# just starting, need to cut simple circles in vinyl



## mel58 (Sep 30, 2011)

hi,

I bought some of the subliflex from novachrome. its a sublimatable vinyl. I just want to cut simple circles right now of different sizes. if this takes off for me then i will look at buying a roland or whatever is best.

I'd be satisfied at this point with a simple hand tool or a lever operated tool. even if after a couple of jobs I realize that I need to buy a vinyl cutter that is ok. once I see if there is a market for my idea.

does anyone know what I need to buy? will a simple frisker paper punch work on this? I will sublimate it first then cut the circles out around the printed design. I think they offered a precut 2 inch circle but I want different sizes but for starters would need a 1 5/8 or 1 11/16.

thanks for any help pointing me in the right direction.

Melinda


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

How about a Badge-A-Minute hole Punch. The company sells those round campaign badges people where for different reasons. They sell a hole cutting tool. 

It would be easier to buy a low cost cutter like US Cutter to get you started.


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## mel58 (Sep 30, 2011)

thanks selanac, i've been looking at the cheap us cutter but I don't know if this idea will take off. i am wanting to decorate items that don't come in sublimatable like labels to decorate jars or what I'm working on now are tin boxes. don't know if there would be a market and won't need the cutter unless there is. I can't imagine at this point wanting to cut anything other than circles and squares. If I can even get a couple of jobs and find out there is a market for this then I'll go ahead and buy the us cutter or something. I'm marketing these as wedding favors so we'll see ! thanks again

melinda


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

I see no reason that you could not use a simple paper punch, since scrapbooking cutters are designed to punch thick cardstock and papers are far more abrasive to the blades than vinyls. You will want to clean the metal part of the punch with alcohol or acetone every so often to remove adhesive build-up. Bring a 40% off coupon to one of the major craft stores and wander around the scrapbooking punch section. Some weeks the entire craft punch selection is 40% off. One size I haven't had much luck finding is a 1/2" punch (the ones I've found online are expensive enough that I haven't gotten around to ordering it), I wound up getting a circle die punch set (look like hollow nail sets) from Harbor Freight where the largest size is 1/2" but it's a pain to use. You can also find a circle and oval cutter where you dial in the size and it rotates a small blade on an axis to make a circle. I have not had much luck with mine (Fiskars model), but I could simply have bad technique. If you can find circles made out of a material that you can use as an edge for a blade (such as steel or glass, aluminum will be nicked by an X-Acto blade) you can also use that. Get a nice cutting mat while you're at it.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

Or you can have one of us Cut the designs for you.


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