- Blade problems? New information!
Hi, folks! I am sure there are many crafters who are thrilled with their Silhouette Cameos. But, judging by the number of crafters who write to me every day, there are many who are still enduring a love-hate relationship with this potentially amazing piece of equipment.
Okay, so what’s happening? Well, the BIGGEST frustration is that the blade isn’t cutting or isn’t delivering a clean cut. What everyone wants to know is WHY, WHY, WHY!
Based on my own experience with the Silhouette Cameo and the thousands (yes, thousands) of crafters who search my site and/or write to me every month, in the hopes of gaining some insight, here is a summary of the issues and some potential solutions. I hope this helps!
1. My Cameo is not making clean cuts.
You probably have either a defective blade or your blade is chipped. Let me explain. When the Cameo first hit the market, it was shipped with a defective blade. According to Silhouette America, whom I spoke with on several occasions, the original blades were set at an incorrect angle, making it impossible to achieve a clean cut.
So, if your blade has never given you a clean cut, call Silhouette America and they will send you a new blade. Even more good news, Silhouette American had all new blades manufactured and started shipping them at the end of February.
If your blade cut fine for a while and then started tearing the paper, it is quickly likely that your blade tip is chipped. This can happen when the blade setting is too high. Generally, your blade should be set at a 2 or 3. For example, Stampin Up Whisper White or Very Vanilla cardstock is 80 lb., which calls for a blade setting of 3, thickness 33 and speed 3. If you are doing a very intricate cut, you could even slow the speed down to 1 or 2, to ensure cleaner cuts. Do not, however, change any of the other settings.
Setting the blade higher than called for causes it to reach down further and, consequently, chip the end. Once that happens, your only solution is to buy a new blade.
Here is a screenshot of the control panel. Notice the speed is set at 3 and the thickness at 33. As the medium, I chose 80 lb. cardstock. This is the setting you will likely use most of the time. Notice the “Change Settings?” option…clicking on this allows you to select new settings for media, thickness and speed.One thing to remember, however, is that once you select the medium, such as cardstock, paper, vinyl, etc., your Cameo does the rest. It automatically selects the speed and thickness. Could it be any easier?
The blade setting of 1 means that the blade will only come out of its casing far enough to cut the thin paper, but not far enough to chip the end of the blade.
IMPORTANT: Remember, although the Cameo automatically sets the blade on the screen, you MUST physically set the blade before you begin to make the cut. Remove the blade from your Cameo, and change the setting accordingly. Then, replace it, making sure it is pushed down all the way before locking it in with the blue lever.
2. My Cameo is cutting, but not all the way through the paper.
Here’s a trouble-shooting checklist:
– Check that you have selected the correct medium. For example, if you are using Stampin Up Whisper White 80 lb. cardstock, be sure you select “cardstock, 80 lb.”
– Be sure to take your blade out and physically turn it to the right setting as indicated in your on-screen settings.
– Sometimes the “double-cut” setting is necessary to ensure that your cut goes all the way through the paper, without having to increase the blade setting.
– If you check all your settings carefully, and your Cameo is still not cutting all the way through, there is a possibility that the end of your blade has been chipped and is not long enough to reach through the paper. (And, even if your chipped blade did reach through, it would just tear up your paper, anyway).
TIP: When experimenting with new media and settings, do a Test Cut, first. It only takes a minute and will save you a lot of time, paper and frustration in the long run.
Just a thought, before I sign off…we are all so lucky to be part of a global crafting community, where we can share our experiences, problems and solutions. I have heard from Cameo owners on every continent, all with the same joys and frustrations, and all seeking to find and/or share solutions to common problems.
If you have any Cameo tips that you could share, please leave me a comment and I will publish them here, at Globug ideas.
Thanks, crafters. I hope you’re getting closer to solving your Cameo cutting issues.
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Help!! I can not figure out how to cut just one part of a pattern. I buy these patterns that show the banner in one color, the letters in another, then different flowers. How do you cut just the banners, then the letters, then the flowers. I have read til I am weary. What am I missing. I am a hands on learner so this is a bit frustrating for me. Thanks so much, Shannon
Hi!
I was wondering if the Cameo was able to cut crepe paper? I am planning to make wedding center pieces but I do not want to spend the grueling hours of cutting each petal by hand. I wonder if you think crepe paper (the sheet, not the roll) would not cut because it is too thin or the kind of texture it has? I don’t want to purchase the Cameo if it can’t cut.
Thanks!
Thanks for having this site. I’m hoping you can give me some suggestions. I got my cameo for Christmas but only played a little. It was cutting siloutte files fine but I wanted to cut .svg files too so I just upgraded to the design software. It now lets me open svg files but it won’t let me cut. The machine acts like it cuts and gives a message that it cut successfully, however, the mat didn’t even move in an attempt to cut. Thoughts? Any suggestions are much appreciated!
Hello again,
I just tried cutting copper clay that is 0.25mm thick, and approx. 7mm high, and I was surprised it cut it using speed 3 and thickness 33. And to say I was surprised is an understatement; it cut a really intricate design perfectly.
Did my earlier failure as a result of speed (like I said, I used the factory setting for medium paper)
Even though the main reason I bought it was to cut intricate designs in metal clay, I would really love to be able to cut paper, card stock, designs for fabric, etc. as I’d sung its praises to my child who was very disappointed 2 days ago when I couldn’t fulfill my promise.
THANK YOU.
Anthonia
Hello Gloria,
I came across your site because I googled ‘silhouette cameo not cutting correctly’. I got my cameo about 2 weeks ago and tried to cut a test piece of medium weight printing paper 2 days ago, but it kept tearing it in places. I tried again a few minutes ago, and ended up disappointed. I used the automated setting (blade 2, speed 10, thickness 25) and just re-set my blade on the machine manually.
Is it possible that I have a defective blade even though I bought it in Dec 2012 (months after you said they replaced defective blades? I live, and bought it in the UK.
Many thanks for your time, and for a very educative site.
Hi, Anthonia,
First, please accept my apology for the late response. My comments notification system went awry and I wasn’t receiving any notifications. It has been fixed and I am back in action! Yay!
Ah, poor you! Yes, it is possible that you have a defective blade. It is also possible that the tip of you blade chipped off after you received it. For example, when you used the automatic setting of 2, 10, 25, did you also physically take the blade out and turn it to the number 2 setting?
The other possibility is that there are still some of those defective blades floating around–I hope not, but you never know.
Try cutting on a nice smooth piece of card stock, using the settings recommended in the Silhouette Studio software. If you are still having trouble, you should contact Silhouette America and ask them to send you a new blade.
I hope you get your problem solved quickly so you can get on to some fun crafting! Please let me know how it works out. I will keep my fingers crossed for you!!
Gloria
Hi,
Have loved reading your input on the cameo. I also live in Ottawa and have ordered from the States (anxiously awaiting my machine). I know you mention using SU whisper white; have you tried any of the other SU papers (color cardstock and DSP). Are there any problems with those? And, would you know if there are any courses offered in Ottawa or surrounding areas? Tried looking but Belleville was the closest location…
Cheers
Hi, Spy,
First, please accept my apology for the late response. My notification system for my comments went awry and I wasn’t being notified. I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t receiving any comments!! LOL! Anyway, it’s all fixed and I am back in action! Yay!
Well, from one Ottawa crafter to another, welcome to the world of Silhouette Cameo! You will likely have questions (and possibly a few frustrations) when you start using your Cameo, so feel free to come back as often as you like. I always answer every question. I also love to hear any tips and tricks you learn, too.
I almost always use SU Whisper White and Very Vanilla for card bases and, especially when cutting on my Cameo. They are smooth, yet sturdy, and always produce clean cuts. Of course, there are times when I need to cut shapes on other SU colours or on DP. I have noticed that the other SU cardstock, such as So Saffron (one of my favourites) is not the same texture as the Whisper White and Very Vanilla. These two seem to be in a class of their own.
If your blade is sharp and clean, you shouldn’t have any trouble with SU or other good brands of cardstock. Where the problems start is when you try to cut very soft paper, such as construction. It literally falls apart and clogs the blade housing. I would stay away from it! You should check your blade housing regularly for debris, regardless of what paper you are using. You can simply run a needle or straight pin around the blade to loosen and remove debris. A small artist’s paint brush (the kind the kids use) can also help.
When you mention classes, do you mean classes on how to use the Silhouette Cameo? I don’t know of any, but what a good idea! If I do find any, I will post it on Globug Ideas.
Good luck with your new Cameo!! Let me know how it goes!!
Have a happy day,
Gloria
I just got the answer from my question below…
Goto:
1) File
2) Preferences
3) Advance
4) Set Packet Size to 500 byte.
but once set to 500 bytes it became super slow….. I had to readjust it back to 1000bytes…. walla it when smooth again… Thx Uncle Google.
cheers..
Awesome! Thanks for sharing the info, Jehan!!
Gloria
Hi, Jehan,
I see you found the answer, before I could get to you!! Good work!!
Gloria
P.S. Thanks, again, for sharing that with us!!
HI, Need help.. My cameo stop cutting in the middle of the project and then ends. really need an advise from gurus here.. Thx.
Living in deep, dark Africa, and simply loving my Silhouette Cameo. Todate have made all my family and friends birthday cards and then some! Received enough compliments to raise the Titanic!! Feeling very good about it all.
Recently bought the Rhinestone starter kit and read about “pink cap”. Went through every bit of documentation I received with the Cameo but still couldn’t find out what a pink cap was. Hence the internet search and landing your your website.
Discovered the pink, yellow and blue caps went out with the orginal Silhouette and the Cameo now has blade settings…what is this about settings above “3″ – the blade has markings upto 10?
Have bookmarked your website and will pop in whenever I need added guidance!
Take care and keep well…
Hi! Has anyone else run into this problem: When I set my Silhouette Cameo to “double cut,” the second pass does not line up with the first. The two cuts are off by about 1/16-1/8 inch. I have purchased brand new cutting mats — the paper is not slipping on the mat, I don’t believe… Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, Kristen,
I haven’t heard of anyone else having this problem. Here are my trouble-shooting thoughts:
1) Try double-cutting a very simple image, such as a square. If the Cameo cuts this with no problem, then perhaps the image(s) you are trying to cut are blurred on the edge.
2) This could be a problem related to the computer in the Cameo. Download the latest version of the software (which we should do regularly, anyway). It may contain some bug-fixes that will cure this problem.
3) Double-check the settings in the software to be sure they are set correctly.
4) If you’re still having this problem, call the Silhouette America support team and keep your fingers crossed that they can solve your problem over the phone.
Let me know how it works out, Kristen. Good luck!!
)
Gloria
Thank you SO MUCH for this post! I was beginning to think my Silhouette Cameo was destined to be a very expensive paperweight. I bought a new blade (never set above 3) and everything is peachy keen. Off to the store to buy some paper for my wedding projects!
Hi, Kathleen,
AWESOME!!! Now, you really will fall in love with your Cameo!!!! Have fun creating your wedding projects!!!
Big hugs,
Gloria
Hi, I just purchased the cameo, and have not done any successful cutting. First, I have a mac and the cd’s didn’t work so I had to download the software but real issue seems to be with the blade or the rollers. The rollers don’t hold the mat down on one side which results in the mat swaying from side and side and I believe it is causing the blade to cut scribble scrabble or missing parts completely. I have tried moving the rollers but it doesn’t seem to help… The other issue is the blade, it cuts partial through some parts of the design…. Maybe because of the roller…. I first test the cameo and used printing paper on the correct setting, and it didn’t cut through, then used several 80# cardstock pieces, on “3″ and it didn’t cut through it! Worried I may have a defective machine.
Hi, Margaret,
I’m sorry to hear you are having problems with your Cameo. I think I can help…
Roller: If your cutting mat is slipping around, check the blue lever which is located on the right end of the Cameo, directly over the roller bar. Be sure it is pushed UP—that will lock the roller bar into place.
Blade not cutting through: If you have tried to cut 80 lb cardstock with the blade set at higher than 3, then it’s quite likely that the tip of your blade has chipped off. The only solution is to buy a new blade. When the first Cameos were shipped out, they had defective blades (the blades were set at the wrong angle) and none of them would cut properly. As of the end of February 2012, Silhouette America had a whole new shipment of non-defective blades. If you think your Cameo arrived with a defective blade, call Silhouette America and ask them to ship you a new blade. They sent me three before I finally got one from the new shipment.
One last idea…have a look into the white casing that houses the blade to see if there are any tiny bits of paper stuck around the blade. If so, carefully clean them out with a needle or straight pin.
I hope your Cameo is up-and-running, soon!! Please let me know how it works out. If you have any more questions, let me know. I’m always happy to help!
Gloria
Ok, so I am totally frustrated. The Silhoutte seems like a piece of crap! I paid $300, and have yet to cut anything successfully on paper or vinyl. Not to mention that I have wasted almost a whole roll of vinyl! I have contacted the company 3 times via email, and the responses with suggestions have been useless. Any suggestions?
Hi!
I completely understand your frustration with the Cameo. I went through exactly the same thing—in fact, I thought I had made a huge mistake in buying it! But, now, I LOVE IT!!!!! I am cutting very intricate patterns with great success.
First, can you tell me exactly what is happening when you try to cut? For example, are the paper and vinyl tearing? Is the blade cutting, at all? Does the mat seem to be too sticky?
Together, we CAN solve all your problems and you WILL fall in love with your CAMEO—I PROMISE!
Okay, so write back to me soon and I will respond as quickly as possible.
Gloria
Hi! Just wanted to send a quick note to say THANK YOU! I’ve been trying to troubleshoot issues with my beloved Cameo for months and just stumbled across your blog today. SO SUPER HELPFUL! I just called Silhouette and they’re shipping me a new blade and already emailed me better instructions for use. Fingers crossed this baby starts functioning properly with a new blade and proper user inputs!
Thanks again!
Hi, thank you so much for letting me know that you found my articles helpful. That’s exactly why I write them! I get about 1500 crafters every month seeing help with their Silhouette Cameo issues, but very few take time to leave me a comment. You have definitely made all my efforts worthwhile.
You will LOVE your Cameo once you get a good blade. Now that I have a non-defective blade in mine, I am cutting out the most beautiful and intricate embellishments for my cards and scrapbooks. It really takes our work to a whole new level!!
Good luck, and thanks, again for visiting my blog and for leaving me a comment. Please come back and let me (and all the other frustrated Cameo-owners) know how it works out with your new blade!
Until next time, take care! (Hope your new blade arrives soon).
Gloria