Discuss the different methods of adding some bling to your designs. Rhinestone and rhinestud transfers, templates, equipment, software and supplies are inlcuded in this forum.
I have my sandblast material and want to try it out. I found somewhere on this site what the settings should be on my Roland gx-24 when cutting the sandblast, but my problem is I can't find how to change them. I can change the force, that's easy, it's the offset and the speed that I can't seem to figure out how to change. I can see them on the screen but can't figure out how to select and change them. And I can't find anything in my paperwork that came with the cutter on how to change it.
Hello Michelle. The speed and offset is changed in the Menu. After you have selected Roll, Piece or Edge, click the menu button. Scroll down to Conditions. That is where you change the Speed and Offset.
I tried a couple times and finally realized I couldn't scroll unless I saw the arrows on the right side of the screen. Thanks so much. And I did remember to write down what they were before I changed them. Then I would have been sending out a post to ask what my settings should be for normal work!!
I did a small test design and the first time I couldn't lift the dots away. So I moved the blade over and lowered the blade some and did it again and I still couldn't lift the dots away, finally remembered someone saying they did a double cut to get it to work. I did the double cut and was able to pull the dots out. So I did a design to put on a board and when I pealed the design away the dots came with it. I can lift the dots out of the design ok, but that is time consuming. Do I need to do a third cut??? Or lower the blade some more? The force is 250, which is apparently the highest it goes.
I did a small test design and the first time I couldn't lift the dots away. So I moved the blade over and lowered the blade some and did it again and I still couldn't lift the dots away, finally remembered someone saying they did a double cut to get it to work. I did the double cut and was able to pull the dots out. So I did a design to put on a board and when I pealed the design away the dots came with it. I can lift the dots out of the design ok, but that is time consuming. Do I need to do a third cut??? Or lower the blade some more? The force is 250, which is apparently the highest it goes.
Thanks!!
Hello Michelle,
You want to be careful about lowering the blade. If you have it out too far you'll be bending the blade instead of alowing it to cut. Your blade should be out as far as the material and half the backing. For standard films, it shouldn't be more than the thickness of a credit card. Obviously sandblast material is thicker so you can put it out a bit more but you don't want to go too far.
My suggestion is to make sure the blade is set correctly and then go back and adjust the force accordingly.
I did a small test design and the first time I couldn't lift the dots away. So I moved the blade over and lowered the blade some and did it again and I still couldn't lift the dots away, finally remembered someone saying they did a double cut to get it to work. I did the double cut and was able to pull the dots out. So I did a design to put on a board and when I pealed the design away the dots came with it. I can lift the dots out of the design ok, but that is time consuming. Do I need to do a third cut??? Or lower the blade some more? The force is 250, which is apparently the highest it goes.
Thanks!!
If its cutting all the way through and a little into the carrier sheet then more force or cutting won't make a difference.
It most likley the nature of the media. The media is thick so it will tend to hold on to the little "plugs". Sandblasting doesn't use a lot of fine details so they really don't expect 3.5 mm holes to self weed.
Others my have some tips to make to the weeding easier.
I've heard of putting it in the fridge for a couple of minutes then pulling it off the backing sheet works for some people. Also, I keep a piece of plexiglass nearby and put it on there after peeling off the liner and then when I pull it off of the plexiglass that takes care of some of the dots. Neither method works 100% for me, I figure I will get there eventually.....
It is not cutting into the backing sheet after two cuts. I'm thinking of changing the blade. I don't use the cutter enough for the blade to wear down, expecially the 60 degree one. I have a whole package of new ones, so it won't hurt. I got the Harto 425 and someone else said they got the Hartco 930. So I'm wondering if I should have got the 930 instead. I'm waiting for someone to answer me from Sign Warehouse about that subject and about maybe a different blade, but haven't yet. I'll let everyone know what they say.
Thanks.
The plexiglass sounds like an interesting tip.
I put my sandblast on a piece of cardboard that comes in boxes of paper. Not real sturdy but still not like paper. I'm thinking of getting something like this or less sturdy, because when I practiced putting rhinestones on my first one I got completely cut out, I turned the design upside down and rolled the sandblast away from the mylar tape. That seemed to work better than trying to lift the stones with the tape since I was having to relay it down to catch a couple stones as I went.
For the rubber material - sandblast or stone stencil, I buy the 20X30 White Foamboards for a $1 at Dollar Tree. They cut readily with a knife and they are sturdy but not totally stiff. Good for projects that you are only going to use a few times - although I've used several of them numerous times and they are holding up very well as long as I take care of them.
As far as the plexiglass - it works the best for me so far - the refrigerator didn't seem to help much. I also bought the VHRT-930-S-15 HARTCO PVC SANDMASK 15x10 30 MIL from Sign Warehouse - it doesn't weed that great (but I can't seem to get that going properly anyway) and doesn't work well for the smaller SS6 stones (too thick - the stones settle below the top of the material most times), but for the SS10's and bigger, the stones slide in place very nicely and the transfer film lifts off without a lot a trouble as well. I am going to try their VHRT-425-S-15 next - it is 25 mil and will hopefully work with the SS6's. I love the stone stencil material and the backer boards, but I use that mostly for stencils that I am going to use over and over and over, because it is almost twice the price. Trying to pinch pennies where I can for now.
settings on GX-24 
