Vinyl - Cutting, Decals and Paint Masks

[soze]

I've been thinking about getting a Cricut for the longest time! I'll have to pay attention to this thread!

[Tossedman]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

Thank you for the info! Is the Mactac any better than the Silhouette vinyl?

Big Sticker made me laugh too. That's clever...

I like the Mactac better as it seems to take finer cuts better. I have no complaints about it.

This dash is just a vinyl sticker on black styrene. Speedo is just a printed pic from the interwebs. I painted the vinyl to match the body colour after I cut and stuck it to the styrene. I then weeded it right on the styrene after I painted it. Cheap and easy.


It looks better from the outside.


These stickers were cut with the Silhouette. This is in my shop. The big one's 9.5" in diameter. I've made it 3" in diameter but there are a lot of really fine cuts and you need to go slow with a really sharp blade.


Here's an iron on transfer. You can make your own t-shirts. This is the Siser EasyWeed heat transfer vinyl.


The Flat Four sticker on this body is the matte black Mactac. Actually all of these stickers are. Text like this is uber easy.


I design the vectors in Adobe Illustrator and export them as dxf files to import into Silhouette Studio for cutting. Have to watch the size though as the Silhouette Studio makes them way too big and I have to reduce them in size. You can do the same in Inkscape.

If you search the net there are shitloads of vector files out there for download. As long as you aren't selling them you can make pretty much anything you want. The image trace feature in Illustrator is great for making vectors from bitmaps. Pretty sure that Inkscape has a trace function as well.

Imagination and creativity come in handy with figuring out what to do with this machine.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by smog

Yeah, I think so. Thanks for working with me here. I assume the software package is capable of converting files to their format to make them usable? Especially so, considering they have their own.

Silhouette Studios can import various image types, but then you have to turn it into something the Cameo can cut. I'm not sure how Brake Weight went about doing that. I haven't tried it yet.

Originally Posted by soze

I've been thinking about getting a Cricut for the longest time! I'll have to pay attention to this thread!

I was torn between Cricut and Silhouette when I was first doing research years ago and then my mosquito brain got sucked away by a different flashing light and I forgot all about vinyl cutters for a while. It seems like Silhouette stepped it up with the Cameo 4 so I bit when I saw the Mother's Day deal. I'm not sure which is the "better" machine for RC. I'm sure they both do the job just fine. But out of curiosity is there a specific reason you were looking at the Cricut instead of the Silhouette?

Originally Posted by Tossedman

I like the Mactac better as it seems to take finer cuts better. I have no complaints about it.

This dash is just a vinyl sticker on black styrene. Speedo is just a printed pic from the interwebs. I painted the vinyl to match the body colour after I cut and stuck it to the styrene. I then weeded it right on the styrene after I painted it. Cheap and easy.

It looks better from the outside.

These stickers were cut with the Silhouette. This is in my shop. The big one's 9.5" in diameter. I've made it 3" in diameter but there are a lot of really fine cuts and you need to go slow with a really sharp blade.

Here's an iron on transfer. You can make your own t-shirts. This is the Siser EasyWeed heat transfer vinyl.

The Flat Four sticker on this body is the matte black Mactac. Actually all of these stickers are. Text like this is uber easy.

I design the vectors in Adobe Illustrator and export them as dxf files to import into Silhouette Studio for cutting. Have to watch the size though as the Silhouette Studio makes them way too big and I have to reduce them in size. You can do the same in Inkscape.

If you search the net there are shitloads of vector files out there for download. As long as you aren't selling them you can make pretty much anything you want. The image trace feature in Illustrator is great for making vectors from bitmaps. Pretty sure that Inkscape has a trace function as well.

Imagination and creativity come in handy with figuring out what to do with this machine.

The dash is very creative use of the vinyl! I'll have to look into the Mactac.

I love the shirts too. I don't even own a Subaru, but the logo is so awesome that I almost want one.

Ah so trace is the function I need to research and learn. Thank you.

[Brake Weight]

@Tossedman

That dash layout is a good idea. I like that.

I remember when you posted that Flat Four design way back. I believe you had linked to a clock painted in stages with vinyl peeled away each color. I’ve got it saved somewhere.

[Tossedman]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

The dash is very creative use of the vinyl! I'll have to look into the Mactac.

I love the shirts too. I don't even own a Subaru, but the logo is so awesome that I almost want one.

Ah so trace is the function I need to research and learn. Thank you.

Yeah the shirts are fun. There are lots of tutorials on the net for Inkscape. Go crazy. Also, make sure you have the latest version. It finally came out of beta.

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

@Tossedman

That dash layout is a good idea. I like that.

I remember when you posted that Flat Four design way back. I believe you had linked to a clock painted in stages with vinyl peeled away each color. I’ve got it saved somewhere.

Thanks! You got a good memory. I stole that sticker design from here. You could make this clock with a vinyl cutter as well instead of a laser. I'm lucky. I have both!

[Brake Weight]

Originally Posted by Tossedman

Thanks! You got a good memory. I stole that sticker design from here. You could make this clock with a vinyl cutter as well instead of a laser. I'm lucky. I have both!

That’s it. I even have a cheap clock I bought to make one.

[Tossedman]

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

That’s it. I even have a cheap clock I bought to make one.

Cool! Build it and post pics!

[twentyniner]

Great thread, subbing! I have a design I’m trying to put on my TRX4 defender and just ordered some vinyl. Thought I might hand cut it. I’ve done plenty of Xacto cutting and hand design work, but know it will be a pain, lol. Maybe I need to look into one of these machines.

[Tossedman]

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

I even made a micro sponson boat once. I got the Predator build plans and cohttps://aerofred.com/details.php?image_id=93511pied them from .pdf to fit the tiny sheets of ply at the hobby shop. I used one of the fixed blades and the maximum pressure and lowest speed settings. Made 3 passes and was able to snap most of them off. Some needed a little bit of a hobby knife to free up.

So, was just being nosy and curious and went and found some Predator plans online and downloaded the PDF. Nice thing is, this PDF contains the vectors. I could open this in Illustrator and go directly to cutting after a bit of minor editing (but I'd use the laser cutter - it'll cut directly from Illustrator). Cool!

I'm not building a boat, too much other crap on the bench. I could if I wanted to though.

Originally Posted by twentyniner

Great thread, subbing! I have a design I’m trying to put on my TRX4 defender and just ordered some vinyl. Thought I might hand cut it. I’ve done plenty of Xacto cutting and hand design work, but know it will be a pain, lol. Maybe I need to look into one of these machines.

If you try a cutter like the Silhouette or better you'll be loath to go back to a knife.

[Brake Weight]

Originally Posted by Tossedman

Cool! Build it and post pics!

That clock has sat there for at least a year. Still in the box it came in, too. LOL.

[soze]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I was torn between Cricut and Silhouette when I was first doing research years ago and then my mosquito brain got sucked away by a different flashing light and I forgot all about vinyl cutters for a while. It seems like Silhouette stepped it up with the Cameo 4 so I bit when I saw the Mother's Day deal. I'm not sure which is the "better" machine for RC. I'm sure they both do the job just fine. But out of curiosity is there a specific reason you were looking at the Cricut instead of the Silhouette?

No real particular reason. At the time I was actively researching the Cricut was the better cutter. I stopped looking for a couple of years so I'd have to find out what is the better one to get now.

[Tossedman]

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

That clock has sat there for at least a year. Still in the box it came in, too. LOL.

Oh, so you get right on top of projects the same way I do. Carry on!

[smog]

Which vinyl would be best for cutting stencils? It would obviously need to have a transfer tape for application. Perhaps the transfer tape just bought separately as seems to be advertised?

[Tossedman]

I haven't made stencils yet. You can buy self-adhesive stencil film but I have zero experience with any of them so cannot recommend. Don't use the Mactac or any other permanent vinyl. Way too sticky.

[Brake Weight]

How many times are you wanting to use the stencil? You could probably just use some of the transfer material since it is less sticky. I had some cheap matte black vinyl I had gotten from Hobby Lobby that I used. Just because it was cheaper and didn’t want to stick as well.

[smog]

Originally Posted by Tossedman

I haven't made stencils yet. You can buy self-adhesive stencil film but I have zero experience with any of them so cannot recommend. Don't use the Mactac or any other permanent vinyl. Way too sticky.

Thanks I will check that stuff out

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

How many times are you wanting to use the stencil? You could probably just use some of the transfer material since it is less sticky. I had some cheap matte black vinyl I had gotten from Hobby Lobby that I used. Just because it was cheaper and didn’t want to stick as well.

Once or twice depending on the design I guess. Wouldn't expect to great longevity out of a stick-on vinyl stencil

[BJoe]

Originally Posted by soze

I've been thinking about getting a Cricut for the longest time! I'll have to pay attention to this thread!

I bought one of the Cricut Makers right before Mother's Day for my Sister, I'm kinda hoping I can make some use of it too. Unfortunately I had to order it online and it's set to arrive tomorrow........finally

[CODYBOY]

Originally Posted by smog

Which vinyl would be best for cutting stencils? It would obviously need to have a transfer tape for application. Perhaps the transfer tape just bought separately as seems to be advertised?

Hey smog, I use clear Contact Paper to make my stencils. I did the STP and 43 with it on my "King Richard" build. They are all paint.










We use a Brothers paper cutter that Marcia uses to do her crafting.

Ernie

PS: For transfer tape I use the yellow Frog painting tape.

[smog]

Originally Posted by CODYBOY

Hey smog, I use clear Contact Paper to make my stencils. I did the STP and 43 with it on my "King Richard" build. They are all paint.


We use a Brothers paper cutter that Marcia uses to do her crafting.

Ernie

PS: For transfer tape I use the yellow Frog painting tape.

A good option, clearly that works well. Thanks Ernie

[JatoTheRipper]

Silhouette is having a sale until 6/30 if you're looking to pick up a vinyl cutter.

https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/june