Weeding Small Letters help?

[knockonwood 10]

What is the best way to weed small letters? I have always had trouble weeding small letters so I tend to try to avoid them if I can. No one ever taught me how to weed vinyl so I'm learning as I go. I was up late tonight and did my first stick figure family. I am practicing on a picture frame I bought at big lots. The 3rd or 4th try I finally got it right. I will post a picture tomorrow. I stuck the whole sheat of vinyl on the glass on the 3rd try and then we did the little pieces of vinyl off the glass. It took me about 45 minutes to a hour to weed all of it six people two dogs and names. I know there has to be a easier way to do it. Is tweezers the best tool to use or is there a better tool?

[OWJones 1,981]

It is always easier to weed off of the liner prior to installation - once you stick it down on a substrate it takes a lot more effort to pull it away.

 

Some people will transfer the entire thing as one piece, especially if it's a frilly/delicate design, but most of the time it's a lot easier to weed/pick before you apply app. tape and transfer.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I prefer weeding with an x-acto knife but that is a personal preference - the biggest difference in weeding is a well adjusted good cutting plotter. too many people on here incorrectly use the 1/2 credit card depth for settting thier blade and it makes weeding and cutting fine stuff darn difficult.  other thing is trying to do too small of stuff on a plotter with stepper motors, they just aren't made for the 1/8" letters - not saying it can't be done but much much harder than one with servo motors.

 

Just ask Skeeter, happiness is a properly set up graphtec.

I started with a p-cut, over the years have had 2 mh series, 2 copams, several roland and graphtecs - the lower end ones made the money to move up to the next better.  I can tell you an old graphtec or roland cuts better than any new "value" cutter . . . that is from experience!

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

I also use weed lines for smaller lettering / designs.  That is the only time I use weed lines.

 

And I have a pin cushion on my table with basting needles.  I use basting needles to weed with.  Can pick up small pieces of vinyl.

[OWJones 1,981]

Similar to Mz Skeeter, I bought a pack of Quilting Needles, snapped one in half with pliers (wear eye protection!) and inserted the broken end into an X-Acto knife handle (pointy end sticking out, of course) and use that for a lot of my weeding, or one of Sign Warehouse's "bubble poker" tools, which is a dowel rod with a needle stuck in it.

[knockonwood 10]

This is my first vinyl stick figure family. 

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

Is the  dot missing on the i in Daniel?  Or is it just the photo?  But nice job...

[knockonwood 10]

That is the way the vinyl cutter cuts out

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

ok, on finished product....  I can see the dot on Will and Elizabeth,  but my eyes cannot see the dot on Daniel..   Just checking. 

[knockonwood 10]

i just noticed what you are talking about MZ thanks for pointing it out.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

so I'm not blind?  and it really is not there?   LOL  

[knockonwood 10]

It is always easier to weed off of the liner prior to installation - once you stick it down on a substrate it takes a lot more effort to pull it away.

 

Some people will transfer the entire thing as one piece, especially if it's a frilly/delicate design, but most of the time it's a lot easier to weed/pick before you apply app. tape and transfer.

I am sorry by substrate do you mean the car or the surface your vinyl is applied to? I found this video on youtube that helps a lot with weeding small letters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txiuv048x4Y. I use rtape clear leave some excess tape so when i flip it over i can use painters blue tape and tape the workpiece to the table.

[OWJones 1,981]

Yes, "substrate" refers to whatever surface you apply your design to, whether it be window glass, painted automotive surfaces, a sign blank, etc.

[intensecolor 0]

I prefer weeding with an x-acto knife but that is a personal preference - the biggest difference in weeding is a well adjusted good cutting plotter. too many people on here incorrectly use the 1/2 credit card depth for settting thier blade and it makes weeding and cutting fine stuff darn difficult.  other thing is trying to do too small of stuff on a plotter with stepper motors, they just aren't made for the 1/8" letters - not saying it can't be done but much much harder than one with servo motors.

 

Just ask Skeeter, happiness is a properly set up graphtec.

I started with a p-cut, over the years have had 2 mh series, 2 copams, several roland and graphtecs - the lower end ones made the money to move up to the next better.  I can tell you an old graphtec or roland cuts better than any new "value" cutter . . . that is from experience!

 

I am having trouble with my MH entirely!

 

My MH is not cutting the vinyl all the way through. I've changed the blade, changed offset, pressure, speed, you name it I've tried it! I am getting frustrated!

 

Please help!

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I am having trouble with my MH entirely!

 

My MH is not cutting the vinyl all the way through. I've changed the blade, changed offset, pressure, speed, you name it I've tried it! I am getting frustrated!

 

Please help!

nature of the cheaper cutters with stepper motors - best thing would be get flexi starter and add to the overcut setting - it will cut a little further helping this

[OWJones 1,981]

I am having trouble with my MH entirely!

 

My MH is not cutting the vinyl all the way through. I've changed the blade, changed offset, pressure, speed, you name it I've tried it! I am getting frustrated!

 

Please help!

 

When you say all the way through, do you mean that it's not cutting all the way through to the liner, or when it cuts a shape it doesn't complete the entire shape and you're left with little bits of uncut vinyl?

 

Those are two different issues - the offset suggestion should take care of the unfinished cuts - if it's not cutting through to the liner, then it's probably a blade depth issue.  There are numerous posts on these forums about how to properly set your blade depth to cut all the way through.

 

If that still doesn't take care of your problem, get back to us with more information about what kind of software you're using, etc. and we can try and help more.