what setting is correct for cutting brushed aluminium?

[starkie]

in my experience its try try and try again. you just have to test cut. does your cutter not have a test cut on it. maybe your blade is already too low in the holder??? it only needs to be barely visible. I used to have the same problem but found that i was using far too much pressure. Also it does depend how old the blade is/how much its been used already….like i said…try try try….

[Martin Pearson]

Is it a vinyl or a metallic or polyester film? It would probably be helpful to know the brand if you can find some reference.
Might be an idea to try setting up your plotter again as Starkie has said if the blade is set to low so to much of the blade is sticking out of the holder it can cause problems, you should then be able to just alter the cutting force until it is right. If it is a thick metallic film a 60 deg blade may be more suitable but a 45 deg blade should still cut it OK, how old is the blade as some films can blunt a blade pretty quickly.
When you say it doesn’t cut properly is it mainly in the corners? If it is you may need to alter the blade offset. What software do you use to design and cut your graphics?

It might also be a good idea to pop into the hello forum and introduce yourself as people that do seem to get better responses to their posts and using all caps is normally considered to be rude as well. Hope this is of some help.

[Mark Strathie]

Hi guys ,
thanks for the reply, and sorry about the caps.
I can cut normal vinyl in various thickness ok and my plotter does have a blade adjustment which i know how to adjust for different pressure, but this aluminium looks more metalic than vinyl, with blade steps 140 g to light ( cant weed) and the next step is 170 g to heavy and cuts right through the backing as well, there is no name on the back of the paper and no name in the tube i just know its brushed aluminium, i asked the person i bought it from and he has not return my email so i dont think he knows either, the software i am using is vinyl master pro . fioson c24 cutter and a almost brand new blade .
hope you can make sense of this
regards mark

[Robert Lambie]

are you sure the blade is sharp/new?

p.s.
please click your profile link above and complete your Full contact details.
thank you…. :police3:

[Mark Strathie]

Hi robert
the machines about a week old and i dont think a couple of meters have been through it yet but i have got spare blades and i will try that, do you mean that the blades would be ok for normal vinyl but not sharp enough for the aluminium ?
regards mark

[Robert Lambie]

if its only new it should be fine then. but you can chip the tip if you dropped it.
i dont know much about the machine you have but there is normally a little test button that draws a cross in a circle or something… the settings maybe just out and thats why your cutting through the paper. ide start light on a test. then keep increasing the pressure ever so slightly until the blade starts cutting properly. the vinyl you have maybe a polyester film so needs more pressure than regular vinyl.

[Martin Pearson]

Mark, when you say you can’t weed it do you mean that it isn’t cut at all or is most of it cut with odd bits that haven’t cut properly? Your plotter doesn’t seem to be to good when it comes to setting the cutting force if it jumps so much in just one step, are you sure there isn’t a finer adjustment somewhere.
You could try phoning Edward Mathias and asking them, they will be able to tell you if you need a special blade for the material, sorry don’t have a number but a search on the boards or a google search will probably find it.

[Hugh Potter]

you should be able to adjust both the blade pressure, and blade depth, depth is usually done manually,

to begin with, you had enough pressure, but too much depth, back the depth off a tad and try again, by simply backing off the pressure, you’ve probably take too much off, resulting in the blade only scoring the material,

metallic films are a pain (i use a few alot), carbon, chrome, rainbow etc, all have a thin backing paper, i have no idea why, but by itself i find that to be a problem, .2mm too deep and the backing scores too deep and ends up sticking to the film, .2mm too shallow and it won’t weed right !

[Mark Strathie]

Hi martin
i mean there is no finer adjustment on the plotter between 140 and 170 g of force, with regards to the weeding i mean that it cuts through some of it in bits ! and because its not cut all the way through deep enough to almost the backing its not cut properly hence i cant weed it (like it should have more force applied) , if i set the blade up one more force to 170 it cuts through the backing paper aswell, theres no in between i have no other problems with about 5 different makes of vinyl that i have tryed so far
when it does cut its not a smooth edge and the blade mess’s up the corners like when you have the blade set to to much force, i have even slowed the blade speed right down .

i will try and get the number for mathias,
i would like to thank all of you for all the help
regards mark

[Mark Strathie]

Hi hugh
thanks i will also try backing of the depth of the blade
regards mark

[Hugh Potter]

just for the record, on regular vinyls (new blade) i only use about 90-95g of pressure, on metallics i use between 95-105g, and reflective i use around 140g, i really don’t think you need to be so high on pressure, i think it has to be a depth issue.

good luck.
Hugh

[C.Neale]

Hi
As you can see bu my number of posts im a complete newby. I read this thread quite thoroughly as im getting the exact same machine and cutting the same material including all chromes and carbon fibre effects etc.

When i bought the machine they stated it can cut "1mm sandblast rubber" but the chrome vinyls i see on the internet can be 2 mil thick. The chrome swatches i have in front of me are no way 2 mil thick. As i have not yet used the machine(its on its way) do you think im going to have trouble with it cutting this material or is the trouble Mark is having definitely just a set up issue.

Anyway thanks for all the info guys/ladies.
Thanks

[Mark Strathie]

hi C.Neale
how did you get on with cutting the chrome etc, i havent had the time to do more experimenting.
regards mark

[C.Neale]

Hi Mark.
Im due to cut chrome this week. Finding the whole cutter a bit difficult as im new to the whole thing. Have you ever cut Ritrama matt vinyl. I can cut lots of tests and it fine. Then i cut something about 30cm big and it just rips through the backing to. Mark what vinyls have you cut so far and what setting do you use. Ill let you know how the chromes go.
Thanks
Chris

UPDATE: The chrome im using is the 5yr one from mdpsupplies.com .
Mark how many blades have you used so far. Im still on my first five meter roll of vinyl and im finding i have to use high pressures to make it cut if i put a new blade in it cuts fine. @£30 for 5 blades i need to learn how to make them last.

[Mark Strathie]

HI CHRIS
I HAVE NO PROBLEM RITMA GLOSS ,HAVE NOT TRYED THE MATT BUT I HAVE CUT BANNERMARK BANNER NO PROBLEM I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY CUT A LOT I WAS JUST EXPERIMENTING WITH THE BLADE ETC, I DO STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRUSHED ALUMINIUM ( DONT KNOW THE BRAND) EVEN AFTER MOVING THE BLADE DEPTH AND DIFFERENT PRESSURES IT HORRIBLE STUFF I HAVE NOT TRYED CHROME YET BUT OTHER PEOPLE SEEM TO CUT THAT OK I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYONE WITH THE BRUSHED ALY .
I STILL AM EITHER CUTTING TO DEEP OR NOT ENOUGH WHEN USING THE BRUSHED ALY EVEN WITH A 60 DEGREE BLADE. ( I HAVE NOT NEEDED TO CHANGE 45 BLADE YET)
IAM ALMOST GIVEN UP TRYING!!!!!
LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON THEY THE CHROME ETC
REGARDS MARK

[Peter Normington]

quote C.Neale:

UPDATE: The chrome im using is the 5yr one from mdpsupplies.com .
Mark how many blades have you used so far. Im still on my first five meter roll of vinyl and im finding i have to use high pressures to make it cut if i put a new blade in it cuts fine. @£30 for 5 blades i need to learn how to make them last.

A good blade should cut at least several hundred metres (most good blades are good for miles of actual cutting length) of vinyl, the blades you are using seem very cheap, perhaps that’s the problem, the blades may not be that good.
but be careful you are not cutting into the backing paper as that will blunt even the best blades in a short time.

Peter

[Mark Strathie]

PS
SORRY I HAD MY CAPS LOCK ON AGAIN
DOOOOOOHH

[Peter Normington]

AND YOU STILL HAVE 😉

Peter

[C.Neale]

Hi Guys
Ive now cut a range of chromes and it cuts it beautifull. After the initial set up id reccomend these cutters to anyone. Im now trying chromes from The Vinyl Corp. Im still waiting on the brushed chrome but im sure it will be no probs.
Thanks All
Chris

[Mark Strathie]

Hi chris
How did you get on with the brushed aluminium ??
regards mark

[C.Neale]

Hi
Ive cut brushed aluminum just fine. Its only cheap stuff 12mths life span from the Sixo Holographics. The brushed alys not what i was expecting. Its a bit different to the norm however still has same characteristics i.e thin backing paper etc.
Thanks

[Mark Strathie]

hi chris
ive got to the bottom of my problem, i think its because i was trying to cut small letters if i cut some thing at least minimuim 30 mm high and adjust the blade height its no prolbem and cuts fine dont know what brand the brushed aly is but i have 3 rolls incase you need any.
regards mark

[C.Neale]

Hi
Thats a problem ive found and going to ask you. When cutting small letters and shapes e.g circles that are 5-6 mm. It seems that it goes around the shape about 2 times. Say you were to cut letter about 10-15 mm what setting would you use. I may be having it to fast(150mm).
Were abouts do you get your brushed chromes from.
Thanks

[Mark Strathie]

Hi chris
i have not had that problem you have with going round the cut twice,
the machine seems to cut normal vinyl at any speed but because ive been doing small letters i just keep to 100mm speed , with regards to the brushed aly i bought a job lot (3 rolls) it wasnt from a shop, if you need some send me your email address.
regards mark