JD22 0 Posted January 7 I'm new to cutting vinyl. Just picked up the titan 3 a couple months ago and I'm finally getting around to trying it. I would like to cut some small logos for my shop. I'm thinking like 3" x 2.5" with lettering. Right now I'm using 45 degree cheaper Blades offered from the uscutter site. I'm using 631 vinyl. The small letters look alright but sometimes they pull up while I'm trying to weed. I did the test cut feature but it still seems to do it. Once I make the logo bigger it works better. What recommendations would you guys have? Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted January 7 Depends on who you ask. I am a huge fan for Clean Cut Blades. If there's smaller, more intricate, or thin lines happening, then a 60 degree, and slowing down the speed should help you. I'm not a fan of changing blades, so I cut just about anything (with exception to reflective), with my 60* blade, which resides in the carriage about 90% of the time. If the stuff if coming up as you weed, you might need to increase the force just a smidgen, so that it's cutting through the adhesive as well. Another issue is how long are you allowing your cut vinyl to sit before weeding. I will generally not allow any cut vinyl to sit for more than 24-hour without being weeded. If I can't weed a project within 24-hours, then I don't cut it until I can make the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD22 0 Posted January 8 I weed as soon as it's done cutting. The more pressure I use the more it seems like it picks up corners and drags them along for a little. I pulled the blade holder off and cleaned it out to make sure there wasn't vinyl stuck inside. I have been reading about putting a drop of oil inside so the blade rotates. Is that something that is recommended? My cutting speed is usually in the 30's and the force is around 99g. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted January 8 You might want to make sure you have the blade depth set properly. This is what you're aiming for ... And you can use Skeeter's instructions on how to get there. "To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing. You should barely see and feel the blade out of the blade holder. Regular sign vinyl is only 2-3 mil thick. You only cut with the very tip of the blade." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted January 8 I weed as soon as it's done cutting. The more pressure I use the more it seems like it picks up corners and drags them along for a little. I pulled the blade holder off and cleaned it out to make sure there wasn't vinyl stuck inside. I have been reading about putting a drop of oil inside so the blade rotates. Is that something that is recommended? My cutting speed is usually in the 30's and the force is around 99g. Thanks! I would first recommend to set the blade depth properly. When you do the drag test (by hand), you should be able to tell if the blade is rotating in the holder. If it's not, or if you feel there might be too much drag on the rotation, then you can try a tiny drop of precision oil. Different machines will have different speed and pressure 'sweet spots,' even within the same machine make and model (though the settings should be fairly close). I would slow the speed down a bit. I would rather the machine take it's time cutting, than me needing to reload the machine after I've spent time weeding it and wasted the material because rushing the cut was unnecessary. I can't say that I've ever had a bad cut because the speed was too slow, but I can definitely tell you that I've had to redo some projects because the speed was too fast. If it's a large design with minimal hard corners and nothing intricate, then I'll run it faster, but those projects don't come along too often for me. Lately I've been commissioned to make stencils of these ridiculously small designs with super thin lines for someone who fabricates custom Star Wars helmets, it makes me totally mental to weed them, and I cut those teeny tiny graphics with a speed ranging between 3 -5. Optimal speed and force can also be dependent on the vinyl (type, manufacturer, color, age, etc.). If you do decide to get a Clean Cut blade, be sure to dial back the force when you recalibrate your machine for the new blade. We all started somewhere, and for me - this forum was my saving grace, so and keep on asking questions (but try to use the search feature first ). Stick with it and keep us updated with your progress. You chose a good machine to get started with . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD22 0 Posted January 8 That is exactly how I set the blade depth. I read that when I first got the machine. I pulled the holder out and installed a new blade and did the drag test to set the depth. It cuts the vinyl only. It's like when it changes direction on small parts is where it lifts the vinyl. I tried it slower and it was worse than when it was faster. I tried it on 12 for speed and it was worse than at 60. I will try a new blade and slow down to like 3-5 to see what happens. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darcshadow 1,626 Posted January 8 A 60 degree blade will help with fine detail. How detailed is the design. You could simply be near the limits of what's possible with the machine or vinyl. Good and fresh vinyl makes a big difference. The advertised shelf life of vinyl is shorter than you'd think. Although it's still usable long after the shelf life time. Just not guaranteed to same performance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted January 10 Hard to do any additional troubleshooting without getting the actual graphic so that others can test cut and see what kind of results they get as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD22 0 Posted January 13 I pulled the blade holder out and checked the blade depth again. It's still good. It only cuts the vinyl and only marks the bottom sheet. I did wipe the bottom of the blade holder with oil and cleaned it off while I had it out of the cutter. I did another test cut with the speed at 12 and it worked better than before. I'm hoping to do a couple me test cuts in the coming days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,709 Posted January 13 That blade should be so far into your blade holder, that you wouldn't think it would cut at all. Shouldn't even hardly feel or see the tip. You use the force of the machine to cut with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD22 0 Posted January 13 That's exactly how it is. I'm surprised it actually cuts. I might try some 60 degree blades to see if it helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,709 Posted January 13 Many of us on here only use 60 degree blade for everything. I cut very detailed designs, and only use 60 degree blades. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted January 13 Red cap 45* Yellow cap 30* Blue cap 60* Here's a good deal for a blade. Only $49.95 https://plotterdepot.com/product/vinyl-45-cutter-blade Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
