New cutter just launched, the Silver Bullet

[Rachell]

Agree with Loopey and Penny Sherri and Dawn are both the best and the customer support is out of this world.

[Lauram312000]

I wonder if this is going to be as hard as the black cat to learn. Of course this isn't based on experience...the only experience I have with the black cat is trying to buy one, and then getting overwhelmed with the $$!!

[Penny Duncan]

If you are comparing it against a Cricut or the Eclipse...YES there's going to be a learning curve....however....the forum for the cutters has an AMAZING Learning Center....not to mention the members of the forum.....I believe whoever purchased a machine from Sherri or Dawn would find the US Forum amazing helpful and a warm bunch of people!!

[Lauram312000]

Well the more I hear, the more I want the black Cat so maybe the silver bullet will be my next one!

[Louise-Paisley]

The Cougar and Silver bullet pro both have a bit steeper learning curve which is to be expected when you look at the things they can do.

However, the lions share of problems people had with these machines was not the machine its self it was the fact they they originally shipped with inkscape/ signcut.

As anyone who uses or has tried to use inkscape will know it is an incredibly complex program - it is of course absolutely fantastic once you learn it, but it is a very steep hill to climb for someone just joining the vector editing scene.

The machines now ship with SCAL which is MUCH MUCH easier to learn so this makes the whole process much easier. If you can use SCAL to cut with a lesser machine then there is really barely any difference doing the same on a Cougar/ Silver Bullet.

It is not quite so simply to install as some of the others but the quick start guide (supplied on a USB stick with the Silver Bullet) takes you through it step by step and of course help is available on the forum. Of course this is also pretty much a one off thing

In use there is really not that great a difference between these as the lesser capable machines. You have really 4 things to set..

1) the length of blade exposed from the holder: If you are careful with setting the force this can be set to maximum and left that way for everything you cut. If you want to protect your mats and blades you can set it to just slightly longer than the thickness of the card then the cutter cannot cut into the mat as long as the blade is over the media. THIS IS NOT USED TO SET THE DEPTH OF CUT, ONLY THE MAX DEPTH OF CUT

2) The height of the blade above the media: This is simply set by placing a piece of 0.06 chipboard or an old cd on the media and lower the blade holder in the clamp until the blade just touches then tighten the clamp.

3) Velocity: The speed at which it cuts, the thicker the media the lower this needs to be, chipboard you need to use maybe 5 or 10 with simple vinyl cuts or engraving fills you can go to max 600/ 800. When starting out and cutting 'normal' card and paper you can set this to 50 and forget it - you only need to increase it if you want to cut faster, at 50 it will cut 95% of media types perfectly.

4) The force: The force determines how deep the cut will be, if you use a thick card and a force of 5 it will create a light scratch, if you use a force of 100 it will cut very heavy card, with a force of 200 it will likely cut 0.060 chipboard. These machines will cut through the card AND the mat if you are not careful. You start with a low force of maybe 20 and test cut (press the test button which cuts a small rectangle) if the test cut does not cut through you increase the force and repeat. Once you find the force for a particular card/ paper type just write it down on a scarp of the card and keep it for future reference. Very quickly you will develop a sixth sense and be able to pick up a new media and think "That will need about 50" and be within +- 5 or ten points.

Do not mistake these machines for a craft robo or similar type machine, they are big, sturdy, well built work horses that will cut all day, piece after piece, sheet after sheet. When my 15" Cougar arrived I very nearly had a heart attack when I saw the size of the box! These are the Rolls Royce of cutters and a one off purchase that will last you for most likely the rest of your life!

They are an investment not just another gadget that will be redundant in 12 months

[DogCarbon]

what the price?

I don't feel like doing the research.... I'm on vacation

[Louise-Paisley]

what the price?

I don't feel like doing the research.... I'm on vacation

lazy trout!

In the US of A..

13" $849, 15" $949, 18" $1049, 24" $1199.

[sstehman]

Reading your posts on these machines and the machine sounds great, but "ouch" on the price tag. Would love to have one if I were a little more commercialized and could justify the price tag. Appreciate hearing the updates on other machines.

[Louise-Paisley]

Reading your posts on these machines and the machine sounds great, but "ouch" on the price tag. Would love to have one if I were a little more commercialized and could justify the price tag. Appreciate hearing the updates on other machines.

You do get what you pay for though..

I started out with 'cheap' cutters which I had to replace in order to cut what I want to cut.. They cost me as much as I paid for a Cougar and still did not do what I wanted therefore after spending that money I still ended up buying the Cougar - So buying a cougar in the first place would have actually saved me a boat load of money.

These machines are a one off, a lifetime purchase, in those terms the price is not as bad as it first seems.

I am a keen photographer and happened upon this website when looking for a new tripod..

http://craigingramphoto.blogspot.co.uk/ ... ripod.html

Unfortunately I had already followed the sequence detailed, had I made the right choice in the first place I would have saved more than I paid for my top quality carbon fibre tripod.. Cutters can be exactly the same

[sstehman]

Oh, I understand. I'm just a casual scrapbooker and card maker (with limited creative ability ), which makes it hard for me to justify. Believe me, if I could...I'd be right there getting one.