Silhouette Curio card cutter

[Junctionmad]

For work reasons I was thinking of buying one of these http://www.silhouettecameoeurope.com/silhouette-curio-machine-690.html

 

I was wondering if anyone had experience of using it for model railway buildings in card.

 

There is also the cameo2 version

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[Glenderg]

The cutting plate is about the size of an A5, (8.5" x 6") so if you like signal boxes, go for it, cos there's little else you're going to cut with it.

 

I use mine (not Silhouette) which was has an A3 platen to cut patterns onto which you put the finish. The software is really really poor for any of these cutters so if you are to take a finished design, put on the platen for cutting, it involves calibrating the machine every time, and I've yet had it cut any Design & Cut job to a standard I'd be happy with. This won't do a Metcalfe job for you.

 

It doesn't etch metal either, that's a chemical process. It embosses and engraves on thin foil, slightly thinner than curry tray foil.

 

I'd encourage you to have a look at some youtube clips of these machines in action before you even consider a purchase. The Silhouette cutters would be at the Hornby Railroad imho.

 

R

[Weshty]

The Silhouette cutters would be at the Hornby Railroad imho.

 

R

 

Ouch!

[Junctionmad]

Thanks. Maybe the cameo2 would be a better buy

 

There's a long thread on the cameo on rmweb and people have done some very nice stuff in 4mm

 

I have both Inkscape and Corel draw , both which can drive a cutter , so I'm not worried about software

 

 

I agree they are not suitable for recalibrating existing work. Once the work is ejected you're done.

 

I was thinking of using it for brick paper card models

 

Would you have any better suggestions for under 500 euros I've looked at cricut and zing

 

Dave

Edited November 17, 2015 by Junctionmad

[murrayec]

Hi

 

I use the Cameo Silhouette for cutting DART body sheets, styrene, vinyl, and cardboard- absolutely a deadly machine! Draw it in CAD export a DXF file to the Silhouette software, which is not to bad and setup the cutting path, then send to the cutter... Deadly!

 

It can cut parts out of .2 to.3mm styrene- that's the limit, but it can score card up to 1mm thick and then you have to do the rest.

 

The system can actually be used to cut card kits- it just takes a bit of scanning, exporting a registration mark template from the cutter, importing into CAD, set up the registration marks in the cad drawing, set up the cutting lines in the cad drawing, export the cutting lines to the Silhouette, transfer the registration marks to the actual card kit your going to cut by exporting the cad template- you then test the cut on a spare print of the card kit to check it cuts on the line- you now have a template for cutting that kit out as many times as you like! as long as its sheets are mounted on the registration marked template that was made.

 

Not up on the Curio but it looks very similar and its the same software- the Cameo does A3 and banner cutting on a backing card.

 

http://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/silhouette-cameo-packs.asp

 

Buy it, the possibilities with a bit of planning are endless

 

Eoin

[murrayec]

Hi again

 

Take a look at the footbridges I made for the Greystones layout and the Seapoint Martello Tower layout, the side rails of the bridge are cut from .5mm styrene, and all cardboard templates to cut the foam steps and other bits, were cut out on the Cameo.

 

Eoin

[Glenderg]

There are two questions here really Dave. First is about equipment, the second is about process.

 

I'd recommend the Silver Bullet 13" model, but it's outside your budget at £654.99. I really don't remember anything about the other models, save that I spent about 6 weeks researching in serious detail what was possible and what wasn't. Just reviewing a few videos quickly, the cameo has only 2 this light plastic rollers which keep the media in place while the platen moves back and forward. Mine has 4 large rubber ones which will grab smaller pieces of plastic. I have a feeling if you put plastic or card onto the platen that's not slathered with Spray Mount, the media might slip.

 

Now I'm looking at the RMweb thread in some detail, I'd be concerned that the corners are rounding on windows and so on. Mine can correct for what's known as blade offset and overcut. Either there is no option with that machine/software or he doesn't know how to tweak it to the best setting. If you see photos on any of those threads, zoom all the way in, much of the finesse promised isn't actually produced.

 

Inkscape and Corel are fine to have to actually drive the cutter, but you'll need some type of vector software to produce the drawing (AutoCAD etc.) which then has to be exported as .pdf (which retains the vector data, rather than converting it to raster) and then you need to import it to the cutting software.

 

If you produce your artwork like below, you will have to produce outlines on top, to tell the cutting blade where to cut it. When you print off the piece of artwork to be cut, you'll have to place it into the platen, then tell the cutter where the registration marks are so it knows where your design is in relation to the data on screen. This calibration has to take place for every sheet of artwork, and is a PIA. I do all my cutting by hand, still.

 

 

Anyway, read as much as you can on the likes of Amazon, RMweb, about all the cutters, get it to a shortlist and then come back here.

 

http://die-cutting-machines-review.toptenreviews.com/silhouette-cameo-review.html

 

A quick google tells me the Cricut is a bug ridden piece of rubbish. Tri-ang level. Never heard of Zing.

 

TL;DR - If you can produce the artwork of brick buildings, print it and cut it by hand.

 

R.

[Broithe]

I know nothing, but my agent in the world of crafting/card-making says that her crowd get on well with the Brother Scan and Cut.

 

http://www.scanncut.co.uk/en_GB/;jsessionid=4EF276C4CB10A2D026508B3E3CEB6795

[Junctionmad]

Thanks.

 

My summary is that the most popular of the cheapies is the cameo

 

The cricut explore has a far greater cutting ability , but the software is locked to their internet studio

 

The zing , has a huge range of abilities but is a very manual machine to set up

 

The silver bullet looks nice but is expensive

 

 

Richie I can produce the artwork , and I've lots of experience with cutting card by hand, but as I get older I find close up precision work tiring on the eyes.

 

Also doing things like window frames etc always seem to be a pain

 

I an looking for a cutter to help with the stall precision stuff

[Glenderg]

Well it seems that somewhat of a decision has been made then! Thin perspex can be used to cut out window frames to a width of about 0.35mm, as well as slates, decorative barge boards, doors etc.

 

And having had a quick look at this vid, the cameo might just be right for you. Mine requires manual calibration of the registration marks, this is automatic.

 

[Dunluce Castle]

These machines are awesome, have a look at what they can do here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/104851-the-coronation-the-silhouette-mr-jenkinson-and-me/ superb

[Junctionmad]

Yes the cameo does seem a reasonable all rounder

 

I'm draw. To the knk Zing air which has three times the force , three rubber wheels laser registration alignment and very versatile tool holding , mainly US base but that not a worry

 

I'll deliberate further