# How do you know when the cutter blade is dull



## vonroxy (Dec 5, 2008)

How do you know when it's time to change the blade because it is dull?

Or, more specifically, if it is not cutting right, how do I know it's a dull blade and not the speed or the force settings being off?


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## ole Jobe (Jun 16, 2009)

You can adjust the speed and pressure. Also the mylar cutting strip may be damaged. Run your finger over it, then look at it carefully to make sure there are no deep gouges in it. If these things are right, then it must be the blade. God Bless and Merry Christmas.


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## Nvr2Old (Oct 14, 2009)

vonroxy said:


> if it is not cutting right, how do I know it's a dull blade and not the speed or the force settings being off?


What's your cutter doing?


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## vonroxy (Dec 5, 2008)

Nvr2Old said:


> What's your cutter doing?


It's doing ok with t-shirt vinyl, but when we cut sticker vinyl is pulls up the edges and detail as it cuts.

The mylar strip does have some visible horizontal marks in it. Feels a little rough in a few spots.


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## tcrowder (Apr 27, 2006)

Sounds like too much pressure to me.


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## Nvr2Old (Oct 14, 2009)

vonroxy said:


> It's doing ok with t-shirt vinyl, but when we cut sticker vinyl is pulls up the edges and detail as it cuts.


I would try a new blade and/or fine tuning the blade offset in small increments.


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## HoleshotArtworks (Oct 26, 2009)

I have had this problem myself. I own a roland gx-24 and found that when cutting really intricate designs that the edges would pull up and many times ruin the decal. What I found is that the it's the amount of the blade that protrudes from the blade holder that causes this to happen. most of the time the blade is just set too far out. So what I do is take the blade holder and adjust it so that there is no blade protruding. Then I turn the adjustment small intrements at a time and test it on a piece of vinyl by hand. (run the blade across the vinly and see if it cuts through it) Once it is at the point that it cutts through the vinyl cleanly install the blade in the machine and make a few test cuts. I use the curls font at .5" tall to test. I am sure there are other ways to go about this but I fonud this technique to work the best for me. 

Hope this helps.


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## buggie pilot (Jul 16, 2008)

+1 on holeshots advise ..... you might want to see if it is starting to cut the backer sheet ...... that also would be an indication of too much blade out or pressure. If its not cutting the backer then I would look for a dull blade problem

*Edit* It might also need cleaning (the blade also needs to spin freely)


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## JoshEllsworth (Dec 14, 2005)

The blade should be sticking out about 1/2 of a credit cards thickness. I just left a shop last week with 10+ cutters and all of them had the blade WAY to far out and it was causing a lot of issues with cutting. Once you nail that part, if it doesn't improve it may be time for a new blade or a longer life blade.


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## hoonami (Oct 14, 2006)

JoshEllsworth said:


> The blade should be sticking out about 1/2 of a credit cards thickness. I just left a shop last week with 10+ cutters and all of them had the blade WAY to far out and it was causing a lot of issues with cutting. Once you nail that part, if it doesn't improve it may be time for a new blade or a longer life blade.


this applies for both sign vinyl and t-shirt vinyl? i am having same issues. pen force at normal which is 0, and force at 70 for sign vinyl and force at 150 for t-shirt vinyl


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