time it should be .7 is if you are using the 60 degree plus blade.

I would suggest you get a flat mat (you can even roll it the opposite direction and it will flatten out pretty well. Some have also put it out in the sun to heat it and then put heavy things on it to flatten. If you alternate the direction of your mat and keep your pinch wheels to the outside of the mat, you will not have or at least will greatly decrease the warping problems. Be sure you have enough adhesive on the mat and that it is clean. A warped and/or dirty mat will definitely give you inconsistent cuts.

Take a piece of card stock (just regular lightweight) and put a pen in the blade holder and draw your designs. That is a really good way to see where the issues are and to not waste material. I would recommend working with the pen mode until you get consistently good drawings. If the pen will draw your design correctly on cardstock using a flat mat, then it is not the machine, which I am pretty sure is not issue.

Did you do a machine reset? Always start there if things go haywire. It is easy to accidentally change a number on the main settings. How are you setting your force (software or machine?) Some have problems with inconsistent cutting if setting through the software. Is the blade holder firmly in the clamp? In other words, is it slipping at all? That would also create intermittent problems. Are you using the setting blade? I think you said CC (took that to mean credit card) but you should be using the setting tool as it puts the blade height at the perfect spot. Are you cutting into the mat at all?

Those are just a few things to consider and try. Hang in there - there is always a solution and you absolutely will love this machine once we get to that place.

[mmhockeyfan]

Hi,

I can definitely understand how you feel. I'm the type who will spend nights trying to work something out because I hate not being able to figure things out!

A possible issue with the circles is the blade settings, which I think I think might be a little off. Maybe give these settings a try (took these from the instruction manual)?

All standard blades = .25 offset and 1 overcut
All detail blades = .60 offset and 1 overcut
60+ blade =.7 offset and 1.20 overcut

How are you setting your blade? Are you using the spacer mat?
Perhaps try cutting using the regular blade holder instead of the click holder?
Ok last suggestion: Resetting your machine. Sometimes the machine's memory needs a good clearing out.

Hope brighter days are ahead!

[mjmrrs206]

Okay Ladies,

After taking a couple days away from the machine I decided to cut her back on and try again. I was still struggling with the mindset that maybe I just needed to get a different machine because this one just does way more than I would ever need anyway, but then I thought maybe one day I will want to venture out into different mediums and then I would kick myself for getting rid of this machine. I started by resetting my machine then I looked my mat. So, I have the 24" SB and I didn't realize that I didn't have to put all the pinch rollers down when I first started out so I have places where the rollers have completely removes a strip of adhesive. The rollers have also left grooves in my mat. I'm not real sure how you can prevent this from happening. I have a heat press and I read where people have used their iron to flatten the mat back out. I started out with a pretty low heat and pressure and pressed my mat. It helped some, but didn't remove the groves that have been made from the pinch rollers. After I pressed my mat I decided to use a vinyl that I hate the color of and never use for anything to make test cuts on. I don't know why I had not thought of that before because when I have to throw that vinyl away I don't really care, I really hate that color . I placed my vinyl in the middle of the mat where I knew it was flat on one side and grooved on the other and I cut a design. The design on the flat side came out pretty good and sure enough the design on the side with the groove had a hard time weeding. I lost part of my design from that one so I just threw that awful vinyl away and concluded that the grooves in my mat are part of my problems.

I have used the pen holder and paper and I was very proficient with that before I ever tried cutting things. I set my settings on the machine because that was what the videos said to do. I switched from using the click blade and decided to use the original blade holder with the blade set about a credit card (CC) depth out. I use the provided blade setter and make sure the blade is just "kissing" the blade setter and clamp it in good and tight. I have never cut into the mat so I know that my settings at least aren't to messed up.

The blade offset at .70 was from the forum and I must have misread a suggestion for a 60 degree detail blade and assumed it was meant for the 60 degree blade. So, I guess at this point at least have a basic understanding of some of the things that may have given me problems and can at least talk to Sherri about this when she gets back from vacation.

Like I said, I was really contemplating bailing on the SB and getting something easier to use, but I went online to read reviews on the machine again. The thing that struck me was that I could not find a single bad review on this cutter...NOTHING bad. I found several people who had nothing but kind words to say about Sherri and all the help she provided so I guess at this point it is up to me to suck up my pride and let her help me out. Thank you to you guys that have been giving me words of encouragement and if you have anything else to add then I am all ears.

[mmhockeyfan]

Hi,
Are the pinch wheels lined up properly? They should be over the grit shaft rollers. There are white rectangles to guide you. Please see:
http://learn.silverbulletcutters.com/si ... ullet-mat/

[mjmrrs206]

Yes, I have them centered under the white marks on the machine. I sew as well and to me it is the same concept of the feed dogs on my sewing machine so I understand the importance of have the rollers over the grit shaft rollers.

[Gigi]

Thank you for your patience with this and I am glad you have seen at least part of what is causing the problem. I shared your post with Sherri as well so you will not have to start at step 1 when you talk with her. She is current!

As we have noted many times here, it is best to use just the outside pinch wheels unless you are cutting a media that needs the extra pinch wheels. Rotating your mat is one way to prevent the "indentations" that the wheels can make. That makes a huge difference. You can also run tape on the mat (like painter's tape) along the path of the pinch wheel do it doesn't pick up the adhesive. That helps a lot as well. For me, keeping the pinch wheels to the outside and never on the media has been one of the best things I have learned.

You are doing a great job of trouble shooting and the warped mat can cause many of not all of the issues you are having. I was chuckling when you said you were using a vinyl color you don't like to test cut and work on the problems. That is a great way to safeguard the material that you love, and get rid of what you don't! Great use of an "ugly" color!!

Hang in there - think you are making great progress. Do you have a new mat you can use or do you need to order one? Would suggest trying what you have on a new mat and see if your issues are resolved......

[mjmrrs206]

Oh my goodness, today has been horrible. I am not sure I am ever going to get this machine working. I decided since my mat has a groove in it that I was going to practice cutting vinyl without the mat. I buy my vinyl by the roll and I would like to be able to cut without cutting my vinyl off the roll. I chose to cut it off the roll for testing purposes and I have had the worst time.

Here's the play by play...I cut off a large piece of vinyl so I would be sure to have enough for the SB to hold onto. I loaded my vinyl and made sure the rollers were over the grit shaft rollers. I set my origin and sent 3 of the same design side by side to one another to be cut. I set my 45 degree blade in the original blade holder just a little further than a CC out and then I used the provided silver blade depth thingy to set the blade in the machine. I made sure the blade was just kissing the blade depth thingy and pulled it carefully out from under the blade. I used the settings v=600, f=17 and cut the design. Then I progressed as follows...

cut 2 v=600, f=18
cut 3 v=600, f=19
cut 4 v=600, f=20
cut 5 v= 600, f=21
cut 6 v=600, f=22
cut 7 v=600, f=23
cut 8 v=600, f=24
cut 9 v=600, f=25
cut 10 v=600, f=26
cut 11 v=600, f=27
cut 12 v=600, f=28

All of the these settings failed. I am using oracle 651 vinyl. None of these settings would weed correctly and at f=28 the blade was getting ready to come through the back carrier sheet. I stopped switching materials so that I could learn how to use one material correctly, but I just feel like I am taking steps backwards. At some point you have to have a victory or you just want to give up.

[Gigi]

Thanks for all of the info. When you did your first cut, did you do a test cut first to determine that the force was set correctly?

Were you using white vinyl by chance? I know that others have had great difficulty cutting the white and it is well documented on the forum.

I would strongly suggest that you start with something very basic - like a simple shape, and cut that successfully repeatedly at a force that gives you good results. Is this a new 45 degree blade or is it one you used previously? I am only asking because I believe you were using a 45 degree at the beginning of your postings and switched to a 60. Want to be sure that you have a blade that is not nicked. These blades last a long time, but it is not hard to nick them in the learning process. Trust me - we have all done it.

One thing I have been meaning to mention and it kept eluding me while typing, is that humidity plays a huge roll in successful cutting. I don't know where you are living, but if it is very humid, that could also affect your cutting. I honestly am not sure if it is a factor with vinyl, but it is with card stock and I wanted to mention it while it was in the front of my brain!

With the vinyl, I would start with a test cut and a simple design. Be sure that nothing is slipping (that the blade holder is secure in the clamp) and that the blade is in perfect condition (check with a magnifying glass). Let's get back to the basics and be sure those things are all ok.

[mjmrrs206]

Gigi,

I did do test cuts. The problem I see with the test cut is that it is just a rectangle with nothing else to gauge really if the settings are correct. The rectangle weeds without hesitation at each of the settings, but as soon as you get a little detail in the design I start to run into problems.

I am using a cream color 651 vinyl, but I have used white oracle many times before without any issues. I am using a design that is pretty simplistic, but has some small details in it as well. I started with this design after getting squares and circles to weed just fine. I have also test cut this design on the Silhouette to make sure it isn't the design and it cut fine. I am using the 45 degree blade, I have looked under a magnifying glass at the blade and it seems like it is in good shape, but honestly I only have a 2x magnifying glass and I was going cross eyed looking at that blade. It seems to be acting like a blade that is nicked, but I didn't see any anomalies on the blade. I was curious, do you think I should try using the 45 degree detail blade to cut and see it that cuts the vinyl or is the detail blade not appropriate for cutting vinyl.

As far as humidity is concerned, I live in NC right next to a river where 9 months out of the year is humid and sticky, but that has never been a factor for me with vinyl before so I am not sure that would be a factor now.

My vinyl is secure and not slipping and my blade is secure in the holder and not moving around.

I really am trying here. I have not given up, but it is very hard to want to use the machine when you are doing everything everyone says to do and still aren't successful. I wish so bad that someone lived near by and could come watch what I am doing and correct whatever small little thing I must be doing wrong that is keeping me from being successful.

[mmhockeyfan]

Hi,
Can you place the same blade into the Silhouette holder and try to cut the design? If it cuts as expected then its likely not your blade. Just a hunch...

[Gigi]

I don't know if those blades are interchangeable so not sure I would suggest that.

Yes you can certainly use a 45 degree detail blade to cut the vinyl. We have many owners who only use only the detail blades to cut everything, regardless of the detail of the design - it is simply their blade of choice. Just like some swear by the click blade holder (she said holding her hand high!) and others much prefer the standard blade holder. It is what works best for you.

And I think it is a great idea on your part since you do have the detail blade to give it a try. If you have not loaded it into the detail blade holder before, be careful as those little springs can go flying! (Yes I have searched for mine across the craft room floor the very first time ) So do put a white cloth or paper underneath (I like a cloth if you have one so you can see it and it won't bounce if you drop it) and you should have no trouble assembling it if you haven't before. If you have one ready to go, all the better.

Let us know how that works - I really think it sounds like your regular 45 degree blade is nicked as well.

[mjmrrs206]

Thanks Ladies,

I will give the detail blade a try tomorrow if I get a chance. I have a little one I have been up with for the last 24 hours with a stomach bug. As soon as I get her feeling better I'll try to get to my craft building to test it with the detail blade. I am also getting ready to place an order for blades and mats so I have extras of everything on hand. I am so determined to make this dang machine work and hopefully without many more tears. I'll report back to you after I try the detail blade.

[Gigi]

It is so hard to focus on anything when the kids are sick. Mine are all grown now, but you never forget how hard those times are and how helpless you feel - not to mention how tired you get. I hope she feels better soon and that you can get some rest. The projects can wait - be good to yourself.

Take care.

[mjmrrs206]

I don't know what else to do anymore. I don't know if this is the machine for me. I have spent the evening using the pen tool to make sure I am setting things up correctly and everything comes out fine. I go to cut vinyl and nothing weeds properly. I have cut simple shapes like you have suggested and things weed, but the second I try to cut anything with any kind of detail nothing cuts properly. So in an effort to see if maybe the design was flawed I sent it to my Silhouette and it cut the first time and weeded in 5 seconds. I used the 45 degree detail blade and the test cuts come out fine. I cut a circle, heart, arrow, star, and many simple designs and everything weeds out. I cut a design with a couple small details and it won't weed to save my life. I don't know what else I can do. I have followed all your suggestions, directions, and looked at all my settings, but it won't work. Short of having someone come to my house to test my machine, I just don't know what else anyone can suggest.

Do you know of anyone who is successful with the Silver Bullet that lives near Asheville NC. I will pay someone to come help me figure this out. I use vinyl, HTV, and Sticky flock for my business, so I would need someone who understands how to cut these items. I know this is a shot in the dark, but I am so tired of having failure after failure.

[mmhockeyfan]

Hi,
Is it possible your blade is out too far? Try shortening it just a smidge.

[mjmrrs206]

I have tried pulling the blade in, bringing the blade out. I have read that you can damage the blade if it is out to far. I have read that some people cut vinyl at anywhere from 1-5 on the click blade holder. I started at 1 on the click blade, then switched to the original blade holder and set it at a CC thickness, then switched to the detail blade and holder and set it at a CC thickness. Then I switched back to the click blade and set it at 2. I have tried everything. I have dug through the forum reading every suggestion and trying each one and nothing is working.