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I had major problems with a die I recently bought and watched a ton of videos on die cutting. It made me wonder. Are the electronic machines superior to the hand cranked ones? Do you still have to use shims with the electronic ones? I never see them do that in the videos. Everything looks effortless. Make your sandwich, send it through, boom...you got what you wanted.
It seems to depend. I have both a manual and electric, and while I have never done a comparison head to head with a single die, I can tell you that I sometimes need to shim both when I cut intricate dies.
I have a Big Shot and a Vagabond, just so you know what I am using (and I do use both). There is a recent thread about the Gemini somewhere, as it is billed as being superior in cutting intricate dies. You might look at that machine and see what claims they are making and see what people are saying about it.
I do love my Vagabond. No cranking. If I have to shim I don't care, the no-cranking more than makes up for it. ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
It seems to depend. I have both a manual and electric, and while I have never done a comparison head to head with a single die, I can tell you that I sometimes need to shim both when I cut intricate dies.
I have a Big Shot and a Vagabond, just so you know what I am using (and I do use both). There is a recent thread about the Gemini somewhere, as it is billed as being superior in cutting intricate dies. You might look at that machine and see what claims they are making and see what people are saying about it.
I do love my Vagabond. No cranking. If I have to shim I don't care, the no-cranking more than makes up for it. ;)!
I really can't justify another purchase right now. I just bought the multipurpose platform and two new plates for my machine. But it will go on my wish list. It doesn't cost a thing to dream, right?
My sense is that cutting outcome can vary a bit even among the same make/model machines occasionally due to age, how it was used, even factory adjustments. So what works on one might be the tiniest different on another.
I agree with Lydia that some dies are poorly made. I had a die that CS would stick in so badly that when removed it would be warped, even using a fave die release paper. I asked the seller if she knew any tricks for removal, and she said she bet the die was faulty and immediately sent me another after first trying it. The replaced die is easy peasy. (Taylored Expressions - great customer service!)
I have manual and an electronic, and the electronic sometimes cuts dies that are extremely detailed better. It cut two full coverage dies that four manual machines couldn't cut - my two Cuttlebugs and two Bigshots at my LSS that the owner tried with. These dies are less sharp than dies from some other companies, so that's part of it. But the electronic managed when adding its metal shim.
With spot shimming and using all my strength on one Cuttlebug, I finally got a full cut, but would have broken the machine and could barely manage to crank it. I don't mind being rough but this was brutal.
Last edited by bjeans; 02-10-2018 at 09:49 AM..
Reason: typos and Chrome spacing and stuff
I have the crafters companion cut n boss electric think this is the one that came out before gemini but after the ebosser i dont know if they still make it but i highly recommend it and if gemini is said to be good then its same company so im guessing it would be as good as the cut n boss is im disabled and struggle to use without help not to do with machine its just im bedridden so hubby is my helper!
I am grateful as i love stamping and die cutting and card making and paper tole etc but theres parts i cannot do without assistance!
I use metal shim in my machine and occasionally add a cardstock for extra help my onlu complaint is the metal shim hss been a bit hard to find and places put up prices but i did find a new one eventually
Its approx 9 inches wide same as bigshot plus and so it takes US or standard australian sized cardstock (A4) which is great
One thing from watching numerous youtubes is to rotate the die 90 degrees and move it around so it hits the rollers at a different spot
I have definitely had dies that wouldn't cut but i think once i get the new shim found a smaller one but reallt need the bigger one this should help a lot for me
Good luck!
Definitely agree with bjeans- machines vary a lot, even amongst the same brand. I've seen videos with people using a 'Bug, and they put through plate combos mine would never take. Also, I find some dies will cut better at the edge of the plate, whilst others cut fine in the centre. The pressure from the rollers will vary across the width of the cutting plate, and from machine to machine.
There is no perfect tool that will do everything exactly right every single time, there are too many variables. Yes, there are defective dies, but more often than not it is a matter of shimming, or rotating and running the thing through more than once, or flipping a plate, or getting new plates because the plates are not meant to last forever. I try very hard not to get caught up in how a tool doesn't work absolutely perfectly and do everything I ask of it without a hiccup. I have dies that are a pain in the a** to cut, they need all sorts of shimming and rotating. There is nothing wrong with them. It's a metal die that doesn't (and can't) have a razor sharp edge, sitting on a platform with a pair of plastic plates that are not perfectly level, running though a pair of rollers that are not calibrated to a laboratory standard.
Want to get a perfect cut every time? Use a steel rule die. You'll be limited, but you won't have to torture yourself with "Why isn't my die cutting perfectly the first time through with no effort on my part other than stacking the correct sandwich?
Ah. Feel better now. ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Yes, I did suggest the OP look at the Gemini, with which I personally have no eperience. So I don't know how it does what it says it does, or whether however it does it will, like any roller machine, loosen with age and require shims.
My point is that we are all prey to demanding that our tools perform perfectly in an imperfect and varied world and if they don't we feel that they should. But we are buying tools that have to work with products from so many different companies, and with so many variations. That I need to shim some of my dies, and fuss with them one way or another is, to me, just the price of admission into die-cutting. That my Stamping Platform works better when the stamps are not close to the edge of the stamping area or that some need a bit of a shim underneath is just a fact of life. I could go on and on. My Scan N Cut doesn't fussy cut every single one of my stamps, although I can fix a lot of them using a pencil to close gaps, and buying it didn't allow me to never want or need to buy another die or punch. And that's okay. It's the way of the world. The crafting world and the world in general.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
There is no perfect tool that will do everything exactly right every single time, there are too many variables. Yes, there are defective dies, but more often than not it is a matter of shimming, or rotating and running the thing through more than once, or flipping a plate, or getting new plates because the plates are not meant to last forever. I try very hard not to get caught up in how a tool doesn't work absolutely perfectly and do everything I ask of it without a hiccup. I have dies that are a pain in the a** to cut, they need all sorts of shimming and rotating. There is nothing wrong with them. It's a metal die that doesn't (and can't) have a razor sharp edge, sitting on a platform with a pair of plastic plates that are not perfectly level, running though a pair of rollers that are not calibrated to a laboratory standard.
Want to get a perfect cut every time? Use a steel rule die. You'll be limited, but you won't have to torture yourself with "Why isn't my die cutting perfectly the first time through with no effort on my part other than stacking the correct sandwich?
Ah. Feel better now. ;)!
I love all the points you made, Rachel. We all need to remember that we are supposedly involved in this hobby to have fun and enjoy being creative. I'm reminded of the saying by some famous, wise person: "Don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good."
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
My mother in law, who was a wonderful found-object artist, used to say “Perfection prevents possibility.”
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Yes, I did suggest the OP look at the Gemini, with which I personally have no eperience. So I don't know how it does what it says it does, or whether however it does it will, like any roller machine, loosen with age and require shims.
My point is that we are all prey to demanding that our tools perform perfectly in an imperfect and varied world and if they don't we feel that they should. But we are buying tools that have to work with products from so many different companies, and with so many variations. That I need to shim some of my dies, and fuss with them one way or another is, to me, just the price of admission into die-cutting. That my Stamping Platform works better when the stamps are not close to the edge of the stamping area or that some need a bit of a shim underneath is just a fact of life. I could go on and on. My Scan N Cut doesn't fussy cut every single one of my stamps, although I can fix a lot of them using a pencil to close gaps, and buying it didn't allow me to never want or need to buy another die or punch. And that's okay. It's the way of the world. The crafting world and the world in general.
Yes, I did get your point. Actually, I agree with you that no machine is perfect. I was just answering the OP's question.
Scrapjanny, I did press that a bit hard, didn't I. Had a moment there. Got to stop watching the news and calm down ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I bought the Gemini JR at the HSN launch in November and love it. I have a Cuttlebug (the original from years ago) but have extreme difficulty cranking the handle. I recently broke my C plate after about the 3rd use, by forcing it into the Cuttlebug. Crafters said not to worry about the noises the machine makes, so I kept cranking. I always have to stand up to crank it too. The embossing folders worked great, but cutting dies was difficult. I'd recommend the Gemini or Gemini JR to anyone looking for an electronic die cutter. Following the instruction book for the sandwich, all the cuts come out great.
Does anyone have any comments/tips on the Evolution by We r Memory Keepers? I read somewhere that someone made her own cheat-sheet for using the dials. I just got one a week or two ago and after reading reviews on Gemini Jr., I'm afraid I'll have problems with the Evolution. What does anyone think of the Gemini Jr. reviews? I was really wanting the Gemini, but when I saw a friend use hers for the first time, I actually saw what people were saying.
Electric vs Manual die cutting machines
