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2. Cutting
2.01 What You Need to Understand About Cutting
You Have To Make Mistakes
The key to becoming successful at cutting is to do a lot of it! Those who shy away from using their ACS-
24UHF never get to the stage of mastering it. It’s very normal for new owners to be intimidated by their
cutter. So, remember the following key things:
You won’t break your new ACS-24UHF by cutting paper, vinyl, cardstock, rhinestone rubber, and other
easy-to-cut materials. The worst thing that might
possibly
happen is that you’ll break a blade. That’s it!
And the likelihood of even that happening is low.
You need to start cutting so that you’ll make a lot of mistakes! We ALL do that! It’s in making these
mistakes that you start to learn. You realize that those mistakes didn’t result in a broken cutter. Plus
you’ll stop making the same mistakes as you remember more of the things you need to check before
every cut.
As you make fewer mistakes you begin to build confidence and you begin to have more cutting success!
From there, you begin to experiment more and produce more. Thus, your best course of action is to just
start cutting… a lot… after, of course, you have read the rest of this section!
The Most Common Mistakes Made by New Owners
We all make them and we all learn from them. So, please note the following most common mistakes and
then finish reading this entire Section 2.01 as the details behind these listed mistakes will be explained:
Too much blade is exposed on the blade holder
The blade tip is too close to the material
Too much force is being used for the material being cut
Forget to set the Blade Offset before cutting
Failure to do a test cut to make sure settings are optimal
Not practicing enough with the test pen and paper to know where shapes will cut
Begin with Easy Materials and Easy Shapes
You didn’t begin your first driving lesson out on the freeway. You probably started driving on a farm or in a
parking lot. Then you progressed to the neighborhood and other low-traffic streets. Then you began driving
on major streets. Think of your cutting in the same way and don’t start your first cuts with thick difficult
materials or detailed cutting files! Instead, start cutting basic shapes and inexpensive materials, such as
cardstock from Wal-Mart or just scraps you have on hand. Work your way up to more difficult cuts after you
master the easy ones.
Record Your Successes
As you begin to have great results, take note of settings, such as cutting force, velocity, blade offset, blade
type, brand of material, etc. There is a blank form at the end of this chapter that you can print and use to
record your results. There are also suggested settings for a range of materials in
Section 2.03
, more
specific settings at the end of
Chapter 2,
and in
Chapter 10
. These were obtained on a KNK Maxx but
should provide good starting points on the ACS-24UHF, as well. Remember that your results may vary
based on the many factors which can affect cutting
Use the Correct Blade for the Material You Are Cutting
Your ACS-24UHF comes with a 45
o
blade (red cap) and a 60
o
blade (blue cap). An optional fabric blade is
also sold. Use the following as a guide for choosing the appropriate blade for the material you are cutting:
IMPORTANT: Please read all of 2.01!!!
Summary of Contents for ACS-24UHF/Eagle
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