Hello and thanks for approving my request.

This is a great forum and I'm really interested to see the work in progresses and tips.

I'm from Weston-Super-Mare, in the south west of the UK.

I have been toying with the idea of a Silhouette cutter for a long time, but I am finally making the purchase, and I've started playinig in Silhouette Studio with some decal scans.

First project will likelky be the USAF code letters for a 1/48 F-16 (Ramstein 512th FS) but I have plenty of ideas - most of them for Spitfires so I hope that roundels and RAF code letters/serials are a nice place to start!

 

Welcome aboard, Phil!

 

 

Kev

Welcome Phil, from another West Countryman! A wonderful part of the world. Any questions, just fire away! 
Max 

Hi PhilJ, and

Are you the PhilJ I think you may be, as in a member of Avon?

Hi Mike,

Yes it’s me, Phil Jones from IPMS Avon. 🙂

Happy to see a familiar name here 🙂

 

Right, my first potentially daft question:

is there a knack to peeling the Oramask back off the cutting mat without peeling the mask from its own backing in spots as you go?

Edited December 26, 20231 yr by PhilJ

20 hours ago, PhilJ said:

Right, my first potentially daft question:

is there a knack to peeling the Oramask back off the cutting mat without peeling the mask from its own backing in spots as you go?

Not daft at all Phil, I imagine we've all experienced it.  New mats tend to be far too sticky and "cling on" to anything, so the trick is to try to reduce its stickiness, various techniques have been posted but I think just a flat hand pressed over it a few times helps.  My mat sadly faces the opposite problem after 10 years of use, but can I face a new ultra-sticky mat? Hmmm!

 

Max

Edited December 27, 20231 yr by Mozart

Thanks Max. 

The second run was slightly easier to peel so has been used in anger for the first time 🙂

On 12/27/2023 at 3:26 PM, PhilJ said:

The second run was slightly easier to peel so has been used in anger for the first time 🙂

Phil,

 

I always press a new mat against a T-shirt several times to tame the stickiness. You could also use a low stick mat, and if it's too anemic, tape the edges of the material to the mat with a few strips of masking tape. I do that when my mats lose the stick (before I re-spray the mat or just buy a new one). 

 

You could also try cutting without a mat as summarized here.  I don't normally do this because, among other reasons,  I usually use a  mounted full sheet from which I cut sections over multiple sessions. Save that mat/sheet, and use another mat for other projects that may arise. Cheap, cheap.

 

Gene K

 

Sorry for the delay, only just seen this.  There is a lower-tack version available - I got mine from Graphtec Craft Store, who supplied my cutter.   https://craftstoredirect.com/product/silhouette-portrait-cutting-mat-light-hold/