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Silhouette Portrait/Cameo ect.


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I had a search around and the enthusiasm for these machines seemed to die off. Does anyone still use one to make their own masks/decals replacements? How do you find them?

 

There are a few modern jets I would like to make 1/48 masks for (e.g. the HO and serials on a F-4E) because decals are non existent. Examples of people using them for such things is hard to come across, I just wondered if anyone here had any examples, stories of using them or the like?

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Plotters are very useful machines for masks  and engraving guides, it takes quite a lot of practice/testing to get the settings right though so unless you build a lot it's easier to go through experienced users 🙂

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I did not mean at all to discourage you from getting and using one by the way, they are awesome tools! If your designs are relatively simple/large the learning curve is not that steep. It's all a matter of benefit/fun-to-cost ratio 🙂

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I invested in a Cricut Maker a few months ago, $450AUS.

 

Despite the software it uses (Design Space) being a bit clunky, it is brilliant.  I've used it to cut masks for spraying and vinyl for decals (and a business sign on my 4WD).  Have been looking into using it for engraving and debossing (e.g. patterns on a knights armour for a current scratchbuild), but I think for 1/35 scale, it would not go fine enough.

 

I've found in vinyl/masking frisket, you can go down to about 3mm height for complex shapes like letters.  Smaller than that, it starts to lose the plot and chop up the material.

 

For simple shapes (squares, circles, strips), you can go down to about 0.75mm and it works fine.

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A thought that I had when working with laser printing decals:


Has anybody used their die cutter to cut basic shapes out of a sheets of white decal paper?

 

My idea being that for basic shapes (squares, circles, roundels, etc.) I could buy a sheet of white decal paper, cut it with my silhouette portrait and apply to the kit. Then put a second laser printed decal layer on top of it. It would be cheaper/easier than ALPS printing, and I could save that for the more intricate and complicated elements.

 

Has anyone done such a thing?

 

Hoops

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can't answer the original question, but I do the same process ...kinda

I cut vinyl masks which allow me to paint the white rather than using two layers of decals.

 

I see no reason why cutting white decal sheet wouldn't work. I have cut regular paper and plasticard (0.3mm) 

I'd say that just like the rest, it's a question of size rather than material.

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On 5/2/2022 at 3:01 AM, Red Dog said:

can't answer the original question, but I do the same process ...kinda

I cut vinyl masks which allow me to paint the white rather than using two layers of decals.

 

I see no reason why cutting white decal sheet wouldn't work. I have cut regular paper and plasticard (0.3mm) 

I'd say that just like the rest, it's a question of size rather than material.

 

On 5/2/2022 at 10:44 AM, Alternative 4 said:

I don't see why cutting decal paper wouldn't work. Using registration marks function in silhouette studio you could get a cut tight to the design too which would eliminate a lot of the carrier film.

 

Thank you for the input, my silhouette is not handy at the moment, but once I unpack I'll try it out and let you all know.

 

Cheers!

Hoops

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