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2.01.2 Record Your Successes
•
As you have successful cuts, take note of the settings you just used, such as
Force
,
Speed,
blade type,
number of passes, brand of material, etc. There is a blank form in
Section 2.10
that you can print and use to
record your results. There are also suggested settings for common materials at the end of this chapter. Use
these as starting guides but remember that your results may vary based on the many factors which can
affect cutting.
2.01.3 Set the Blade Height Above the Material
•
The
Blade Height
is the distance from the tip of the blade to the top of the material you are about to cut.
You have control over that height and will need to raise the blade holder up a little higher before locking it
into place with the screw on the blade holder seat.
•
Adjust the blade height so that:
The blade tip will not be dragging across the material you are cutting when moving to the point to begin
the cut. This will ensure that t
he dropping of the blade will invoke more downward force… to a point!
In
Section 1.13.2
, you were instructed to set the blade tip height by holding down the blade holder seat
while inserting the test pen. This needed to be done before inserting the cutting mat. However, this
does not optimize the cutting force on the Skycut.
The recommended method for getting the same height set from one cut to the next is to use a spacer of
some kind:
o
Place the spacer on top of the material you are cutting, with the material loaded into the Skycut.
o
Loosen the screw on the blade holder seat and insert the blade holder so that the tip of the blade is
touching the top of the spacer:
o
Now tighten the front screws carefully making sure you are NOT pushing down on the blade holder
seat. Once tight, remove the spacer. You should feel the blade gently scratching the top of the
spacer.
o
This distance will provide the bla
de some “punch room” to give extra force and more consistent
cutting of your material.
What to use for this spacer?
o
Post-It notes which are the same thickness as 20 lb (75 gsm) copy paper work well.
o
For materials such as cardstock, vinyl, and fabric, use 20 Post-It notes or 20 sheets. This is ~ 2 mm.
o
When cutting thin chipboard with the red blade, use 20 Post-It notes. When cutting any material with
the blue blade, only use 15 Post-It notes.
Perfect Height Too Low
Too High
Blade tip needs to
be above the
material
But not too high or blade tip
will not reach the material
when dropped.
Blade tip just touches
top of spacer
Spacer is on top of material
which is on top of mat
