Discuss the various aspects of heat pressed vinyl transfers. Popular and new types of vinyl media, suppliers, vinyl cutters /plotters, press times, quality, how to instructions and more can be found in this heat press sub forum.
I forgot to ask, what material were you weeding in the YouTube video and are you just as fast on material with sticky backing (i.e., EasyWeed or ThermoFlex)?
If you mean the video up top that was in the first thread.. That was thermoflex.. so the plastic backing paper was sticky.. If you mean the video i posted a link to .. that is permagloss sign vinyl.. so the back of the vinyl is sticky..lol
I have an entire array of tools from pointy tweezers to dental pick assortments to xactos. I find that 99% of the time I use my tweezers and the exacto to weed small details and letters. Most of what I do is small (letters around 1/8" - 1/4"). For those I usually take care of the finer details with the point of the xacto.
Take a galvanised roofing nail, which are softer than normal nails. I think they call them 'clouts' in some countries'. Using a file you can either alter the pointed end, or the cap end to create any shape you need. When you've finished filing it to the shape you want, just wrap some electrical tape onto the shaft and you're done!!
They are cheap enough to have multiple shapes for different materials and jobs. If you lose one they only cost pennies (cents) to replace.
lol..
the dental tools i use i got at harbor freight one time when i was there getting some tools to work on the rc boat parts.. .. and the curves on the end looked like they mite work good..
.. I do use the dental picks some like in the video when weeding thermoflex as it can hook the vinyl and help in it getting pullled up..
But for regular weeding.. I find the handle too thin. and its not as comfortable in my hand as my pick i bought from the sign supply shop for like 6 dollars or so..
It has a handle the same as a exacto and I can change the nibs if it gets dull..
There are days that I may weed for hours.. and my hand needs to have something as comfortable as posible..
I am not one for making many tools myself.. as to me.. I could make a sign worth enuff to buy several tools in the time it would take me to make one lol..
the guy we bought our shop from was frugal to the point of no return.. .. When if first got the shop.. I would try to find a scrap of vinyl in the thousands of piece he saved to fit the job.. till i figured out that it was actually costing me money to try to save a few cents..
Its kinda the penny wise pound foolish thing.
I went thru the shop about a year ago and got rid of all the scraps and bit and pieces of vinyl.. that was collecting dust.. Some of it had been there so long the company that made the vinyl had been out of business for years.. or had changed there name 3 -4 years before lol.
I am saving the usuable scraps now to pass onto a forum friend that lives close that is buying a plotter as she will be able to get alot of practicing done on it.
The old owner also turned of the sheets from the fax machine.. to use the other side.. one time when he was still there.. I couldnt figure out which was the new fax and which was the old one.. lol..
No i dont waste money.. but I do look at how much saving a few pennies actually cost me in the long run..
sometimes in the time it would take for me to save 1.00 i could have made a sign that i sell for 70.oo lol..
I use both pick and tweezers. As I remove backing around small letters the pick works best for me. Most of the time i can slide under the loops as I pull. Tweezers great for pick the centers
Re: When You Weed With Dental Picks... 
