# does anybody have some weeding tips ?



## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Hello, I am cutting vinyl and need some tips to weed faster/easier. I searched the forum and there are some tips but not really helpfull ones.
I saw the machine that weeds the big pieces of vinyl but it didn't do the small pieces and they are the ones wich are difficult I think. All the tips are wanted, Thanx in advance.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

For small stuff there are two methods I know of...

i have heard people putting in freezer for 15 to 30 min to loosen it up and making weeding quicker

Best known method is, using a higher tack tape and covering vinyl(before doing this weed out inside of o,a,e ect.) than slowly pull off the excess vinyl and small letter will remain

I was skeptical myself but works very well


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Using a jewellers eye piece could help with the small minute parts.


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

I use this tool to weed all my vinyl, it's simply a needle in a dowel rod. It works wonders though.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

Best tool I use it moms tweezers, she always asks me where it is Lol, I am like umm.. "doing my eyebrow Ma, I be done shorty... needle nose end ones work miracles with an xacto knife


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

mrbigjack50 said:


> Best tool I use it moms tweezers, she always asks me where it is Lol, I am like umm.. "doing my eyebrow Ma, I be done shorty... needle nose end ones work miracles with an xacto knife


 I've tried everything known to man and even some not known and I always end up coming back to the needle on a steek.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

you must of like playing pin the tail on donkey as kid huh

I use a nail because I get issue that sharp point of pin stabs threw vinyl easily  I guess I don;t got a women tough when it comes to that kinda stuff


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## amy_schutt (May 29, 2007)

We were using dental picks from the toothpaste aisle at Wal-Mart which were cheaper and worked well. Then a girl my daughter goes to college came in one day and her mother had been a dental hygienist. She brought us a plethora of dental picks that are the real deal. It has changed everything. I've seen them on ebay as well.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanx guys and girls,

Realy helpfull tips I will check out all of them.
Right now I'm using a hoby knife, but I am doing 2500 mini shirts with real real real small letters on them on one place and the insite of them are very tricky. 
Amy do you know the brand of the tooth picks so I can trie them out. We don't got a wall mart in Holland but I will search them on ebay if you can tell me the brand.

Thanks again to all of u.

Greetings from holland!
Rene


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

hmm, T Shirt vinyl in breeze to weed, only thing you need needle for it insides


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

Another thing I do sometimes (with sign vinyl, anyway) is to ball up the first weeded large piece of vinyl inside out so the sticky side is exposed. When weeding the little bits, I just drag the small pieces across the sticky ball of vinyl or stab it.


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## oroboy (Aug 16, 2008)

There is no real quick solution to weeding; you can have the best tooth picks, dental pics, or whatever manual tools you have, but it still takes time and patience. If you are doing a lot of weeding of the same design, you'll eventually get into a rhythem as you weed the same design over and over.

The only real solution that you can do to minimize the amount of weeding you have to do for small pieces is to eliminate all of that during the design process. Basically making a design that's easy to weed. I know its not always the case, and it also depends on what the customer wants, but if you can simplify the design so that you reduce the amount of weeding that you have to do (especially with text), then you help yourself out when it's time to weed the vinyl.

OR... you can find 25 friends to spend the day with you and ask each of them to weed 100 pieces each, and in return make them lunch and dinner.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

Just curious why you didn't sub out to get silk screened?

For that many, would cost you 40 cents prob ea


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

2500? There's no way I would even consider doing that many things in vinyl. I'd sub'd that out in a heartbeat. Or at least plastisol, then you'd just have to press them.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

Times are tough and she wanna make a 100% profit and a hand in form of a claw for a few weeks


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## amy_schutt (May 29, 2007)

Dentek is the name brand of the cheap ones from wal-mart. I totally understand wanting to make 100% profit, but I'd have to concur with the others on this one. You will have adult onset arthritis before you get done. Good luck, though.

Post a pic and let us know how they turned out.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Hello guys and girls, I am a guy by the way,
I don't have to do the tees all at once and their all customized for each client. That is why I didn't screen or subed them out.
I am doing alright with the weeding of the larger parts but the inside of the e,a,g etc. is not the best thing to weed fast. I am using a better font now and that is getting better.
And i am gone use your tips .

Gr Rene


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## kenimes (Feb 12, 2008)

Outsource the weeding to the neighbor kids- cheap labor.....

=)


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Careful, with so many do gooders around you could be up for using child labour lol,


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

You gotta make sure you feed them/give them enough fluids : )

I worked when I was a kid and I turned out fine i think hmm..... I always got my firends 13/15yo kids wanting to help me for CHEAP like 4 bucks or something


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## customistic (Feb 10, 2009)

Wedding Tips:

I have been using an xacto knife for 7 years (the super stylish black or maroon one with the grips, best $7 I ever spent, lasts forever). I have tried everything else, and hate it. I love my xacto knife.

The MOST IMPORTANT PART is to get the right tips, no one knows that. Do not purchase the tips from Michaels or Office Max because they dull out way to quickly and are not really shaped right. Make sure are actually buying them from signwarehouse or whoever your supplier is. I can not stress what a difference it makes.

Also, a pair of good tweezers is important for the little stuff. I use slanted Revlon ones. Best I have found.

You also need to think about weeding things when you are designing them. I can't tell you how many times I have had employees or friends try to get me to download some font and I was like, "Um, would you like to weed that?" Taking into consideration how long it will take to weed something, and how to cut that time down is a very important part of the job.

Also, when you have big jobs, it is always good to try to enlist friends. I own a couple stores, and have employees, but all my friends have at least weeded their own shirts before and surprisingly find it fun or relaxing.


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## rfried (Dec 30, 2008)

we tried many things as weeders and found the blow darts from my son's blow gun work great , they have a sharp tip , a plastic end and many lenths to choose from


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

I prefer my needle in a dowel rod, lasts forever and costs about a buck. Also works as a bubble popper (actually is what it's marketed for).


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## kctrader (Dec 26, 2008)

Make sure you have your cutter set correctly. I find most of the time when I have problems weeding, it's because I didn't have the pressure or blade depth right in the first place. 

I also prefer the exacto knife, however, I like mine dull for weeding. I keep a super sharp one to make cuts. I think you whatever you are most comfortable with is what you like best.


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## chiliman (Jan 5, 2009)

I put weed boxes around the more difficult areas...and extra cut lines thru and around the tuff areas, often when i use a font the same height i will put a cut line thru the top and bottom. It is the single most effective thing that has made a difference in my weeding....Dont be scared put cut lines thru everything..(not thru your image of course) but let your cutter do the work...boxes around text and so on and so forth..Hope this helps.


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## Lnfortun (Feb 18, 2006)

Picked this up from Harbor Freights for less than $5.00. Works great for weeding.


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## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

rfried said:


> we tried many things as weeders and found the blow darts from my son's blow gun work great , they have a sharp tip , a plastic end and many lenths to choose from


rfried,

Where do you live? Who has blow darts in the US, aren't they like illegal or something? Do you have some kind of potion you soak them in for knocking someone out or something? Ha, Ha!!!


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## rfried (Dec 30, 2008)

BML Builder said:


> rfried,
> 
> Where do you live? Who has blow darts in the US, aren't they like illegal or something? Do you have some kind of potion you soak them in for knocking someone out or something? Ha, Ha!!!


i live in illinois - you can get the darts from cabelas or bass pro shop the ones that work the best are the ones that have been used and have just a tiny little bend in the end . no potion - do not let the kid shoot anything living and they also come in glow in the dark


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## quasinuker2 (Jan 22, 2009)

I like to use the weedind tool that came with my G24 CAMM-1 from Roland
Also I use opti-visor 1.5x power for that hard to see weeding
(I'm a blind old man)... There are many sights out there for the visor but here is one link to give you an idea/visual of them...Optivisor Transtronics, Inc.


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