Hi there,
I suppose I am fairly new to using the Silver Bullet (24" model), as I purchased it in early November 2016, but I'd like to think that I caught on quickly and have experienced few learning curves along the way. Just to give some background, I bought this machine to cut and sell 7.5 mil reusable mylar stencils. I felt I had the V & F down fairly quickly (V = 450 & F = 205) and am familiar with when the mat needs to be "renu'ed" and blade needs changing, etc. (I use 60 degree blades only with the regular blade holder). I regularly cut 30-50+ 12" x 18" stencils on a weekly basis since purchasing the machine, so it gets a lot of use and my machine/blade settings never change because this is the only thing I currently use the machine for.
This weekend has been a tough one for me...
Roughly 2 weeks ago, I ordered a 5pk of 60 degree blades because the 2 I received with my original order were on their way out - again original order was roughly 3 months ago, so I'd say they last me on average 4-5 weeks each (December was a bit slow, so I was cutting less stencils at that time). It's been about 10 days since I opened my 5 pack - I'm already on blade # 3! My orders have been steady and consistent, so I would have expected a much longer lifespan like the original blades! From what I can see, they are not chipped or nicked, so I'm not sure what the problem is! Are they from a different manufacturer than the single blades? I assume not, but I can't figure out why there is such a difference! Has anyone else experienced this?
I also purchased a new mat when I ordered my 5 pack of blades, so I can be more efficient when cutting orders (removing the stencil on one mat, while I run the second mat through to cut the next design). 10 days later, the new mat is already causing issues - it is warping which is causing drag marks. I use my mats vertically and rotate the 2 ends very regularly. The original mat has been perfectly fine until this weekend - it started sliding on one end! I cleaned the rollers with goo gone, as I have read about. It wasn't the problem... I was told awhile ago that I should rotate all 4 ways, but my problem is that I have all my files saved in vertical format. It is just time consuming to re-adjust and re-save each one. And so far, rotating both ends vertically was working just fine. I guess I should just do it, but I've read about other users having issues with warped mats as well and I just think there needs to be a better solution than that... Thicker mats? Less pressure on the rollers? Something... anything really...
I take my business very seriously and the stress/frustration that builds when my machine isn't cutting the way I have come to know and love (and really I LOVE this machine!), it just gets to be too much! I'm just looking for consistency like I've experienced for the previous 2-3 months. Turn it on, load the mat, click cut, and all is good!
If there are any tips, tricks, solutions, recommendations, I would be forever grateful to anyone who shares! Thanks in advance!