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!