speleopower 46 Posted May 20, 2012 Hi-I'm Scott and brand new to vinyl cutting. I just ordered a 34" SC cutter early last week. Received it in a couple of days and began to cut. I am interested in doing custom airbrushing for radio controlled jets, jetskiis, helmets, and making stickers for personal use only. If someone wants to buy a sticker or pay me to airbrush something then I'll do it but I'm not interested in starting a vinyl business. Part of what drove me to get a cutter was frustration in waiting for a vinyl airbrush paint mask from the local shop. I decieded it was better to get my own cutter and make stencils and masks as needed to save time in the long run. Here is the first "real" project I've done with the new cutter. It's the front end of one of my jetskis that is getting custom paint. This was done 2 days after getting the cutter. I purchased the vector file from www.vectorstock.com and used Signblazer to cut the vinyl. I also used a newbie instructional guide to setting up the cutter (http://start.uscutter.com/sc/7 and also http://www.customracingdecal.com/manuals/Noob-V4_9.pdf). Basicly I'm very very happy with the cutter and it is working beyond my expectations. Thank you USCutter for an economical product that seems to work well from the start. Just wish there was a little bit better instructions available for the cutter/software. Finally I made some stickers for my neighbor who is having his birthday party today. I figured why not make something that he'll like. Nothing says happy birthday like some stickers of his favorite guns. My next goal over the coming week is to download and learn some of the Sign Cut software. -Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,451 Posted May 21, 2012 Hello Scott, your posting is a perfect example of the versatility and different uses that the USCutter machines are offering to us. As you go along, please add some posts about tricks and tips you discover regarding masking and airbrush stencils. That type of feedback and artist's participation is what makes these forums enjoyable to everyone. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speleopower 46 Posted May 21, 2012 Sure thing. I hope to get a good bit of use out of the cutter. I would like to somehow figure out how to cut thin mylar to make a stencil that is not adhesive backed like the vinyl. -Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coaster36 327 Posted May 21, 2012 Dont pay for graphics, learn inkscape. Its a free program that lets you easily create vector graphics and helps convert jpegs into vectors. Welcome to the community, youll learn a lot and hopefully teach a lot too! Feel free to ask any questions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vinylmotivations 143 Posted May 21, 2012 Nothing wrong with buying graphics if you like them, rather than converting them yourself... What makes me CRAZY is that the industry is so flooded with crap graphics that haven't been properly cleaned up and edited with clean, nice edges and worked up nicely.... granted thats ok for some folks but there is a lot to be said about a good clean piece of artwork which is what you get from an artist, creating something from scratch, or a vector site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,451 Posted May 21, 2012 It's strange, but since opening my own sign-making store, I have managed to create almost every job with just the graphics contained within the SignBlazer LIBRARY. And BrandsoftheWorld.com when I need a specific corporate logo (like State Farm, for instance) The SignBlazer LIBRARY has a lot of Australian corporations, which don't really help me! In fact, just this coming week, I'm lettering a truck for a guy who installs & services stoves (the wood-burning kind). Right there in the SB library is a nice little burning fire. Gotta love it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speleopower 46 Posted May 21, 2012 Yes I would rather create my own graphics but time is worth a lot to me. Especially when I have precious little time to devote to my hobbies. What actually drove me to get a vinyl cutter was the huge amount of time it would take the local shop to convert a downloaded .jpeg to a stencil. For example the turtle I posted a pic of. That piece I picked out for one of my jetskis. It was from Vectorstock.com. Well the guy at the shop wanted to download the low res .jpeg file and hand convert it. I stood there for over an hour with the guy while he fiddled with the graphic. I finally had to say I have to go- 1)he lost all future business from me because I have my own cutter now, 2)he lost over an hour of time just fiddling instead of actually making money. If he had spent $1 he could have gotten quite a bit of money from me for multiple paint masks. After the stencil goes on and is painted and then removed another mask is put on which is all of the pieces that were weeded out. I then will go around and add various details/shadows with the airbrush. In the same amount of time as he sat there and fiddled with just a small portion of the large complex turtle graphic I had cut and stuck the large turtle stencil onto my ski. Yes I will learn Inkscape-actually in the past hour I learned how to create an .eps vector graphic from a .jpeg. Here's the first .jpeg to vector file I have converted and cut. The black/grey is the vector file and the red/white is the cut vinyl sticker. Hahahaha For $1 a download on www.vectorstock.com there is some really sweet graphics for lots of things I would like to cut and airbrush. I'm sure I'm going to be using Inkscape quite a bit in the coming months. Thanks for all the tips. Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,451 Posted May 21, 2012 Well, you won't find THAT sort of stuff in the SignBlazer LiBRARY, for sure!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coaster36 327 Posted May 21, 2012 As you see with just a few button clicks you have rough cut-able file. Spend a few more mins and you have a more then decent file with just a few minutes invested. I usually do my node editing while sitting in front of the tv relaxing after the day is over. I can do a pretty complex graphic in about 2 hours time. Keep reading(although I think you know more then you lead us to belive) Make sure you show your completed work. I want to see the completed airbrush work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speleopower 46 Posted May 22, 2012 I've been really piling through the software for the past few nights and getting a method for what I want to do worked out. Nah I don't know much. I just have a goal and have been working on that one goal only since I got the cutter. Plus the local shop guy really bummed me out and made me doubly determined to accomplish my paint goal. Here's a quick paint up I did tonight on the back of my girlfriends jetski. It doesn't show up well with a cell phone camera but the color is Porn Star Pink over Sparklescent Silver using a vinyl paint mask I cut after work. I also cut a 2nd dolphin the same size and I will be putting vinyl pieces over the pink and spraying some details/design behind the dolphin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speleopower 46 Posted May 28, 2012 My vinyl cutter is still running well. It's been cutting quite a bit the last few days. I made a bunch of stickers for some friends and have done a lot of paint masks for my jetski. While your cutting vinyl thank a vet. I'm going to cut a decal for an Airforce friend. I'm looking for a large .jpeg of the pararescue emblem since my friend is a PJ. I drew this airforce emblem and hope it cuts right. The pararescue emblem is a bit more complex and I can't seem to get it right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
