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I do like that fact that the video shows you to use a magnet to align your dies right on top of each other, that way it looks like you will get a perfect fit between dies for the frames. I don't know what a Bigz is. But it does look like these larger dies from dies direct will work with the cuttlebug (my favorite) and then the bigshot. So no need to buy yet another machine. I tell you the amount amount of money we spend...... :O)
Hello there
Dies Direct dies can only cut. Unlike Spellbinders which can cut, emboss & stencil.
I think a Bigz is a Big Shot.
To answer a question a while back, there are 7 dies in the circles set. That is why is looked as though there was space between the sets. The smallest is 4 1/4 inch.
Oh -I was really interested in this, but not if it doesn't take Bigz. That's a bummer.
I won't be surprised if they come out with a " new & improved " Calibur design in the future that will accommodate thick or thin dies.
When they designed this machine they were only thinking of the size of their dies . They failed to remember that many people have thicker dies.
They used the roller spacing from the Wizard, made the rollers wider and put a crank handle on it. The Wizard will not accept thick dies either. They will need to design a machine that has a wider space between the rollers and various mats to accommodate thick or thin dies.
Stay turned !! The saga of the die cutting machines is far from over :LOL: :LOL:
Sometimes I think that the embossing features lock you in too much. I like the fact that you can pick a large formatted embossing die from Dies Direct and put in your own pattern. Just me though. It's all great stuff!
The wizard can use big shot dies, tim holtz dies, all of the thicker die cuts.
If you go onto You Tube, Stacy Caron the owner of Spellbinders, actually has videos that show you how to use competitor dies in the Wizard. Here is the channel YouTube - tannfry's Channel
I hope this may clear a few things up
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barbara Jay
I won't be surprised if they come out with a " new & improved " Calibur design in the future that will accommodate thick or thin dies.
When they designed this machine they were only thinking of the size of their dies . They failed to remember that many people have thicker dies.
They used the roller spacing from the Wizard, made the rollers wider and put a crank handle on it. The Wizard will not accept thick dies either. They will need to design a machine that has a wider space between the rollers and various mats to accommodate thick or thin dies.
Stay turned !! The saga of the die cutting machines is far from over :LOL: :LOL:
The wizard can use big shot dies, tim holtz dies, all of the thicker die cuts.
If you go onto You Tube, Stacy Caron the owner of Spellbinders, actually has videos that show you how to use competitor dies in the Wizard. Here is the channel YouTube - tannfry's Channel
I hope this may clear a few things up
THANK YOU!! I didn't know there was a " Sizzix Universal Adaptor Mat " to use with thicker dies. I didn't buy thick dies because I thought I could not use them in the Wizard.
I have watched most of the videos on her channel but somehow missed that one.
Thanks again
Indeedy yes, the Wizard will take the thicker dies . And even though the new Universal Adapter Mat says for Raspberry Wizard only, I use it with no problems in my old purple one. That's why I was surprised to read that the Grand Calibur didn't take them!
So I got to play with the new Grand Caliber machine the other night! Awesome! You just roll the sandwich thru and it gently comes out the other side! Not controlling the release like you do with the Wizard. And does the machine have some pressure!! YES!! I cut 3 In-Spades Pendant dies with just one pass. I mean ALL the dies in the set - Pendant, center and accent pieces. 3 complete sets at once! The machine is awesome! You can see some pictures of me checking it out on my blog!
Debbie - after reading your "hands on" and going to your blog, I'm even happier I've preordered. I was *hoping* the Grand Calibur had the same wonderful pressure that the Wizard has.
silly question...which side of the cutting mat & embossing mat would you use to put on top of the sandwich? The side that is labeled at the bottom or the side that's not? Probably doesn't matter, does it?
Debbie - after reading your "hands on" and going to your blog, I'm even happier I've preordered. I was *hoping* the Grand Calibur had the same wonderful pressure that the Wizard has.
silly question...which side of the cutting mat & embossing mat would you use to put on top of the sandwich? The side that is labeled at the bottom or the side that's not? Probably doesn't matter, does it?
Molly
So glad your excited like I am, Molly! The pressure hasn't even been measured on the machine but I would say its MORE than the Wizard! I don't think it matters which side you use on the mats. I am assuming its like any die cutting machine that you want to flip the mats to keep them from warping.
Thanks for the hands on report!!
I have been thinking about this machine since I saw the demo.
When I was cutting an aperture hole in a card front, I had to fiddle with wrapping the card front around the magnetic spacer mat and still I saw a faint mark from the die
With the new wider machine I could put the card in "sideways", roll it through half way and cut the opening with ease
When I am in the market to buy a new manual machine this is the one I want to buy. Right now I have a Wizard and a Cuttlebug. I don't plan to use the Grand dies, I don't make scrapbooks, but It has other features I like and if I change my mind and want to use the Grand dies I could use them with this machine.
So many things to think about, electric Big Shot, 12x12 paper, thick & thin, large & small dies. And of course initial cost, supplies and ROI. How do you decide what to get?
For all of the Canadians I found a supplier in Canada. Scrappin Great Deals They have the grand dies on pre-order for 20% off and although the Grand Calibur machine is not listed yet for pre-order it will be. I just called them to inquire if they would be getting the machine and was told yes they were just waiting for an e-mail today hopefully to confirm brokerage fees and such that would effect their pricing. She told me to check back later today and hopefully it would be up. I inquired if she would be putting a bundle together and she said she hadn't thought about that but seemed to like the idea and would consider it.
happy shopping,
Sandy
I am a very regular (read broke) customer of Sheila's at scrapping great deals, and I highly recommend dealing with her. My orders come fast, communication is great, and she has been just lovely to work with. She is my first choice for online orders.
Diane
Hello there
Dies Direct dies can only cut. Unlike Spellbinders which can cut, emboss & stencil.
I think a Bigz is a Big Shot.
To answer a question a while back, there are 7 dies in the circles set. That is why is looked as though there was space between the sets. The smallest is 4 1/4 inch.
Actually, Dies Direct (now called Cheery Lynn Designs) does emboss as well as cut. The great thing about their Large Stackers is the size of the largest dies - between 5.5 and 5 7/8 inches so you can actually make the card shape with the largest die. So you get the small nesting dies as well as a much larger die than what Spellbinders offers in their set. Here is an example in my gallery where I have done just that and you can see the embossed lip. This card is 5 7/8" square.
I recently had a chance to try out this machine. I own the basic Big Shot and that's what I'm comparing it to. Where I live in Canada, I can get the Big Shot for $90 taxes included and the Grand Calibur is $130 taxes included.
I liked the larger cutting size and that the embossing mat came with it and wasn't an extra purchase. It would cost me roughly $10 for an embossing mat for my Big Shot, so that puts the price to $100 versus $130. So, is the extra cutting space worth the extra $30? In my case, I'd have to say no. If the extra cutting space was needed by me, I think I'd opt for the next size up in the Big Shot but the prices are more than $130 for that unit.
What I didn't like was that the machine was quite tippy even when using the suction cup on the bottom. The suction cup didn't always stay in place on the countertop we were using it on. I still felt I had to hang on to the top of it while cranking the handle and I never have to do that with the Big Shot.
What I didn't like was that the advertisements say that it will take an 8.5X11 size sheet no problem but what they don't tell you is you have to take the tray off it to put 8.5X11 paper through it. I could see myself eventually breaking plastic off the tray because it doesn't come off easily. The design of the unit should have had that tray holding an 8.5X11 paper. Why they went with plates that are only 8 1/4 wide is beyond me.
The Big Shot will take Sizzix dies and apparently this machine doesn't take all Sizzix. I don't think it said this in the instruction manual that came with the machine but it was on an online FAQ referring to "Sizzix Originals" that we looked at after the fact. I have a couple of Sizzix dies I bought on sale and nowhere on them does it say "Original" so I gave it a try. They wouldn't go through the machine. For this reason alone, I'd prefer the Big Shot since all dies of competing companies fit through it.
In summary, I'd have to say it wasn't as well made as the Big Shot. So, I'll continue to make do with my original Big Shot and use my Cricut Expression minus the embossing feature for shapes larger than my Big Shot can accommodate.
