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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Quick Tip Tuesday: Blade Care


Welcome to another Quick Tip Tuesday here at Fantabulous Cricut. This week is all about the ever-important blade.
This is the blade assembly, into which the cutting blade fits.
You will know it’s time to replace your blade when your paper does not cut properly or even rips during the cutting process. For detailed instructions on replacing the blade, see the Cricut Maintenance page at Cartridge Helper. (http://www.cartridgehelper.com/cricut-maintenance/)

When in doubt, set your blade depth at a lower setting to err on the side of caution. It’s better to not cut through your paper all the way than to cut into the mat, dulling the blade. If the blade does not cut through the paper, do NOT remove the mat, but do adjust your blade depth and then try your cut again. I’ve also found that my blade works best when positioned at a bit of an angle. You might have to play around with this a bit to see what position gets the best cut for you.

Here is a photo of how I have positioned the blade in my own machine.  If you look at the little arrow on the blade assembly (pointing to blade depth 4), it is not at a straight angle facing out from the blade housing.  Rather, I have positioned it slightly to the left as this seems to work best for cutting with Cricut.
Finally, some people recommend the use of Cutter Glide Tool Treatment to prolong the life of their blades.

Happy crafting!


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10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip! I do seem to be going through my blades awfully fast--maybe it's my blade depth.

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  2. Thanks for the tip.

    http://iwycd.blogspot.com/

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  3. Thanks for the tips !

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  4. Hi: what does " I’ve also found that my blade works best when positioned at a bit of an angle" mean? I don't understand how one could do that. Appreciate any help. You can email me if wish or answer here in comments sections.

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  5. Thanks for the tips! I am not sure of what you mean by positioning the blade at an angle either, could you possibly explain that one? I love the Tuesday tips. TFS!

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  6. Hi Diana Joy
    Thanks for your question. I've added some more information to the post, including a photo. I hope that clears things up for you. If not, continue to ask away! I really do find that this helps with cutting, especially with more intricate cuts.
    Good luck!

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  7. Sorry HappyExpressions! I didn't mean to exclude you.

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  8. Hi: thanks for clearing up the 'angle' thing for me. I'll have to check mine next time I cut (tomorrow) and see if it helps any. I'm always looking for new angles....take care

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  9. Thanks you for the added extra and photo. Thanks also for the lovely comment you left me on my blog,

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  10. Thanks for the photo showing how you position the arrow at an angle. I'm going to try that!

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